CPSU CC Decree of the Secretariat Protocol Nº 158 § 6 Measures to Vigorously Counteract Hostile Radio Propaganda

Top secret

Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Central
Committee

Nº st-158/6-s 21.Vii.1960

Decree
of the secretariat Protocol Nº 158 § 6 of 19.VII.1960
Measures to Vigorously Counteract Hostile Radio Propaganda

It is noted that the CC of the Communist Parties of the union republics, Party kray committees and oblast committees, and radio broadcasting bodies have not taken the proper steps to vigorously counteract hostile radio propaganda in connection with the cessation of blanket jamming of radio broadcasts of the Voice of America and BBC. As a rule, radio broadcasting from Moscow, republic, kray, and oblast capitals is conducted without a proper assessment of the organization and content of hostile radio propaganda directed to the population of the Soviet Union; during Voice of America and BBC broadcasts Soviet radio stations often rebroadcast poor programs which do not distract the attention of radio listeners from foreign radio stations and are not of interest to the majority of the population.

Broadcasts of current information about life in the Soviet Union and events abroad for the eastern regions of the USSR by Soviet radio stations are especially poorly organized. The population of republics and oblasts with at least a one-hour time difference with Moscow is essentially left without broadcasts of Soviet radio information in the evening hours, while the Voice of America broadcasts 30-minute programs of tendentiously selected news and commentary in Russian every hour from 1800-0200.

In order to more vigorously counteract hostile radio propaganda and to organize broadcasts of extensive information about current events for the population of the Eastern regions of the country via Soviet radio stations the CC CPSU decrees:

1. The State Committee for Radio and Television Broadcasting of the USSR Council of Ministers and the USSR Ministry of Communications are charged with:

a) no later than 1 August of this year introducing a special daily radio broadcast for the Eastern regions of the Soviet Union from 1700 to 2200, providing the broadcast from Moscow with 20-25-minute editions of the Latest News for this program at the start of each hour. Considering that these editions are designed for various regions of the USSR which are in different time zones, it is considered advisable to supplement the main information with new and recent reports. Include in the Latest News brief commentary on current events, a digest of the evening edition of Izvestiya, etc.

b) organizing additional radio broadcasts from Moscow beginning in the morning hours of 1 October 1960 when the Voice of America and BBC are broadcasting programs in order to distract the attention of listeners from foreign radio stations with the varied content and high level of Soviet radio broadcasts.

c) examining [together with] the CC CPSU [Department of] Agitation and Propaganda for the Union Republics [and] the Committee for State Security of the USSR Council of Ministers the question of the partial use of individual powerful radio stations engaged in jamming operations for radio broadcasting.

2. Charging the CC’s of the Communist Parties of the union republics and the oblast committees of the autonomous republics with ensuring the broadcast of the Latest News in the main language of the republic during Voice of America broadcasts in the national languages of the republics, employing mainly the translation of information and radio reports from Moscow to do this. Organize the rebroadcast of varied information and music programs via local radio stations during Voice of America and BBC broadcasts in Russian and Ukrainian.

3. Suggesting that CPSU committees of krays, oblasts, and autonomous republics with at least a one-hour time difference with Moscow provide a rebroadcast of one or two editions of the Latest News from Moscow in the evening via local radio stations and broadcasting centers, depending on local conditions.

4. Charging the State Committee for Radio and Television Broadcasting of the USSR Council of Ministers with:

a) organizing the transmission to union republics by teletype, where possible, or tape recording off the air, of the most important information, commentary, and a digest of the newspaper Izvestiya for translation and broadcast over republic radio;

b) after organizing the most interesting and varied programs during the hours of radio broadcasts from abroad, reexamining the schedule of radio and television broadcasting from Moscow and, by agreement with local Party bodies, [reviewing] the procedure for the operation of radio stations and television centers in republics, krays, and oblasts;

c) Providing regular radio broadcasts for Soviet listeners that denounce hostile radio propaganda and explain, with specific examples, the essence of the policy of the imperialist countries, the real living conditions of the workers, and the morale and mood of capitalist society. Ensure the rapid delivery of counterpropaganda materials to union republics and autonomous republics for them to be broadcast by radio in the national languages; and,

d) reporting the implementation of this decree to the CC CPSU by 1 November 1960.

CC secretary

Sent to: Comrades Ilychev, Kaftanov, Pourtsev, Shelepin, Moskovsky, oblast committees, kray committees, and CC’s of
the Communist Parties of the union republics.