TERMINATION OF CERTAIN RADIO LIBERTY AND RADIO FREE EUROPE BROADCASTING ACTIVITIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-19-3-25-0
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2010
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: December 18, 1971
• Content Type: MEMO

MEMORANDU1u W
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/05/10: LOC-HAK-19-3-25-0
CONFIDENTIAL
NATIONAL S
URITY COUNCIL
MEMORANDUM FOR: DR.. KI SI GER
FROM-
ON-FILE NSC RELEASE
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
SUBJECT:
w
RICHAR134T KENNEDY
HELMUT SONNENFELDT
INFORMATION
December 18, 1971
Termination of Certain Radio Liberty and
Radio Free Europe Broadcasting Activities
cut $4 million from our $36 million request and will force a 7 percent -
reduction in the activities of Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty. Even
the $32 million figure is dependent on our getting an extension to the Con-
tinuing Resolution past mid-January, since Congress will recess before
the necessary authorization is enacted. Moreover, the high overseas
termination costs involved in getting down to a $32 million level threaten
to eat further into next year's operating activities, in effect forcing a
greater reduction.
The FY 1972 supplemental appropriation, enacted on December 15, 1971,
To meet this problem and minimize the damage to the radios' activities,
OMB, State and CIA are planning to use some of the flm'ds in the CI. 's
termination trust fund. This will enable the ra ios to give notice of
termination to affected employees by December7(contracts require six
months notice). Without use of the trust funds, the high cost of terminating
overseas employees would oblige RFE to cease broadcasting in one of its
five languages and would require RL to cease operations altogether.
Senator Ellender and Congressman Mahon are expected to agree to use
of trust funds. Thus, State and CIA believe the radios' highest priority
missions will remain intact:
-- RFE can continue current operations by using the trust fund
and $600, 000 in private donations originally planned for
ON FILE OMB WAIVER
INSTRUCTIONS APPLY
Other options for retaining some of the activities such as the Munich
capital improvements.
-- RL will be able to continue broadcasting in its nine: highest
priority languages, by using the trust fund, dropping broad-
casts in nine lower priority languages, dropping broadcasts
from Taiwan to the Eastern USSR, and closing the Institute
for the Study of the USSR in Munich.
These arrangements will minimize the damage to the radios' operations in
the near term. Moreover, they keep our options open to retain some or all
of the affected activities if we can get a further supplemental later. (We
have a case on grounds that dollar devaluation has raised greatly local costs.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2010/05/10: LOC-HAK-19-3-25-0
CONFIDENTIAL
Institute also are being examined.