MONTHLY REPORT--PANAMA BUREAU--JULY 1982

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100120003-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 2, 2008
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: August 5, 1982
• Content Type: MEMO

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FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
5 August 1982
MPA #0023
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, FBIS
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- July 1982
1. GENERAL
GTE contractors accompanied by Regional
Enginee visited the bureau 6-16July for a preliminary site
survey in connection with the anticipated ]installation. The sur-
vey found the bureau environs to be exceptionally quiet in the frequen-
cy bands involved. A promising antenna site was located immediately
adjacent to the bureau operations bui din and the building itself was
found to have sufficient room for the equipment.
II. OPERATIONS
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. Testing and interviewing of applicants to fill two open
monitorial positions was completed during the month. Only two of the
34 applicants tested (67 applied) appear to merit consideration for em-
ployment. Preemployment processing will be initiated for them.
2. With the World Football Championships at an end, the area
returned its attention to politics and the bureau's wordage, backlog and
overtime figures resumed their normal climb. Events were highlighted by
the first major armed raids on Nicaragua by opponents of the Sandinist
regime, a "palace coup" in Panama in which the president was ousted fol-
lowing criticism of the regime's economic policies, two speeches by Fidel
Castro, and observance of the third anniversary of the Nicaragua revolu-
tion.
STAT
STAT
J I /_%I
STAT
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3. Bombing of two power stations in Tegucigalpa left that city
without electricity for several days and put the Bureau's remote site
out of operation. The Managua remote also experienced problems for a
few days at months end. These apparently were due to a line which was
shorted out when other phone lines in the Embassy were being repaired.
There was also evidence that on at least one occasion the remote receiv-
er had been tampered with. Our contractor has now placed a large sign
on the receiver warning off all would be intruders.
4. Eden Pastora's clandestine station "La Voz de Sandino" be-
gan to be heard more or less reliably in mid-July and was placed on re-
gular coverage. Despite Mr. Pastora's announcement that he was dissolv-
ing his recently formed "Sandino Revolutionary Front" the Voice of Sandino
has continued on the air and certain announcements indicate that there are
plans to begin broadcasting an 1100 GMT morning cast in the near future.
5. Following a productive ,sampling period a Nicaragua Interior
Ministry Sunday morning program, "Con4tiilAdating the Revolution," was add-
ed to coverage. The program carries reports on ministry activities and
often broadcasts excerpts of speeches delivered by Interior Minister Tomas
Borge the previous week.
6. Focusing on Mexican coverage, the Bureau forwarded to Head-
quarters a proposal to initiate a remote/contractor operation in Mexico
City, similar to the operations in Central America, as a less expensive
and more efficient and productive alternatice to a PMU operation there.
The American Embassy PAO in Mexico City was requested to initiate airmail
subscriptions to the newspapers UNO MAS UNO and EXCELSIOR. A subscrip-
tion to EL DIA had already been arranged directly with the publisher.
B. Lateral Services
The Bureau was able to respond quickly to an urgent Southcom re-
quest for reports of a bomb found on a Panama Railroad bridge. Several
items were provided, one of which had already been filed when the request
was received. The "bomb" turned out to be only pieces of wood fashioned
to look like a bomb.
C. Technical
Four complete sets of spare boards for the Wescom equipment used
in the Bureau remote sites'were received during the month. One set of
boards will be placed at each remote site and should greatly facilitate
troubleshooting and repair of the equipment by Embassy local technicians.
Four 24-hour digital clocks were also received and will be sent to the
remote sites to make it simpler for contractors to determine the correct
GMT time.
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A. Personnel
1. Senior Editor arrived 1 July.
will replace ho is scheduled to depart PSC to Headquarters
in early Aug
STAT-i
V 1 !l l
Z) AI
2.I )entered on duty with the bureau
26 July as Spanish Monitor Trainee (LN 9/1).
3. Editor and Teletype Supervisor re- STAT
turned uay Bureau 20 and 16 July respectively. Tele-
typist_______________ departed 28 July for one month TDY at Key West STAT
Bureau, filling in while the bureau's regular teletypist is on annual leave.
4. Spanish Monitor) (received a promotion to NM 7/3
effective 25 July after successfully completing the bureau's monitor train-
ing program. Teletypist received a PSI to NX 5/5 effective STAT
11 July.
5. Spanish Monitor Trainee
LWOP 25 July.
returned from STAT
6. Length of service pins were presented Burin the month to a
number of staff and nonstaff personnel. Monitor Supervise
STAT
received a in for 25 years service Twenty-year pins went to mon- STAT
mi tor
Cruising Monitor
ief. Senior Editor
Deputy
received a 15 year pin.
B. Building and Grounds
1. The native bohio, complete with thatched roof, erected sever-
al years ago adjacent to the bureau to provide an outdoor eating and re-
creational area for bureau employees, was the victim of heavy winds accom-
panying one of the regular afternoon thunder storms. Only a few of the
supporting timbers could be salvaged from the wreckage. The Bureau is seek-
ing estimates from local contractors to replace it.
2. Construction and installation of several cabinets for the Bu-
reau kitchen and dining area was finally completed in July, m y months be-
hind schedule.
A. To the Bureau: GTE contractors) and Re-STAT
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gional Engineer -16 July fob (survey.
B. From the Bureau:. Deputy Chie and Chief Technician
o USACC Panama Automated elay to discuss PAR
A second CPR training
bureau employees attendina --,
SSTAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
Chi'ef, Panama Bureau, FBIS
Attachment:
Monthly Production Report
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I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 383,380
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 13,230
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 929
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 7,845 38,010 119.00
(minutes or issues per week) min min issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires LATIN in
Spanish 6,050
Buenos Aires TELAM in
Spanish 0
Buenos Aires NOTICIAS ARGENTINAS in
Spanish 0
AUSTRIA
Vienna OPECNA in
Spanish
COLOMBIA
Bogota Radio Cadena Nacional in
Spanish 380
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish 2,020
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish 930
Bogota Domestic Service in
Spanish 4,460
Bogota EL ESPECTADOR in
Spanish
(CLANDESTINE)
Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador 17,900
Radio Farabundo Marti in
Spanish to El Salvador 160
Radio 15 September in
Spanish to Nicaragua 6,310
Voice of Sandino in
Spanish to Nicaragua 3,700
COSTA RICA
San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
6,260
1,130
5,070
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CUBA
Havana International Service in
Spanish
Havana Domestic Service in
Spanish
Havana PRELA in
English
Havana PRELA in
Portuguese
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
20,180
16 , 920
ECUADOR
Quito Voz de los Andes in
Spanish 4,950
Quito Cadena Ecuador Radio in
Spanish 460
Quito Domestic Service in
Spanish 4,450
Quito Diplomatic Information Service in
Spanish
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador Domestic Service in
Spanish 2,490
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSKL in
Spanish 4,240
San Salvador Radio Cadena Central in
Spanish 2,500
San Salvador Radio Cadena Sonora in
Spanish 290
San Salvador EL DIARIO DE HOY in
Spanish
San Salvador EL MUNDO in
Spanish
San Salvador DIARIO LATINO in
Spanish
San Salvador LA PRENSA GRAFICA in
Spanish
San Salvador ORIENTACION in
Spanish
San Salvador El Salvador THE NEWS-GAZETTE in
English
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
English
Paris AFP in
Spanish
8,770
5,120
3,640
1,410
1,790
28,620
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City Domestic Service in
Spanish 4,810
Guatemala City Cadena de Emisoras Unidas in
Spanish 5,910
Guatemala City Radio Nuevo Mundo Network in
Spanish 720
Guatemala City Radio-Television Guatemala in
Spanish 4,350
Guatemala City Tele Once Television in
Spanish 190
Guatemala City Trece Vision in
Spanish 1,880
Guatemala City DIARIO DE CENTRO AMERICA in
Spanish 300
Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish 4,580
Guatemala City DIARIO EL GRAFICO in
Spanish 0
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa Domestic Service in
Spanish 5,300
Tegucigalpa Voz de Honduras Network in
Spanish 3,550
Tegucigalpa Cadena Audio Video in
Spanish 10,390
Tegucigalpa Televisora Hondurena in
Spanish 1,350
Tegucigalpa EL HERALDO in
Spanish 590
Tegucigalpa LA TRIBUNA in
Spanish 120
San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish 2,960
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish 1,670
MEXICO
Mexico City International Service in
Spanish
1,610
STAT
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
NICARAGUA
Managua Domestic Service in
Spanish 26,390
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television Network in
Spanish 3,600
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish 16,740
Managua Radio Sandino Network in
Spanish 13,700
Managua Radio Mundial in
Spanish 2,030
Managua Radio Zinica in
Spanish 310
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in
Spanish
Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish
PANAMA
Panama City Televisora Nacional in
Spanish 10,520
Panama City Circuito RPC-Television in
Spanish 6,070
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish 8,380
Panama City Radio Exitosa in
Spanish 4,020
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 MATUTINO in
Spanish
Panama City BAYANO in
Spanish
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
27,930
12,490
4,200
840
2,790
6,450
0
3,620
2,290
5,180
9,030
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
UNITED KINGDOM
London REUTER in
English
London REUTER in
French
VENEZUELA
Caracas Radio Continente Network in
Spanish 1,190
Caracas Radio Rumbos Network in
Spanish 780
Caracas Domestic Service in
Spanish 580
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