MONTHLY REPORT -- LONDON BUREAU -- MARCH 1981

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00385R000200080018-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 8, 2007
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: April 6, 1981
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved Fqr Release 2007/05109: CIA-RDP83-003858000200080018-4
6 April 1981
MLD-1015
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
FROM Chief, London Bureau
THROUGH Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT Monthly Report -- London Bureau -- March 1981
A. The bureau file seta record on 24 March, reaching 152390 words and
edging by a nose the previous high of 152,250 set back in December
1975. The daily file exceeded 100,000 words 18 times during the month.
B. Construction of the ROSET installation continues on schedule. It is
expected that everything will be ready for the pouring of concrete on
13 April.
C. With the arrival in London of Staff Engineer on PCS,
Headquarters placed the Islamabad Unit under the administrative
control of London Bureau.
D. The bureau chief, the deputy chief and the chief editor entertained
Karl Lehman, the BBC's retiring Editor, News and Publication, at
lunch at the White Hart in Sonning on 27 March. His replacement,
Roland Challis,, was also a guest.
A. Editorial/Monitorial
1. The continuing Polish crisis reached its most critical level
so far when a warning strike and the threat of a general strike
came amid tidarsaw Pact military exercises and a sharp rise in
Soviet and East European criticism of events in Poland. In
response, the BBC reinstituted the Polish overnight shift on the
20th and began an open watch on Warsaw I on the 27th. Weekend
staffing at the BBC's overseas operation and additional
mediumwave Warsaw II casts -- fed via the VCVC from Austria --
were also laid on. The- alert measures remained in effect as
the reporting period ended.
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2. There were interesting developments in Polish media
during the month. S~Jarsaw radio and television devoted
unusual attention to opposition views and to domestic
and external events that suggested the situation was
growing more serious. The PAP Maritime Press Service
carried several unique items calling for changes iri
the PZPR. The independent trade union Solidarity
began a news service iri Polish for abroad via telex.
The BBC is obtaining copies of this service from
Bush House, one of the recipients, and is providing
FBIS with translations, but because the status of
this news agency is unclear it has decided not to
publish the material. The bureau has filed a number
of these items as FYI's (not for publication) to
Headquarters only. Warsaw Radio on 2 April reported
'that the first issue of the "national union weekly
'SOLIDARITY' dated 3 April has been published" by
the independent trade union Solidarity. PMU is
attempting to obtain a subscription to this officially
sanctioned periodical.
3 ? A number of events during the r,!onth reaffirmed the
unique value of FBIS material and services. Headquarters
requested on behalf of a high-level Administration
official an original voice recording of a speech by
Al-Qadhdhafi and a vernacular transliteration of that
portion of it iri which he called for the liquidation
of regime opponents. A Paris embassy officer asked
for and received, courtesy of the Okinawa Bureau a
refile of an AFP report on Sihanouk's efforts to
obtain U.S. and PRC support prior to his talks in
Pyongyang with Khmer Rouge leaders. Caversham`s role
in handling Moscow and Kabul media coverage of the
PIA plane hijacking affair was noted with thanks by
an embassy in one of the countries affected. A
complimentary message was received from an ambassador
concerning a TASS item that apparently distorted the
remarks of a Third World official on a contentious
international issue. Shortly after the attempted coup
in Mauritania, the embassy there sent the following:
"Despite minimize imposed Nouakchott, FBIS news items
of great value; would appreciate continuing to receive
them throughout this period." Similar interest in
bureau reportage of this event and its aftermath was
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-3-
expressed by the embassy in Rabat when it sought
assurance that we would monitor an expected speech by
the Moroccan prime minister.
~. bosses and gains marked Caversham's coverage picture
this month. The problems that hampered the printing
of Tehran PARS during February worsened, and the
agency's transmissions were untraceable most of the
month. Gulf continues to backstop from spotty
reception. The upgrading of the East Berlin ADN
German service from 50 to 100 baud and difficulties
in securing a line that can handle the new speed
resulted in loss of the service for 10 days. ADN
in English and extra Voice of the GDR newscasts were
added temporarily to fill the gap. New ANGOLAI~f PRESS
AGERTCY transmissions in Portuguese and French were
monitored on the 24th. Reception has been good, but
these ANGOP casts have yet to settle into a regular
pattern and observations will continue before a
permanent commitment is made. So far the agency has
carried little original material of interest. Nagging
technical problems in arranging ad hoc links with
the Brussels rediffusion company Radio Public seem to
have been overcome and the BBC was able to monitor
from French television preelection interviews with
Mitterand, Baxre,~.Marchais and Giscard. The first
ever switch to daylight savings time in the USSR on
1 April,coinciding with the usual spring changes, has
had a significant effect on broadcast times and
frequencies. BBC cruisers axe making intensive efforts
to verify the new schedules. Of particular interest
is the fact that Moscow has doubled its Folish
broadcasts to 5 hours daily. Details of all of the
above have been reported to FCS.
5. When the Austrian Bureau again requested PMU's help
iri Polish press processing, we learned that the BBC
was no longer receiving TRYBUNA LUDA. Consequently,
the London Adman Office once again sought out a local
supply source, this time successfully. PMU is now
receiving more or less regularly copies of both
TRYBUNA LUDU and ZYCIE WARSZATIY and is assisting with
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rocessin in addition, PMU's Polish~French monitor,
is on standby to go to Vienna if
the situation warrants.
6. PMU began receiving the Madrid weekly MUNDO OBRERO
and filed two items from it during March.
B. Communications
1. DCA ordered a European MINIMIZE on 5 March when
continuing technical difficulties with the planned
downtime at Coltano Switch placed a heavy burden on
the European Switches at Croughton and Pirmasens.
Most of the bureau's routine copy was punched and
held until the MINIMIZE was lifted at 1730 the
following day. Other bureaus were reminded to protect
BBC interests in deciding what should be filed to
London.
2. Headquarters has advised that the planned ~8-hour
downtime of Croughton Switch will take place on 18
April. A phase iII Altroute (via the Pirmasens Switch)
has been arranged for the bureau's Mode I and a
similar arrangement has been requested for the Mode V.
FBIS staff engineer, arrived PCS on 27
March. Frank will be the ROSET project officer.
STAT
STAT
B. Associate Editor resigned on 1 April. There are STAT
no plans to replace him at present.
A. Headquarters ED~SS, returned to the bureau
on TDY 1 -1 March, after making improvements to the
circuit in Islamabad. The new equipment now installed at
each end of the circuit has resulted in a noticeable
improvement in the audio quality and provides the BBC with
a ringing capability.
the BBC's new Editor, News and Publication,
received an orientation in the bureau on 25 March.
STAT
STAT
STAT
cc: Chief, Austrian Bureau
Chief, Cologne Unit
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