WORKING GROUP - COMMITTEE ON BROADCASTING AND TELEVISION (COBAT)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030055-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 2000
• Sequence Number: 55
• Publication Date: April 12, 1957
• Content Type: MIN

Approved For ReJase 2000/08/27: CIA-RDP78-01 R0003@ ' -~
OPERATIONS COORDINATING BOARD
Washington 25, D.C.
ao ,jiEC t
MEMORANDUM OF MEETING: Working Group - Committee on Broadcasting and
Television (COBAT)
26th Meeting held 2:00 P.M. April 12, 1.957
Conference Room #445 E.O.B.
Working Group i-Iembers Present:
USIA - Robert E. Button, Chairman
Frederick A. Long, Alternate
CIA - Representative present
ICA - Gale C. Griswold, alternate
Defense - Lt. Col. M. E. Williamson
State - William A. McFadden
Mrs. Florence Dowling, alternate
0 C B S ,aff - Ralph R. Busick, Staff Representative
Marjorie M. Denny, Staff Assistant
USIA - Gerald Dooher
1. The minutes of the February 12th meeting were adopted as written.
a. With reference to Item 2, the ICA representative agreed to
report at the next meeting concerning the exchange of technicians
with India, and whether or not an invitation had been extended to
Indian TV technicians to visit the U.S. for training.
b. With reference to Item 5, USIA reported no further
developments on the Beirut TV project.
c. With reference to Item 7, the Chairman informed that a
high-level committee an radio broadcasting had been formulated for
the purpose of redefining the basic mission of the U.S. international
broadcasters - country by country. The Chairman stated that the
terms of reference of this committee restrict it exclusive) to
radio,, hence COBAT w.11.1 devote itself e:;clueively to TV matters
unless it receives a different directive from CCB.
2Q The project of establishing an educational TV station at Rawalpindi
for informing and training the Pakistan Armed Force was reviewed. The back-
ground, justification, and recoirimendations of USIA on this project were furnished
the members of COD-AT, together with ICA t s position as set forth in a letter
from Mr. Hollister. ICA feels that it cannot engage In the establishment of
a TV station for the Pakistan Armed Forces at this time, but has no objection
to USIATs undertaking the project under its Military Motivation Program.
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Approved For ReJgase 2000/08/k?-: CIA-RDP78-01WR000300030055-6
MAAG,. Pakistan has made it clear that while it supports the proposal to estab-
lish a TV station for training and informing the Pakistan Armed Forces, it has
no funds available to purchase necessary equipment and implement the proposal.
Plans for carrying out this project under USIA's Military Motivation Program,
prepared with the assistance of Defense, were therefore presented to the
Committee. The Defense Representative informed that the draft reply on this
project stated the Defense Department was, of course, limited to servicing
U.S. personnel by TV, but that it would strongly testify as to the effectiveness
of television in training and informing U.S. troops. Both Defense and State
Department representatives promised informal staffing by April 17 for a USIA
meeting on this project, and agreed to present their agency's position at the
next meeting.
3. Possible assistance to the Teheran TV licensee was discuseed. A fran-
chise has been given ty the Iranian Council of Ministers to a local merchant
for a commercial TV station. Although he will buy and install the basic trans-
mitter and studio equipment, he is desirous of obtaining assistance so that he
can achieve balance between educational, informational and entertainment pro-
gramming. The extent to which the U.S. government should support and assist
this station to enable it to become a truly significant opinion-molder in the
Middle East was discussed at length. The Defense Representative reported on
the meetings of the Iranian licensee with various U.S. commercial representa-
tives at the recent NARTB (National Association of Radio and TV Broadcasters )
meeting in Chicago. ICA informed that the U.S. clvi,aor, assigned to the Baghdad
TV project (by I CA) was being transferred to USIA, and USIA agreed to look into
the possibility of borrowing this engineer from Baghdad for technical assistance
to television in Teheran.. The State Department representative agreed to present
the State Department's position on U.S. help to television in Teheran at the
next meeting.
4. A meeting with Moroccan officials concerned with the possible reactiva-
tion of the Moroccan TV stations at Rabat and Casablanca as well as the possi-
bility of installation of Armed Forces TV stations in Morocco, was reported
by the USIA representative
5. The Chairman requested ICA for a statement at the next meeting as to
the status of the Indonesian study on the development of educational TV.
6. The next meeting of COBAT will be held Tuesday, April 23rd, at 10:15 AM
in OCB Conference Room No. 357 in the Executive Office Building. The agenda
will be as indicated in these minutes.
Ralph R. Busick
Staff Representative
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030055-6