C01434015 o SECRETG litY 8 Sept a m b er 1966 M EM O RAN D U M F O R The 303 C om m ittee SU B JE C T R e a ffirm a tio n o f E xistin g P o lic y on R a d io F r e e E urope and R adio L ib erty o r I o o 1 SU M M ARY The ch a irm a n o f the 303 C o m m itte e M r Walt R o sto w on o ' #o t A u g u st 10 a sk ed CIA to p re se n t a paper to the C om m ittee on the fin din gs o o 'o J ' o ' 'v o o f the P a n e l on U S G overn m en t B ro a d ca stin g to the C om m u n ist B lo c as they p erta in to R adio F r e e E urope and R adio L ib e r t y He fu rth e r asked ' -v ' ' o o 'c V ooo to s e e e v id e n ce s o f e ffe c tiv e n e s s o f the r a d io s C IA 's plans f o r m o d e r n io s J 1 o ' V ' ooo ' Wv'% zation o f the r a d io 's tech n ica l fa c ilit ie s and C IA 's re p ly to the B ureau o f the B udget re q u e st to show what the e ffe cts on R adio F r e e E u rope and ' f R a d io -L ib e r ty w ould be oittt a h old in g at the F Y 1967 budge t ie v e fo r ' t oo o ' o w V jjk r g l r a n d - v - _ 3P i i O g i g f f ji --- -FI - Vr y r_ ' the F Y 1967 le v e l o V o v j o V V v 'l' V ' V 'V o- % o ' Yr v- ' ## 'o % -Vi This paper p resen ts the in form a tion re q u ested and p ro p o se s ' # # that the 303 C om m ittee approve the se ctio n s o f the r e p o rt o f the P anel # o 1 o on U S G overnm ent R adio B roa d ca sts to the C om m unist B lo c ' dated 28 A p r il 1966 dealing with R adio F r e e E urope and R adio L ib erty and r e a ffir m R adio F r e e E u ro p e 's m is s io n as a n on-attribu ted U S rad io jL SLCReT m 1 I V i l 1 i 1 J '-v % # ' V 4 M i R 5 1 rn CtA-i-- 9m c'iCoi 30 O C01434015 o' SECRET o o oo Lies s m t b ro a d ca stin g to P ola n d C ze ch o s lo v a k ia H ungary R um ania and ov B u lg a ria and R ad io L ib e r t y 's m is s io n as a n on -attribu ted ra d io b r o a d ca s tin g to the S oviet Union oo o o It a lso p r o p o s e s that the 303 C om m ittee o 'V o oe n d o r s e C IA 's plans to im p lem en t c e r ta in o f the s p e c ific s u g g e stio n s j o o f th e-P a n el C IA 's m od ern iza tion p r o p o s a l and re v ie w Cv IA 's san a lysis o f the e ffe c ts o f the BOB a ltern a tiv es 2 BACKG RO U N D - a V i j - V o o o ' ' V oooo I o o r ' f o' o V- y o V v Since its in cep tion in 1950 the b a s ic o b je c tiv e o f R adio i v x o 1 oo o O b je ctiv e s of R ad io F r e e E u rope o f- o ' F r e e E urope has -been and continues to b e to k eep the com xnu' ' ' -'V -H JPY - 'ooo o n ist r e g im e s fr o m ach ievin g or m aintaining a m on op oly ov er o v' o sV v co m m u n ica tion s with the people o f E a stern E u rope and inv- v ' % $ o- - ' o -o V - - T TCQI - -I- ' V ov -ooo lJ ' ''VVT'vo v Vs o J 'r- i v o This is done p rim a rily o f the a re a f o r their own p u rp o se s ooo V -0 by en cou ragin g evolution tow ard op en ' s e lf-g o v e r n in g societies v '-' ' H o t' ' o ' V' o V 'o ' in E a stern E u rop e cap able o f m utually b e n e fic ia l r e la tio n - o o- o oo o o ' oo 1 ships with the W estern European com m unity o f fr e e nations as w ell as with the United States n ess of R F E see A ttachm ent A F o r evid en ces o f e ffe c t iv e - t-I o C01434015 o b oo O b je c tiv e s o f R adio L ib e rty The o r ig in a l p r o p r ie ta r y c o v e r co m m itte e la te r the o A m e r ic a n - 4 o - o 'o C om m ittee fo r L ib e r at ion now the R adio o ' C oo ' L ib erty C o m m itte e w as o rg a n iz e d in 1951 on the recom m en d a tion o f 'o ' o s 1 o o the State D epartm ent with the p rim a ry p o litic a l fu n ction of co n so lid a tin g s e v e r a l USSR em ig re grou p s into p o litic a l f o r c e ' a u sefu l s ro I oo v In 1953 the Jackson C om m ittee re co m m e n d e d oo o o that the unattributed ra d io b e c o m e the p rin cip a l task o f the A C L with a con com ita n t d e c r e a s e in n o n -r a d io a c tiv itie s v oo S in ce that tim e R adio L ib e rty has e v o lv e d fr o m oo # o o- o s im p le o oo o hard 4- ' ' '- ' T-line a n t i - C om m u n ism to b e co m e a -sophisticated v o ic e o f 7 ' r o o o ' o t' ' ' o' ' ' -Vo % i o p p o sitio n in the e ffo r t to b rea k the S ov iet m on op oly on n ew s o o i V oV- v ' o and in form a tion in the USSR F o r ev id en ces o f e ffe c tiv e n e s s o ' o o o o ' ' i N ' o -o o o ___ iViw' oi U T ' TtA o y 'o#oo oo o o o o ' ft _ o R adio P ro p o s a l in N ovem ber 1965 M cG eorg e Bundy then S p ecia l A ssista n t v 't to the P re sid e n t fo r National S ecu rity A ffa ir s appointed a panel c o n s is ting of ' f o ' 4-' A -v_ v t V When the 303 C om m ittee was con sid erin g # -L X C01434015 pr rn r--r i I i i m I o- i i l 'g g r p i y - Tu j j o m ITT - v v''V ' J to evaluate the U S co v e rt broadcastin g effort A fter a six-m onth survey the panel V was unanimous in its judgment that the need to maintain Radio F re e o 'V- o- j w o % ' Europe and R adio L iberty in a period o f lib era lization and m teilectual ferm en t was greater than ever o o ' X The P an el's conclusions on these radios are excerpted as Attachment C 4 1 o ' FACTORS BEARING ON THE PROBLEM fa The m ission s of Radio F ree Europe and Radio L iberty as - ' v % 'i o o r ' o ' the m ajor n on -o fficia l Western radios challenging com m unist -o efforts to secu re a m onopoly on inform ation and ideas in Eastern o 4 o 0 - Io o o ' o - o - y oov o ' o Special Group when it agreed that no change in existing p olicy on Radio F ree Europe or'R a d io L iberty was d esira b le ' On yV 12 D ecem ber 1963 the Special Group further agreed-that - o Eastern Europe was still a target fo r the heaviest con centra tion of p olitical-p sych ologica l operations and that the F ree w - t' o I t S E CRET Europe C om m ittee Radio F ree Europe the A m erican o Com m ittee fo r L iberation and Radio Liberty should continue ' ' ' b In light o f the P an el's suggestions Attachment C which CIA accep ts in their entirety with one partial exception '' o ' relating to R F E ' b fu n d-raising cam paign-'-see Attachment D CIA is prepared to ' 1 P resen t to the BOB for approval a plan fo r m od ern io ' 's V ' ooo zation of fa cilitie s of both radios at a total co s t over a V - three year period o f V o witih______________ being required in FY 1968 see Attachment E ' ' CIA con sid ers % 1' i that the technical im provem ents recom m ended are the o o oo ' oo - o ' k 'V - n# m inim um required if Radio F ree Europe and Radio L iberty are to retain a com petitive position in international broad - 'castin g field and a study of all conceiveable alternatives Attachment F contains the sum mary o f this stu dy V o 2 v o Undertake a program for im proved research ' on and o 4 o i oo i increased broadcasting by Radio Liberty to nationality groups in the Soviet Union v v o 3 Implement the panel's suggestion that given the increasin g im portance of internationalcom m uni t 'o % o oo cations in shaping international relations and given the o o o s o o ' o relative insignificance of the cost o f these rad io'op eration s V N - 1 o V T 'y com pared to the costs o f weaponry there should be greater o -'o 4 o oo - 'A gen erosity in funding them A dvise the Bureau o f the Budget that the im plem en- tation of either of their suggested alternatives would result ' o in the inability of these policy instruments R F E and R li to ca rry out current policy d irectiv es Both organizations have a bu ilt-in cost factor that in creases by _ percent per V -v 'o '' o o y e a r due p rim arily to wage increases resulting fr o m union negotiations and the rising cost of living in ov e rse a s o % locations' v v o o o o o ' #i ' o o o o V 4 o While management econom ies and elim ination o oo oooo o o o sr o f tow priority items can abs orb approximately- w t o s percent r %r there remains ______ 1percent that must com e out o f o p e ra tions ' o V o A fter three tight budget years in which both radios of o o' o o ' ' w' tf V - o 1 have eliminated low priority items any further ab sorp -- tions must com e at the expense of operations - Over a period of five years the effect of either alternative would be a decline in effectiv en ess elim ination o f high p riority i o a ctivities and disintegration o f em ployee m orale Because '' o ' 4' o oo m odernization of the fa cilitie s of both radios is essential Jj i v GBP absorption of capital expenditures under either alternative ' v 'o v o 'o would further degrade the level o f operations See Attachment G fo r sum m ary of analysis and charts 5 D ecrease the emphasis on m ass solicitation o f funds but to continue the R FE fund-raising effort in the corporate field in view o f its continued s u c ce s s o f v i v COORDINATION a Intr a-G overnm ental o o oo - v v v o v v o o oo papers governing RFE and RL broadcasts o o ' N i ' # v are coordinated with die State Department _ i o ' i i ' Y ' vL b o c o j o o V oo - o 'w t H ost C oun tries o A 'v V- ' ' ' The ra d io s have no cu rren t p ro b le m s with the gov ern m en t __ rT __________ o v o site o f their p rog ra m m in g h e a d q u a rte rs o r w h ere w ith the gov ern m en ts of th e ir tra n sm itte rs a re located o ooo o a u tom a tica lly ren ew able lic e n s e - -o ' oo 'o y - - i o o i ' v o 1o - ooo V o o v' -k t v v ' o f ' o ' l N'i o o y g ov ern m en t that R L has a g reem en t fr o m the it w ill not u se its term ination righ ts b e fo r e 9 J Uy 197lV R L 's lice n s e w as ren ew ed fo r 12 y e a rs on 15 July 1957 and its agreem en t w ill not ex p ire until 30 July 1974 oo o oo C01434015 x i n or r 'w' w I i L --ir 6 i V RECOM M ENDATION S oo a n v That the 303 C om m ittee a p p rove the se ctio n s -of the r e p o r t V- o o f the P an el on U S G overn m en t R a d io B ro a d ca sts to-the ' C om m u n ist B lo c as they pertain to R a d io L ib e rty and R a d io ' v y v oo - '4 r F r e e E u rope with the one ex cep tion n oted in paragraph 4 b 5 - - o' b That the 303 C om m ittee ap p rove C IA 's m o d e rn isa tio n o V ' ' o' - oV '- V - t X- p r o p o s a l and its plans to im p lem en t c e rta in su g g estion s o f the o P a n el as stated in-paragraph 4 b ' i o o o v o o' o ' oo o o o ' M H Vi o ' o o o HW r Itv o ' o y V v o oo o 'I -- o oo o V v o '% o % V o t oy t 'V V -V o ' o ' o' r % ' ' 'o ' oo o ' o ' ' ' o ' o v o o v - % y om ' %lo' ' ' V - j o o o' o o v o v o V Vs 1 o o ooo y o 'o' ' v Vo # o o tat ' o I4 FV F 1 o' oI vyy- vro ' V 'rr _ o ' 1 U #o o' o o o r ' v o o o $ o v o ' ' U ' o o oo --- 1 y o v 1 ' 't t This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu