MONTHLY REPORT--PANAMA BUREAU--NOVEMBER 1982

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100120002-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 2, 2008
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 6, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

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FOi, 3N BROADCAST INFORMATION SE. _.CE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
6 December 1982
MPA #0034
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- November 1982
I. GENERAL
Newly arrived U.S. Ambassador Everett S. Briggs, and DCM Bill Pryce
visited the Bureau in the company of Embassy Administrative Officer Don
Schoeb on 15 November. The visitors were given the deluxe tour and met
a number of Bureau personnel.. The ambassador had warm words for the FBIS
product and commented favorably on the efficiency of the Bureau operation
which he noted was larger than he had expected.
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. The Bureau operated with severe copy backlogs for much of
the month, due to a large volume of area reportage and comment on the com-
ing visit by President Reagan, the continuing Nicaragua border conflict,
escalated fighting in El Salvador, and expanded selection from Havana
sources at AG request. Monitorial and teletype overtime was used exten-
sively. It is noteworthy that the translation load was taken in stride
despite a monitorial T/O two under strength, the absence of one monitor
on'TDY to Key West, and the presence of four monitors in training (and
not yet up to operational production levels).
" 2. A purported new "clandestine" station widely reported by the
San Salvador press and condemned by Radio Venceremos and its supporters,
was determined by the Bureau to probably be a Salvadoran jamming tech-
nique directed at the two FMLN clandestines. Although the radio has been
variously said to be named "Reorientacion," "Orientacion" or "Soberania,"
it has never been heard to identify itself. It carries programs repeated
verbatim over a several-day period, and has been heard to transmit only
on Venceremos frequencies when Venceremos is broadcasting.
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3. The Bureau resumed scrutiny of the Colombian newspapers
EL ESPECTADOR and EL TIEMPO for the period 20 November-8 December to
cover the 30 November-4 December Reagan visit to Latin America. Costa
Rican newspapers, not received since 1 October apparently due to a de-
lay in renewing subscriptions, were again received beginning 17 November.
4. Continued Bureau efforts to gain rapid access to the Mexican
newspapers EXCELSIOR, EL DIA and UNO MAS UNO were suspended for the time
being when prices and lag times quoted through the Mexico City Embassy
were judged to be excessive. Earlier in the month, an attempt to arrange
courier delivery of the papers was also given up due to unresolvable pro-
blems of cost and complexity. The need for improved access to Mexican
media was illustrated again during the month by the interest created in
an interview with Mexican TV by Honduran Army chief Alvarez, whose re-
marks were quoted incompletely by monitored sources. The Bureau was un-
able to service a request from American Embassy Tegucigalpa for text of
the interview.
5. The Bureau's four remote circuits to Central America were
interrupted for a 6-hour period on 15 November due to a multiplex problem
in Panama City affecting all Central American microwave circuits. The
Tegucigalpa circuit was frequently affected during the month by unsched-
uled city-wide power outages. The entire remote system was also put in
more indirect danger by the threat of a 300-percent rate increase by Cen-
tral American telecommunications authorities. The proposal, apparently
initiated by the Nicaraguans, was defeated after massive protests by users
and members of the common communications organization.
6. The Bureau arranged with the regional office of DPA to re-
ceive DPA's Latin America Spanish-language file via landline for a trial
period. As of the end of the month, INTEL installation of the line was
still awaited. At the request of Paraguay Bureau, which expressed in-
terest in acquiring EFE for Southern Cone coverage, the Bureau discussed
the existing contract with the local office, which said it considered
that the contract applied only to FBIS Panama Bureau, and that any other
bureau would have to negotiate its own contract. An extended weekend
LATIN outage during the month, lasting from 1300 Saturday through mid-day
Monday, illustrated a new and probably chronic problem with that agency,
which has reduced its maintenance support to 8-to-5 weekdays and half a
day on Saturdays. Outages after these times are not restored until the
next workday.
B. Communications
In a classic display of the incompetence demonstrated by personnel
of the local AUTODIN relay (PAR) for some time now, the Bureau was advised
during the month that PAR equipment could not accommodate its new 150-baud
Mode I circuit. After 18 months of written and verbal communications, nu-
merous phone calls and several visits by PAR personnel to inspect the Bu-
reau's Mode I equipment, PAR discovered it would have to purchase new equip-
ment and go out of service for 48 hours to accommodate our request. It
suggested instead that the Bureau delay installation of Mode I until PAR
is phased out at the end of this year.
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C. Lateral Services
Repeated expressions of interest by Embassy officials, who listen
to the programs daily, led the Bureau to add to coverage three early-morn-
ing commentary programs carried by different Panamanian radio stations.
Because present staffing does not permit coverage, the programs are record-
ed using the 30-channel Magnasync backstop recorder and retrieved and pro-
cessed only at Embassy request.
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. Born to Administrative Assistant
ber, a daughter, weight 6 oz.
training.
3. Monitor Supervisor)
TDY at Key West Bureau.
on 15 Novem- STAT
left for Headquarters 16 November after TDY
STAT
STAT
eturned 29 November from STAT
4. Former Monitor Supervisor as presented the STAT
FBIS Career Medal by the Bureau Chief at a small unc eon ceremony.
SI were received during the month by Monitor Supervisor
s(NM-11/8 to NM-11/9), Electronics Technician
STAT
NM-9/5 to
NM-9/6) and Staff Secretary (GS-5/2 to GS-5/3). STAT
B. Building and Grounds
1. Contracto completed construction of a drainage STAT
system to remove rain water from the concrete protective enclosures around
the fuel oil filler pipes and repaired cracks in the western outer wall of
the operations building through which water had been leaking during heavy
rain storms.
2. Contracto completed i ns tat -STAT
lation of panneling and vinyl floor covering in the kitchen and dining area.
IV. VISITS
A. To the Bureau: New Embassy Political Counselor Ashley Hewitt on
5 November for briefing and tour; new Embassy Public Affairs Officer
Sigfried Maitrejean, USIS Press Officer Jim Palmer and Embassy Cultural
Affairs Officer Paul Saxton on 8 November for briefing. and tour; new SOUTH-
COM Treaty Affairs Deputy Chief of Staff Col Jose Felix Gomez and Planning
Officer Ltc Manny Fernandez on 18 November for briefing and tour.
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Deputy Chief _]and Chief Technician
visited the international conference on Banking
Automation at the Atlapa Convention Center in Panama Ciltv 12 ovember
to see a d ion of Rapicom facsimile equipment; and Chief
Monitor visited USIS 19 November for a tour and riefing.
Chief, anama Bureau, FBIS
CC: Paraguay Bureau
Key West Bureau
Attachment:
Monthly Production Report
JFH:ebw
STAT
STAT
LSTAT
STAT
STAT
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I. TOTAL FROM ALL SOURCES:
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 424,260
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 12,270
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1,231
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 7,735 40,830 134.23
(minutes or issues per week) min min issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires LATIN in
Spanish
Buenos Aires TELAM in
Spanish
Buenos Aires NOTICIAS ARGENTINAS in
Spanish
AUSTRIA
Vienna OPECNA in
Spanish
COLOMBIA
Bogota Domestic Service in
Spanish 6,720
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish 3,990
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish 4,660
Bogota Radio Cadena Nacional in
Spanish 120
Bogota Radio Sutatenza in
Spanish 180
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
Bogota EL ESPECTADOR in
Spanish
(CLANDESTINE)
Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador 25,960
Radio 15 September in
Spanish to Nicaragua 870
Voice of Sandino in
Spanish to Nicaragua 6,800
7,090
0
0
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COSTA RICA
San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
CUBA
Havana International Service in
Spanish
Havana PRELA in
English
ECUADOR
Quito Voz de los Andes in
Spanish
Quito Cadena Ecuador Radio in
Spanish
Quito Diplomatic Info. Service in
Spanish
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
Spanish
San Salvador
English
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
English
Paris AFP in
Spanish
5,660
1,340
PRESS
AGENCIES
5,480
Radio Cadena Central in
Radio Cadena Sonora in
Radio Cadena YSKL in
La Voz Panamericana in
EL DIARIO DE HOY in
EL MUNDO in
DIARIO LATINO in
PRENSA GRAFICA in
PROCESO in
EL TIEMPO in
El Salvador THE NEWS GAZETTE in
0
2,750
0
5,010
PUBLI-
CATIONS
3,280
4,200
2,890
560
6,350
1,890
1,800
17,910
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BROAD-
CASTS
16,150
54,330
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City Domestic Service in
Spanish
1,950
Guatemala City Cadena de Emisoras Unidas
Spanish
in
3,850
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo in
Spanish
810
Guatemala City Radio Television Guatemala
Spanish
in
4,870
Guatemala City DIARIO DE CENTRO AMERICA in
Spanish
890
Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
4,210
Guatemala City DIARIO EL GRAFICO
Spanish
in
1,500
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa Domestic Service in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa Voz de Honduras Network in
Spanish
8,740
10,180
Tegucigalpa Cadena Audio Video in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa Televisora Hondurena
Spanish
in
11,610
2,360
Tegucigalpa EL HERALDO in
Spanish
1,330
Tegucigalpa LA TRIBUNA in
Spanish
3,500
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish
2,010
San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish
8,340
MEXICO
Mexico City International Service in
Spanish
4,240
NICARAGUA
Managua Domestic Service
Spanish
in
32,370
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television Network in
Spanish
5,230
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish
6,890
Managua Radio Sandino Network
Spanish
in
12,420
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish
5,440
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in
Spanish
5,300
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Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish
Managua PATRIA LIBRE in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
PANAMA
Panama City Televisora Nacional in
Spanish 7,270
Panama City Circuito RPC Television in
Spanish 6,050
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish 4,040
Panama City ACAN in
Spanish
Panama City CRITICA in
Spanish
Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in
Spanish
Panama City STAR & HERALD in
English
Panama City LA PRENSA in
Spanish
Panama City LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC in
English
Panama City MATUTINO in
Spanish
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
UNITED KINGDOM
London REUTER in
French
VENEZUELA
Caracas Radio Continente Network in
Spanish
Caracas Domestic Service in
Spanish
1,080
26,410
2,800
4,130
3,940
6,590
590
8,630
5,030
12,080
7,510
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