MONTHLY REPORT -- PANAMA BUREAU -- JANUARY 1988

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-01355R000400120011-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2013
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: February 5, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

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ROUTING AND RECORD SHEET
SUBJECT: (Optional)
Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau
-
FROM:
Chief, Operations Group
EXTENSION
NO
DATE STA
January 1988
TO: (Officer designation, room number, and
building)
DATE
OFFICER'S
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to whom. Draw a line across column after each comment.)
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Exec. Reg.
FORM 610 USE PREVIOUS
1-79 EDITIONS
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5 February 1988
MPA-8004
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- January 1988
I. GENERAL
A. We began FBA-1 with the arrival of seven Lockheed
Electronics contractors (LEC) the week of 11 January. By month's
end, LEC had trained all operational personnel on LAN operations,
and the bureau had successfully completed the Site Acceptance
Test and Operational Readiness Dry Run. Despite a large volume
of high-priority material on Nicaragua and Panama, the transition
to full LAN operation was almost completed by 1 February.
Initial acceptance has been high, and all monitors and editors
have made an admirable and smooth transition.
B. The opposition media in Panama made a gradual but
forceful return during the second half of January. With the
reopening of the newspaper, LA PRENSA, and other opposition media
during the week of 18 January, attacks on the government and
General Noriega resumed. By month's end, the most strident of
the opposition radios had begun carrying lengthy telephone
interviews complete with inflammatory accusations. The
government response thus far has been relatively restrained, but
as pressure from various sources on the government and General
Noriega continues, it is expected that such restraint will not be
long-lived.
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II. OPERATIONS
A. Editorial/Monitorial
1. Throughout the month, high-priority events often
required the bureau to remain open past its normal midnight COB.
Continued efforts involving the Central American peace plan,
particularly Nicaragua's role in the plan, generated a
substantial amount of copy and interest. The Central American
presidential summit was the source of much of this interest
during the first half of the month, and the comment and reaction
on the issue of U.S. aid for the contras followed shortly
thereafter. Other events of interest included the reopening of
Panamanian opposition media after a 7-month hiatus, the
kidnapping and murder of the Colombian attorney general by
members of a group of "extraditables," and Ecuadoran presidential
elections, which alone kept the bureau open until 0300 on 31
January.
2. Both monitors and editors adjusted quickly to FBA
and LAN use. By month's end, we were processing virtually all
translations and program summaries on the LAN and had developed
procedures to take advantage of the LAN's potential while
maintaining an adequate paper trail for training and review.
B. Communications
On 21 January the bureau lost all communications for
approximately 10 hours as a result of unidentified
electromagnetic interference with the bureau's receive-side
microwave frequency. Despite a concerted effort by bureau and
Panama Canal Commission personnel, we were unable to identify the
problem for several hours and were then unable to determine the
source of the interference before it ended just before the
bureau's scheduled COB. The most likely, although unconfirmed,
explanation pins the source of the interference on the "Queen
Elizabeth II," which entered the Miraflores Locks about the time
we first experienced problems and left the canal about the time
our communications were restored.
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. Main Radio Boardmen
both received -.- -ft-. . .11. tions to FBN 5 STAT
errective 7 January. are two-thirds of a STAT
section whose members have all been promoted in the last two
months as a result of consistently strong support in alerting
STAT
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editors and monitors to media behavior changes and to unscheduled
major speeches and events.
2. Communications Chief assumed duties as
FBA System
notice. Administrator on 19 January. Deputy Chief
was named acting chief of the Communications Section until
ur
3. Cruising trainee
January for 3 months of training.
4. Editor-trainee
January for 3 months of training.
arrived Panama on 11
arrived Panama on 15
replaced Communications STAT
STAT
5. Teletypl t
Section Deputy Chief
January.
B. Building and Grounds
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
on TDY in Key West on 13
Contractor Jose R. la Guardia completed the painting of
the bureau's interior.
IV. VISITS
1. The director, FBIS, visited the bureau 20-23 January.
2. ADD's visited the bureau 24 January-5
February to oversee the installation of FBA-1.
Actt, ama Bureau
STAT
STAT
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Panama Bureau Production Report for January
I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH:
BROAD-
CASTS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE: 15312.00
(minutes or issues per week) min.
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
1988
389020
40090
755
PRESS PUBLI-
AGENCIES CATIONS
74700.00 220.00
min. issues
(publishable words per month)
CLANDESTINE
Clandestine Radio Farabundo Marti in
Spanish to El Salvador
Clandestine Radio Venceremos in
Spanish to El Salvador
0
8090
ARGENTINA
Buenos Aires REUTER in
Spanish
3320
COLOMBIA
Bogota Cadena Radial Super in
Spanish
860
Bogota Emisoras Caracol Network in
Spanish
3040
Bogota INRAVISION Television Cadena
in
1
Spanish
9500
Bogota INRAVISION Television Cadena
in
2
Spanish
5980
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish
3380
Bogota EL SIGLO in
Spanish
380
Bogota EL TIEMPO in
Spanish
370
COSTA RICA
San Jose Radio Impacto in
Spanish
6470
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San Jose Radio Reloj in
Spanish
San Jose LA NACION in
Spanish
San Jose LA PRENSA LIBRE in
Spanish
San Jose LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD REVOLUCIONARIA in
Spanish
San Jose LIBERTAD in
Spanish
San Jose RUMBO in
Spanish
CUBA
Havana CUBAVISION Television in
Spanish
Havana International Service in
Quechua
Havana International Service in
Spanish
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
English
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
ECUADOR
Quito Radio Quito in
Spanish
Quito Voz de los Andes in
Spanish
_
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
22010
0
380
8030
630
810
EL SALVADOR
San Salvador Canal Doce Television in
Spanish 2860
San Salvador Canal Seis Television in
Spanish 1820
San Salvador Domestic Service in
Spanish 0
San Salvador La Voz Panamericana in
Spanish 0
San Salvador Radio Cadena Sonora in
Spanish 0
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSKL in
Spanish 1300
San Salvador Radio Cadena YSU in
Spanish 8790
720
6000
0
0
520
0
760
0
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San
San
San
San
San
San
San
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
Salvador
Spanish
FRANCE
Paris AFP in
Spanish
TCS Television in
Television Nacional in
DIARIO LATINO in
EL DIARIO DE ROY in
EL MUNDO in
LA NOTICIA in
LA PRENSA GRAFICA in
GERMANY
Hamburg DPA in
Spanish
GUATEMALA
Guatemala City
Unidas in
Spanish
Guatemala City
Network in
Spanish
Guatemala City
Guatemala in
Spanish
Guatemala City
Spanish
Guatemala City
Spanish
Cadena de Emisoras
Radio Nuevo Mundo
Radio Television
EL GRAFICO in
PRENSA LIBRE in
HONDURAS
Tegucigalpa Cadena Audio Video in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa Televisora Hondurena in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa Voz de Honduras Network in
Spanish
San Pedro Sula LA PRENSA in
Spanish
BROAD-
CASTS
2880
570
370
0
790
6330
0
5930
PRESS PUBLI-
AGENCIES CATIONS
27100
8930
2650
1130
780
0
1000
1460
4990
330
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San Pedro Sula TIEMPO in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa EL HERALD() in
Spanish
Tegucigalpa LA TRIBUNA in
Spanish
MEXICO
Mexico City Cadena RASA-IMER in
Spanish
Mexico City Red Nacional 13 IMEVISION
Television in
Spanish
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish
Mexico City XHTV Television in
Spanish
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
Mexico City EL DIA in
Spanish
Mexico City EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Mexico City EXCELSIOR in
Spanish
Mexico City THE NEWS in
English
Mexico City UNOMASUNO in
Spanish
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
2020
1310
5000
NICARAGUA
Managua International Service in
Spanish
260
Managua Domestic Service in
Spanish 53820
Managua Radio Catolica in
Spanish 1070
Managua Radio Noticias in
Spanish 470
Managua Radio Sandino in
Spanish 21510
Managua Sistema Sandinista Television
Network in
Spanish 1220
Managua ANN Diplomatic Information
Service in
Spanish
Managua ANN in
Spanish
850
120
3790
5140
400
380
1600
610
2290
2310
6670
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Managua NOTISAL in
Spanish 0
Managua NOTISAL-SALPRESS in
Spanish
Managua PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish to PRENSA LATINA Havana 650
Managua BARRICADA in
Spanish 14220
Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in
Spanish 2130
Managua LA PRENSA in
Spanish 2600
PANAMA
Panama City Cadena Exitosa in
Spanish
Panama City Circuit? RPC
Television in
Spanish
Panama City Domestic Service in
Spanish
Panama City Panavision Television in
Spanish
Panama City Radio Exitosa in
Spanish
Panama City Telemetro Television in
Spanish
Panama City Television Service in
Spanish
Panama City Televisora Nacional in
Spanish
Panama City ACAN in
Spanish
Panama City CRITICA in
Spanish
Panama City DIALOG() SOCIAL in
Spanish
Panama City EL SIGLO in
Spanish
Panama City EXTRA in
Spanish
Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in
Spanish
Panama City LA PRENSA in
Spanish
Panama City LA REPUBLICA DOMINICAL in
Spanish
Panama City LA REPUBLICA in
Spanish
6590
1700
2730
0
660
6000
570
2820
11310
4000
6830
1660
4500
13500
2190
1180
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_
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATIONS
Panama City MATUTINO in
Spanish 1660
Panama City QUIUBO GRAFICO in
Spanish 790
Panama City THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC in
English 0
Panama City EL SIGLO DOMINICAL in
Spanish 0
PERU
Lima Panamericana Television
Network in
Spanish
Lima Television Peruana in
Spanish
SPAIN
Madrid EFE in
Spanish
90
3120
USSR
Moscow Radio Peace and Progress in
Spanish 690
Moscow in
Spanish to Latin America 2090
Moscow in
Spanish to Cuba 0
VENEZUELA
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
Caracas EL NACIONAL in
Spanish
Caracas EL UNIVERSAL in
Spanish
4940
16180
1520
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PANAMA BUREAU PRODUCTION REPORT FOR JANUARY 1988 -- ANNEX
TOTALS FROM ROSET SOURCES
COLOMBIA
Bogota INRAVISION Television Cadena 1 in
Spanish 9,500
Bogota INRAVISION Television Cadena 2 in
Spanish 5,980
Bogota Television Service in
Spanish 3,380
CUBA
Havana PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish
MEXICO
Mexico City Red Nacional 13 IMEVISION Television in
Spanish
Mexico City XEW Television Network in
Spanish
Mexico City XHTV Television in
Spanish
Mexico City CERIGUA in
Spanish
6,000
2,020
1,310
5,000
850
NICARAGUA
Managua ANN in
Spanish 3,790
Managua ANN Diplomatic Information Service in
Spanish 120
Managua PRENSA LATINA in
Spanish to PRENSA LATINA Havana 650
PERU
Lima Panamericana Television Network in
Spanish
Lima Television Peruana in
Spanish
90
3,120
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,
VENEZUELA
Caracas Television Service in
Spanish
TOTAL FOR JANUARY 1988
4 , 94C)
46,750
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