RETENTION OF RECORDINGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03097A001500020401-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2006
• Sequence Number: 401
• Publication Date: July 7, 1967
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2006/08/31: CIA-RDP78-03097AO01500020401-1
7 July 1967
FOR: Acting Director, F
Retention of Recordings
um 12 October 1966, subject as above
1. On 14 October 1966 Bureau Chiefs were requested to keep track
of how many times belt checks of retained recordings were made and
asked to inform Headquarters by June 1967 whether the now belt
retention periods of 30 days for noncommunist and 60 days for communist
recordings were sufficient. They were also requested to inform the
Administrative Staff how many excess belts were on hand in light of this
revised 30-60 day retention period.
2. Although not all bureaus have responded, enough have replie
give an indication of the results. Almost all bureaus feel that the new
retention period is sufficient for operational purposes, and, if anything,
could be further reduced. The following chart Indicates the suggested
retention periods following a six-month check:
ccIIST RECORDINGS
IS days
MA
30 days
14 days
21 days
30 days
30 or less days
bureau comments are attached.
CO IUNIST RECORDINGS-
60 days
90 days
30 days
30 days
45 days
30 days
60 or less days
3. The Leson and Requirements office, during the period November
1966? June 1967, asked bureaus to check belts on nine occasions. Two
of the requests could not be fulfilled because the belts had been erased,
but this would have been true even with the previous retention policy.
STAT
Approved For Release 2006/08/31: CIA-RDP78-03097AO01500020401-1
 Approved For Release 2006/08/31: CIA-RDP78-03097A001500020401-1
SUBJECT: Retention of Recordings
It should be noted that STAT
~~~s STAT
belts available only for 28 days, except or
belts which are kept three months. One request was f 11 e y Bureau STAT
because that bureau continued to retain communist belts for aeys. Of
other requests d, all were within the first four weeks except for STAT
two requests te~_Ifor communist belt checks, both of which were
beyond the 30-day period.
4. One of the arguments advanced for the 30-60 retention period, and
for even a shorter period, in lieu of the 60-90 period provided for in
has been that economies could thus be realized in the purchase of
c belts. There is no doubt that the adoption of the 30-60 retention
in October 1966 has brought about a significant econosmy, and perhaps
at some future time a further reduction in retention time would similarly
be profitable. Nevertholoss, with the reduction of last fall, and even
with the allocation of several thousand belts for such continency use az
transportable i4onitoring units and emergency sites such as Accra, we
probably have Hugh belts on hand so as not to have to make any further
purchases of belts for several years, and thus can afford the 30-60 re-
tention period at this time.
S. The experience of the past six months indicates that we have
ly very few requirements for checking belts, but we must nevertheless
keep belts a reasonable time to enable us to meet those few requirements
do occur. The ent 30-60 retention Period seems appropriate
except for this Bureau, where we have a slow distribution of
economic abstracts,
6. 1 therefore recooend we reviseI to provide for the see
mont made last fall, 30 days for noncommunist and 60 days for communist
belts, with the exception that aureau should keep communist belts
for 90 days. The retention period should be reviewed again several years
hence before any further purchases of belts are made.
Acting Me r, Executive Staff
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Attachment: Bureau Comments
Approved For Release 2006/08/31: CIA-RDP78-03097A001500020401-1
 Approved For Release 2006/08/31: CIA-RDP78-03097AO01500020401-1
BUREAU CO NT ON THE NEW RECORDING RETENTION PERIOD 3O-DAY NONCO fWNIST
-DAY 16UMUN1bT)_
Only three belt checks were made during the period,
received within one, two. and six days after date of original recording.
Several checks required by internal bureau needs were made within one
week after the original recording. maintains both communist
and non-communist materials 60 days on magnetic tape reels. "Believe that
for all practical purposes a 30-day retention period for both communist and
noncoaunist material would be ample for German Bureau."
ssateriel cq
communist
"For our purposes, retention period of communist
adored adequate, but could be reduced to 1S days fcrr non-
Four requests were received for rechecks of items
sen as UlbbR - stracts. Because Bureau retained USSR recordings
for 90 days, it was able to answer thre ts. Otherwise only
one could have been answered, "For the it would appear
that 90 days would be tie ideal time to retain communist recordings," at
least for those recordings which contain abstract arterial,
I I No chocks were required beyond one week of broad-
cast in. "Consensus here is that retention periods could safely be re-
stricted to 50 days for both communist and noncommunist materials."
For non-communist recordings, no requests for
checks or processing were received nd for Communist recordings 11 requests
for checks or processing, all within less than two weeks from the time of
broadcast date. "This survey indicates that WCB belt retention periods
could be reduced to 14 days for noncomunist broadcasts and 30 days for
routine communist recordings."
received no requests for checks.
Suggest retention period be further reduced to six weeks for communist
and three weeks for noncommunist belts.
Revised retention period fully meets EM
operational reequircmonts. Retention period might even be shorter.
Approved For Release 2006/08/31: CIA-RDP78-03097AO01500020401-1