IRAN TV

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030061-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 61
• Publication Date: April 3, 1957
• Content Type: MEMO

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Approved For Release 2001/08/28 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030061-9
State Dept. declassification & release instructions on file
T IBS/TV - Mr. Frederick A,, Long
From IBS/T - Gerald F. Dooher^
Subject: Iran TV
2. Sabet has requested any and all possible Uo Sa Government
assistance in order to get his station under way with intelligently"'
planned and progressive programming. He is willing to set aside
programming time for the following purposes :
a) Ministry of Education programming
b) Ministry of War morale-building programming
c) USIA informational programming
S,-abet s Later' and I have other evidence supporting his
staafement, that the Chairman 'of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of 1 .e
Iranian. Army, General Abtullah Hedayat; and the Minister of Court
(arid prospective Prime' Minister, Dr., Manuchehr Egbal are all
enthusiastically supporting Sabet's TV project.
4. Sabet plans to purchase and install the basic transmitter
and studio equipment necessary to get the station on the air, He
is desirous,, however., of obtaining assistance in the following fields
so that he can achieve balance between educational.. informational
and entertainment programming,, and between live studio and live
remote programing.
1. Habib Sabr;t, a wealthy and influential Tehran -merchant, has
been given a franchise by the Iranian Council of Ministers for a,
commercial television station to be located in Tehran. Sab et is
Iranian representative of RCA m a ional,0 and he .Mans to ins tall
RCA equipment which will insure operation of the Tehran station on
American standards,
a) Materiel
Sabet wishes to have made available to his
station a mobile remote unit which could be used for live telecasting
of sports, events3 military displays, economic development projects,,
and other special events which would contribute a balanced program,,
b) Personnel
Sabet would be agreeable to place programming'
and technical direction of the station under .American supervisors
provided their salaries were absorbed outside the station's regular
operating budget? -He has made some r?eliminar contacts with the
United Ttifations Technical 'ssis' a Organization in an effort to have
them provide the two specialists gratis
Date : April 3 1957
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Aproved For Release 2001/08/28: CIA-RDP78-0 63 00,1-9
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Approved For Release 2001/08/28 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030061-9
5 a 116 appears to me "that in line with our mandate to encou -aga
the development of TV in .the Hiddl_e Last, we should attempt to assist
Sabet to accomplish his worthwhile objective of getting hZt station
off to a good start, particularly since he has shown such a willingness
to adopt . nericaut programni.n(,,,, and technical standards,
6. There seem to be a number of channels through which Sabet might
work in order to explore the possibility of American Government aid for
his project.
a) If he were to allocate one or two hours each day to
educational programming as well as provide coverage of economic development
projects, ICA might entertain the possibility of lending his s~iation the
tic specialists he requires, especially if such assistance were requested
by the Iranian Government.
b) The mobile equipment --might oss i I r be loaned 1, ,11U`
Tehran; USIA under the Agency's 1MI?.~..l..itary Motivation Progr ra,, in
view of Sabet9 s declared intention to seta e or t,. e i~I3n:.s'tr3r? of
"ar
for morale-building prograrmting6
7m 1 shall suggest to Sabet that he meet with Mrp v--infield of ICA
and Colonel Williamson of the Department of Defense to explore thes
possibilities flxrthera
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Approved For Release 2001/08/28 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030061-9