MONTHLY REPORT--KEY WEST BUREAU--APRIL 1986

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87-01104R000100070008-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 22, 2012
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: May 7, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/22 :CIA-RDP87-011048000100070008-7
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FBIS
FOREIGIV'-BROADCAST INFORMATION S'E''iZVICE
KEY WEST BUREAU
NAVAL AIR STATION
MAIN P.O. BOX 1056 TRUMAN ANNEX BLDG. 1355
KEY WEST, FLORIDA 33041-1056 OFFICE: [phone]
[phone]
[phone]
~ TELEX: 803046
MFL-6012
7 May 1986
MEMORANDUM T0: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH: Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT: Monthly Report--Key West Bureau--April 1986
The Navy has now formally admitted that the base housing
contractor will not be able to meet the original 26 May contract
completion date. Revised estimate is now o/a 16 June.
Interior finish work has been postponed due to delay in
delivery of window units which would offer protection from
weather. All units currently have roughed-in studs, framework,
plumbing and electrical wiring. Navy estimates project at
80 percent complete whereas construction schedule called for
98 percent completion by 1 May.
After seemingly endless delays, on 10 April a local
contractor finally completed work on repairing the roof section
damaged by a falling antenna last November. Our main operations
area is now back to normal.
With regard to our ongoing antenna projects, Dynalectron
Corporation completed installation of a temporary longwire at
Boca Chica airfield on 7 April, followed by an intensive
cruising survey. Much to our disappointment, it does not offer
significantly better reception from Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Jamaica and Eastern Caribbean than currently available on
existing bureau antennas. The "Hermes" shortwave antenna
received from Bangkok was installed on 26' April, also with
disappointing results. Only six of the eight arrays are
marginally functional and entire antenna is in need of major
overhaul due to extensive corrosion.
The new Scala Yagi TV antennas for Havana Channels 9 and 13
were erected on the new 80-foot tower on 3 May, after several
delays due to high winds in the area. Initial testing is
underway.
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A. Monitorial/Editorial
Fidel Castro made two speeches during the month, one to
the Pioneers youth organization on its 25th anniversary,
and again on the 25th anniversary of Playa Giron ("Bay of
Pigs" invasion). The 90-minute speech to the Pioneers was
processed by Key West as it was not broadcast on Havana's
international service. However, processing of the
2-hour-47-minute-long Playa Giron speech was split with
Panama Bureau which was able to record speech from a later
rebroadcast. An initial attempt to establish a relay of
speech via phone patch was unsuccessful.
Cuban reaction to the U.S. attack on Libya in
retaliation for support to terrorist activities was
partially harsh, with Castro comparing President Reagan to
Hitler during his Playa Giron anniversary speech. Comment
on the Libyan attack from other countries in bureau
coverage area was voluminous and primarily negative.
B. Communications
The Boca Chica Naval Communications unit has advised
bureau that the Mode I priority software change proposal
has been approved and should be installed in the near
future. This would again provide input needed by MIDAS for
"pinkie-coding."
On 7 April bureau's antenna contractor completed
installation of a 2,700-ft nonresonant longwire at Boca
Chica airfield. Initial testing by cruising monitor on
this antenna, with a boresight bearing of 131 degrees true
north and oriented on east-central Cuba in an attempt to
improve reception from Jamaica as well as Haiti and the
Dominican Republic, produced only minor improvement on
intended targets. However, it did bring in a few
previously unheard stations in the Lesser Antilles as well
as in northeastern South America. The antenna was
subsequently shortened to 1,800 ft to make its receiving
lobes broader and less sensitive to distant stations.
Results from second survey showed improvement in most
signals from intended targets, but not enough to warrant a
remote operation.
The eight-element Hermes Loop Array (shortwave antenna)
received from Bangkok was erected on 26 April, on the
enclosed field east of the operations building. Although
initially we had planned to orient this antenna to the
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southwest between Mexico and Nicaragua, political
developments in the Dominican Republic and the less than
satisfactory results obtained from the Boca Chica
mediumwave antenna prompted a last minute change. It is
temporarily oriented on 125 degrees in hopes of improving
reception on the single audible shortwave station in the
Dominican Republic. During installation the antenna was
found to be in poor condition with highly corroded
components. Six of the eight arrays are only marginally
functional due to defective transmission line sections,
preamplifiers and other shortcomings. Parts and labor for
full rehabilitation of the array are estimated at
approximately $4,000.
As part of a communications upgrade, on 5 April bureau
received an IBM-XT with IOMB hard disk, designed to
interface with CRW's Bach software and our Extel B315 paper
punch and printer. After reseating a loose plug, replacing
a faulty keyboard and performing modifications to Extel ASR
as instructed, it was discovered that the Bach software,
set for 150 Baud, is incompatible with this bureau's Extel
ASR's. A decision is now pending on whether to modify Bach
software of F/ROM chips in ASR units.
D. Cruising
To conduct survey of experimental longwire at Boca
Chica, bureau rented a van and outfitted it with necessary
receivers and recording equipment. Cruising monitor
conducted survey from 9 to 18 April, while
"feeding" the hordes of mosquitoes at Boca Chica. Results
of the survey can be summarized briefly as follows:
(1) Jamaica: There was virtually no improvement on
target stations.
(2) Haiti: There was no significant improvement in
reception of mediumwave broadcasts than
currently available at bureau.
(3) Dominican Republic: Although there was no
significant improvement on audible mediumwave
broadcasts, there was improved reception of the
shortwave relay of Santo Domingo's Radio
Antillas on 5956 KHZ.
(4) Other Caribbean: There was significantly better
reception of mediumwave broadcasts from lower
priority targets in Dominica, Montserrat and
Anguilla than currently available at bureau.
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In sum, the "compromise" antenna orientation at
131 degrees failed to produce significantly better
reception on priority targets over existing antennas to
warrant expense of a remote operation. Bureau is
currently considering reorienting antenna directly on
Hispaniola which should not only improve signal strength
from Haiti and Dominican Republic, but also attenuate
Cuban broadcasts on the same or nearby mediumwave
frequencies.
Cruising observations of the Hermes shortwave antenna
indicate that the functioning loops provide about a
3-decibel gain in signal strength on the tropical band
from the Dominican Republic and French Guiana (other
shortwave transmitters in Haiti and Guyana were either off
the air or operating intermittently due to transmitter
problems). Bureau is currently covering Santo Domingo's
Radio Antillas via the Hermes, which is providing improved
reception than previously available via the bureau's
6.0 MHZ dipole antenna. Because of its sharper
directivity, the Hermes demonstrated better attenuation of
voice interference. A more thorough survey will be
conducted after the antenna is fully operational.
Building & Grounds
The bureau's auxiliary power generator, originally
installed in 1979, failed during a test run on 16 April.
The unit was back on line by 1 May following repair of a
fuel leak and rehabilitation of the speed governor. The
roof section over the main operations room area was
finally repaired on 10 April, a full 5 months following
the antenna tower accident last November and just in time
before start of the local rainy season in May.
1. Regional engineer) (visited bureau on TDY
from 10 to 14 April.
2. Bureau Chief) (visited headquarters TDY
from 11-25 April to attend annual Bureau Chiefs Conference.
3. OMS safety officer visited bureau on 1-day
TDY on 18 April as part of per o is nspection visit. He
recommends replacing existing fire extinguishers with new
equipment which his office will provide.
STAT
STAT
STAT
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9 ,~
4. OL/RE&CD officer) (visited bureau TDY from
29 April to 1 May to survey local rental market for
determination of fair market value for FBIS housing on Truman
Annex.
Chief, FBIS Key West Bureau
Attachment:
Production Report
cc: C/Panama, C/Paraguay Bureaus
STAT
STAT
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TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MDNTH: 137,666
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH 26,164
TOTAL NUMBER DF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH : 533
BROADCAST PRESS AGENCIES PUBLICATIDNS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR CDVERAGE: 2,575 14,706 21
(PUBLISHABLE WORDS PER WEE{: MIN MIN ISSUES
III. DUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(PUBLISHABLE WDRD5 PER MDNTH)
BAHAMAS
Nassau Domestic Service
in English
Nassau THE TRIBUNE
in English
BARBADOS
Bridgetown CANA
in English
Bridgetown RDVOCATE in English
Bridgetown SUNDAY ADVOCATE
in English
BELIZE
Belize City Domestic Service
in English
CUBA
Havana Radio Progreso Network 8,916_
in Spanish
Havana Radio Reloj Netwar{; 7.806
in Spanish
Havana Radio Rebelde Network 3,020
in Spanish
Havana Radio Feriodico Del Aire _ 3,716_
in Spanish
2,140
51,G1U_
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 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/22 :CIA-RDP87-011048000100070008-7
cusA
Havana Domestic Service
in Spanish
15.19U
Havana Tele-Rebelde Network 5,340
in Spanish
Havana Television Cubana Network -d-_
in Spanish
Havana Television Service ,9,950
in Spanish
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Santo Domingo Cadena Brea Pena
in Spanish
Santo Domingo Radio Antilles Network 55c7
in Spanish
Santo Domingo LISTIN DIARIO
in Spanish
JAMAICA
Kingston Domestic Service
in English
fingston DAILY GLEANER
in English
Kingston SUNDAY GLEANER
in English
MEXICO
Mexico City NOTIMEX
in Spanish
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
Bonaire Trans Norld Radio ~ 3,350
in English
THE NETHERLANDS
Hilversum International
in English
SURINAME
Paramaribo International Service 1,42q
in English
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