MONTHLY REPORT -- PANAMA BUREAU -- FEBRUARY 1981

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00385R000200110021-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 8, 2007
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: March 4, 1981
• Content Type: MEMO

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FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE
PANAMA BUREAU
DRAWER 927
APO MIAMI 34004
4 March 1981
MPA #1008
MEMORANDUM FOR: Acting Director, FBIS
THROUGH Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT Monthly Report -- Panama Bureau -- February 1981
The American Embassy, Panama, has sent in a strongly worded memo to.
the State. Department recommending that Panama. Bureau be exempt from State:'s
worldwide instruction that FBIS field bureaus be made to conform to the
local compensation plan and position classification system. The reasons
given were treaty-related measures that "grandfathered" employees on duty.
prior to l October 1979 at no less than their previous salaries and classi-
fications and the bureau's continuing adherence to:an area employment com-
pensation and classification system consonant with. that of the Panama Canal
Commission, U.S. Southern Command, and other U.S. agencies operating in the
canal area.
A. Monitorial/Editorial:
The bureau's wordage remained high in February--again around the
400,000 mark--due to continuing developments in Central America and U.S.
policy pronouncements affecting the region. The status of U.S. economic
assistance to.Nica.ragua and indications of the Nicaraguan Government's treat-
ment of political opposition, as well as Nica.ragua's support for the Sal-
vadoran rebellion were the main subjects of interest during the month. The
situation in E1 Salvador and possible moves for talks aimed at apolitical
settlement under the auspices of the Socialist International prompted heavy
selection. On the counterinsurgency front,: large-scale government operations
at month's end appeared to be successful against the guerrillas.
B. Lateral Services:
1. In connection with local reaction to. the canal defense exercise
Black Hawk IV 18-25 February, the bureau provided support for SOUTHCOM J2
and the American Embassy political section by translating and wi.refiling a
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?
-2-
number of items from Panamanian and Cuban sources critical of the exercise.
2. At a special request of AG, the bureau wirefiled a 3-week sam-
ple of program summaries of Nicaraguan government-controlled newscasts and
special programs on regular coverage. One lesson learned by the bureau
during this exercise was that its initial estimates of its ability to pro-
vide the service were off by as much as 50 percent: editors needed an addi-
tional half-hour extra or so per program to come up with a "clean" swim-ary,
and communications personnel found that the extra punching came to about
4-5 hours per day.
C. Coverage:
The clandestine "Radio Liberation" to E1 Salvador was lost on 6
February; the transmitter has not been heard since that date. On the other
hand, "Radio Venceremos," another pro-FMLN transmitter broadcasting for El
Salvador, is continuing its operation after being off the air for a few days
at midmonth because of "technica.l difficulties." Unfortunately the pro-
gramming of Venceremos is not as interesting as Liberation's was, its power
seems to be weaker, and its modulation is frequently poor. The station
broadcasts two programs on weekdays and Saturdays and adds a third, midday,
program on Sundays.
D. Communications
1. Bureau technicians, with the cooperation of Army and Panama
Canal Commission personnel, installed the recently received Granger UHF
equipment to replace the deteriorated communications landline. The system
went into operation 24 February, and all radioteletype circuits between
Chiva Chiva and the Corozal ASC have been solid since then.~The bureau's
telephone lines will be installed on the UHF system in the near future.
2. The bureau remote-control Central American network system was
put into operation following a period of testing of the recently installed
4-wire line on the bureau's dedicated circuit. A minor problem still exists
with the telephone switching equipment in Managua where the telephone ring
cannot be heard during incoming calls, but everything else is working well.
In particular, the ease with which the bureau can remote-tune the receivers
in Managua and San Salvador has been a pleasant surprise.
3. The bureau experienced outages on 18 and 19 February, the first
for 3.5 hours and the second for 2.5 hours, due to trouble at ASC.
E. Training:
Headquarters editor completed the field editoriaSlT'~~ain-
ing program on 6 February an remaine over for 2 additional weeks to work
the editorial desk in regular rotation to cover scheduled editorial annual
leave and sick leave.
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III. A]~IINISTRATION
A. Personnel:
1. Editor trainee epaxted 20 February on comp~AT
tion of his TDY.
2.. Communications section supervisor s awa.rdedSaTAT
Quality Step Increase at a special cererr~ny on e ruary.
B. Building and Grounds:
A new intercom system (Aiphone LAH-20) wa.s installed throughout
the operations building, linking Main Radio, monitoring positions,editorial
room, admire office, dining/kitchen area-and other remote parts of the build-
ing.
inspection.
FBIS director, on TDY 23-26 February. STAT
STAT
Chie , Panama Bureau, FBIS
Attachments:
Monthly Production Report
Operations Attachment
Engineering Attachment
cc: Chief, Paraguay Bureau
Chief, Key West Bureau
safety officer, on 11 February for a bureau s~
0