PROGRESS REPORT OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING ASPECTS OF FSC 169

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030076-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 2000
• Sequence Number: 76
• Publication Date: November 6, 1956
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Rele~e 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-01 000300030076-3
OPLRt~TIOT'S CCORDIl`TATII~TG BOARD SECRET
dta.shington 25, D.C.
Ptovember 6, 1956
PROGRnSS REPORT OT' IT1^lERT?ATIOTi7AL BROAT)CASTII~TG ASPECTS Ok~'_P?SC_ 169
(policy App~Aoved by the President October 27, 1953)
(Period Coveredo January 1955 -October 1956)
";oi~ee The Operations Coordinating Board has responsibility for repenting to the
~~'at:ior_al .Security Council on Paragraphs 2, 8 (a), (b) ar_d (c) of PTSC 169
~PStatement of Policy bar th.e TTational Security Council on Elects?o r4agnetic
~ammunication.s", which relate tq international broadcasting,
?_ara,r~t~h 2 directs the augmentation, under OCB coordination, of personnel and
~:cTu.ipr~lent to provide for additional radio monitoring.
Paragraph S a directs the establishment, antler OCB coordination, of an effec-
tive mechanism for evaluating t,:io technical effectiveness of U.S. internati.oral
broadcasting, particularly to tine Soviet Blac9 g rT~j, directs the OCB to auordina,to
the technical planrirg of all Arr_~'r~.ican official and unofficial international
lroadcasting operatigns9 azrd ~_ a ? directs the OCB t,~ determine tine feas_~bili~:y
of evaluating the program effectiveness of such broG.de:asting.
A. PROGR.~I~~i EPFECTN~ T?ESS
1. USSR a.nd East~:rn Satellites. U.S. international radio broadcasts to
the Soviem Union and the Eastern Satellites continue to be effective. 3,-
!`.vailable information and situations vary from country to country9 however,
a.nd.icati.ans are tha'e, with respect to r_ative-language broadcasts, there is
a, significant listening audience in the Soviet Union and a proportionately
larger cne in the Satellites. There is considerable evidence that U.S.
programs arc further disseminated by word-af-mouth.. Of course, damming is
heavier in major population centers than in other areas. Jamming hs.s no't
dec;reasod during the past treat, except possibly in. Bulgaria, and there: is some
limited evicence that there may be an increased intensity, partic~tilarly in the
urban areas of the other Satellite countries.
2. Enz:'lish-language and _Nlusic P-rograims. ?With respect to English--language
and music programs, trjere is substantial ?isterir.,g throughout the European
Soviet Bloc, These programs have not been jammed. There is evidence that
ether nor..-native-language programs are not jammed. The poss-wbilit';T of reaching
important audiences in these areas through the use of non-native lang'vages
~~ The mearirg of "effectiveness" is that adopted in the OI)M Progress Report on
T'SC 169 transmitted to the I~TSC Jan. 10, 1955 ~ to be effective, internatior..al
broadcasting es.n be expected 1) to reinforce attitudes; 2) to create the
climate for the kind of attitudinal changes the U.S. desires9 and 3) to help
direct and stimulate actions beneficial to U.S. interests.
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030~~`~T
DOS & USIA declassification & release instructions on file
 Approved For lease 2000/08/27 :CIA-RDP71634R000300030076-3
SECRET
other than English is being explored.
3o RIAS audience. Though jan~rning remained a considerably deterring
factor, R:C.4S continued to command a large audience in East Cxermany and among
the German speaking population of Western Czechoslovakia and the terri?~,ories
under provi:>a.onal Polish administration.
1~, Change of political climateo The political climate has undergone a
marked cha~~.ge or ~tthaw" behi d the Tron Curtain' but differs considerably in
character and degree from country to countryo ?his thaw has permitted more
news from outside and some open criticism of regimes within9 but is still
subject to regime control and surveillanceo Rela,ance by people an foreign
sources of information and comment will continue, Izowever9 a~zd may be even
increased in some countries by greater curiosity ar~d newly-aroused interest.
~a Local rompetition~ On the other hand, competition is also a growing
element.. Wnile Radio ilcscow domestic broadcasting seems to have lagged behind
s,s a competitor (although it la~:r~ly has had some cra.~i;i,cal attention from thry
Party daily Pravda9 and the 1L`i.~b:~.stx~y of Culture) A Satellite c'omasti.c braad-
casts have improved markedly du:.;:g the past year i'?.~om the vi ewpoint of tits
:Listeners This change consists primarily of offeriru7 more entertainmen?t~ a
relatively increased degree of objectivity in reporl:~:?a.g newsy and a reduc?Y,i.on
in the amount and blatancy of propaganda content, In the Soviet Una_on itself
the termination of jamming of BBC R:?:ssian broadcasts created an additional
competitive factor. The availabi.~_ity of anon-jammed Western newscast m