(UNTITLED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030048-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 2000
• Sequence Number: 48
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030048-4
SECRET
To report on the progress of the OCB Committee on Broadca-
Television and submit concrete project for immediate action.
la E2Mose
The President's Committee on International Information Activities recom-
mended in its report to the President, dated June 30, 1953, that the U.S. should be prepared to provide assistance to television industries in other
countries while ti-iose industries are in their aor.iative stages. The 1954
ODI,/OCB (Schra n,) Report , also pointed out the increasing importance of
television overseas as a medium of communications.
The OCB Coviittee on 13roadcastir and Television (COA3AT) was therefore
established in Dece:,iber 19, 5, primarily to assure inter-a ency coordination
on projects involving assistance to foreign governments in developing their
television services. C03AT's terms of reference state that the Committee
will, ariong other things, "undertake the development of specific projects,
including planning and arranging for financing, to counter Soviet4.television
efforts into Free World areas."
2. Discussion
The development of specific projects has so far been hampered by.a
number of factors that can be summarized as follows: No definitio of
L + policy on television and'area of delegation of responsibility betty Qn the
25X1 C1Ob
coordination; unclear positions taken by the various Agency representatives
on the Committee and last but not least arranging for financing. The report
on recmimendations concerning Television in Europe of April 23, 1956 adopted
as a general guide for planning purposes, stated that "specific projects
requiring additional authority or new funds will be submitted to OCB for
apnropriate action". In the absence of any possibility of financing them
such projects have not been submitted.
represented departments and agencies; endless staffing and time consuming
At the present none of.the represented departments or agencies has
allocated funds available for assisting; television industries in foreign 25X1 C10b
countries
and training to education only,,
-ICA has so far limited its orfer of assistance
On the other side of tine coin the Russians have offered and in some
cases successfully assisted in training foreign countries in one form or
another, as for instance, Egypt, Yugoslavia, and according to some of the
most recent reports not yet fully confinied, one or to I-riddle-Eastern and
Latin American countries.
S E C R E T
*State DepA"b9gp # Wrd le RDP`7 ~ ~~30~1%0048-4
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S E C R F. T
This is one part of the overall picture. The other part concerns the
fast developing Television picture on both sides of the Iron Curtain which
the Committee has foreseen since its inception and to which it could not
f financin
g.
respond with adequate action recommendation without means o
Significant developments in International Television are as follows:
A. free World
Rapid growth of television in Italy which now has a total of
111 stations, the greatest number in any country besides the
Three new stations in Latin America in the period from July
to September 19570 Five in the Far East area spearheaded by
Japan and Australia an almost 40 per cent increase in TV sets.
Television was inaugurated in Cyprus on October 1, 1957.
The possible re-activation in Morocco after a suspension of
two years.
A. Iron Curtain Countries
USSR: very heavy activity in television construction and planning
in all parts of the counntry The goal of 75 per cent television
centers by 1960 has been raised to more than 100. The new
television center in Moscow. will be equipped for 12 channels; the
goal for television receiving sets by 1960 is 8 million. The
effort to activate television in the Satellite countries is a
marked one. The utmost important one of these seems to be at this
time East Germany. Where there is an estimated number pf at
least 150,000 television sets in operation. East German standards
have been converted to those of West Germany. There is a clear
plan to reach as far as possible into West German territory with
very good television propaganda programs. The Television Council
of West German Broadcasting Companies recently. discussed the
difference of East Zone television on the West German zonal border
population. The Council urged West German television to pay closer
attention to the fact that the East Zone is beaming communist
propaganda to West Gernany. It was felt that the quality of West
German telecasts needed improvement. Also, in the field of
exchanges in television films and personnel the Communist countries
have become very active in the last few months. Austrian Television
was offered Soviet films free of charge. The Stockholm television
station received after the Moscow, Youth Festival an unrequested
shipment of about 300 pounds of newsreel type of film of the Youth
Festival.
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030048-4
 Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030048-4
SECRET
..3-
A Soviet telefilm unit arrived in London to mane a 6O minute film
on the British way of life. British team will make a similar film in
the USSR* The Polish and French television services will exchange
monthly a 1 ndnute newsreel programs Finally a very important and
significant itern concerning this situation: the last Schram meeting
that took place in Paris in September of this year came up with one
conclusion pertaining to the growth of television, namely that eventually
the one single threat to Western broadcasting beamed behind the Iron
Curtain will be the development of Iron Curtain television.
Recommendations
countries while those industries are in their formative
stages: The Cormnittee feels that the Board should be
apprised of efforts to establish v ous gency axs
eparfi~
. .
,
..
anent positions i st o'er tfie_prem3 se pT
o As to the mission to develop specific projects to counter
Soviet television efforts into free world areas, the Cornnittee
feels that the Board should be apprised of the efforts of USIA
to develop plans for counter-measures,, but that such plans
will require finanoixag in view of the 75 per cent cut in USIA's
current Television budgets
7.
C. 1tm diatel.y available Iron Curtain projects are submitted as
atta.clunnts 1 and ^,
As to the mission to assist television industrios in other iZ
The Connnittee is requested to review free world proposals
which have been made informally in the paste principally
Pakistan and Beirut
The representatives of the departments and agencies are invited
to submit their views on this paper and the attached projects at the. next
Dnetireg of the Com iittee on. November 1, 1957.
S E C R E T
Approved For Release 2000/08/27 : CIA-RDP78-01634R000300030048-4