A FACILITIES OPERATIONS ACTIVITY This office operates and maintains, directly or through contract arrangements, a worldwide system of government-owned or leased radio and communications facilities. It allocates these facilities in accordance with program requirements and ever changing propagation conditions, so as to deliver the best signal possible into each target area. It arranges for use of radio facilities owned or operated by private individuals and by foreign governments. With the exception of those programs prepared by regional programing and packaging centers or by USIS mission staffs, all programs are originated in New York. Most of these programs are then carried by telephone lines to transmitting stations located at various points in the United States, sent overseas by shortwave, picked up by overseas relay bases which "boost" the strength of the signal and transmit it to the target area via short, medium, or long wave, depending on the local situation and facilities. Other programs are recorded in New York and mailed to the relay bases and USIS missions for direct broadcast to target areas. The effectiveness of the VOA has been increased by the addition of relay bases at strategic points around the world. Programs transmitted from the United States are received at these bases and retransmitted, thus providing stronger signals in the target areas. A typical relay base has separate receiving and transmitting stations, which, for technical reasons are located several miles apart. The receiving station comprises a field of highly-directional antennas beamed on the United States, high quality communications-type receivers, recording-playback equipment, and a switching console. The program is sent from the receiving station to the transmitting station over telephone lines and/or radio link transmitters. As many as five separate programs may be received at the same time, either for immediate transmission or for recordings, to be transmitted at a later hour. The transmitting station includes a field of antennas (up to 100 acres) beamed toward specific target areas, several shortwave and/or medium wave transmitters, and a large switching bay to connect the transmitters to the correct antenna for delivery of programs to the targets. Where adequate sources of power are not locally available, diesel-electric powerplants are operated by relay base personnel. Summary by purpose Increase or decrease (-) Amount 1. Personal services: Domestic.. Honolulu. Overseas: Americans. Locals.. Total. 2. Travel.. 3. All other expenses. $146, 646 Grand total. 208, 972 310, 157 665, 775 (1) Personal services ($3,085,805). This estimate covers the technical staff required to operate studio and master control facilities in New York and at the Munich, Cairo, and Manila Centers; to schedule and coor dinate the operations of leased transmitter plants in the United States; and to operate and maintain transmitting and receiving facilities located overseas in 10 major installations. An increase of 29 positions at a total of $146,646 is requested to provide technical support for the proposed increases in English broadcasts and the Munich schedule, and for the Manila Packaging Center. (2) Travel ($501,877).-The estimate covers home leave, transfer, and new assignment travel costs for Americans overseas, and local travel for recording technicians on special events coverage. An increase of $208,972 is provided for travel of American employees completing their tours of duty and becoming eligible for home leave in fiscal year 1955. (3) All other expenses (86,205,269).-Included in this estimate are the contractual and other costs of operating domestic transmitter plants in the United States; an advance to the United States Coast Guard for operation of the floating transmitter Courier; fuel and lubricating oil for the diesel generating plants at overseas bases; a great variety of tubes, parts, and supplies necessary for maintenance of the worldwide radio system; and the purchase of radio supplies and equipment for use by the USIS missions in local radio programing. The requested increase will provide for costs of leased land lines to be installed between Washington and New York; for full-year operating costs of new facilities at Cast and Colombo; and for technical support for the proposed increases at the Munich Program Center and the Manila Packaging Center. FACILITIES PLANS AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY This is a technical staff which is largely responsible for determining the communications facilities, locations, equipment, frequencies, propagation standards, and other technical requirements for effective delivery of VOA broadcasts to program-target areas. It develops and implements broad plans for the installation, maintenance, and modification of a worldwide radio network capable of meeting present and long-range program requirements. The staff recommends technical telecommunications policy relative to radio and electronics; coordinates technical policies and plans with other policy and planning areas of United States Information Agency, the Department of State, and other Government agencies; and maintains liaison, through established channels, with appropriate Government agencies for collection and development of intelligence relative to communications and electronics pertinent to VOA operations. It conducts a comprehensive system of technical monitoring at overseas points in order to assess results of VOA transmissions, and to aid in improving propagation techniques. In addition, this office establishes specifications for the design and construction of special equipment needed to meet the particular requirements of VOA. It conducts a comprehensive program of research and development, including experimental and testing activities for overcoming technical difficulties, and for assuring maximum effectiveness of equipment used and techniques employed. Finally, this staff develops engineering standards for the operation and maintenance of United States Information radio facilities, and issues manuals and instructions prescribing engineering practices to be employed. It conducts special engineering inspections to determine compliance with standards, and recommends corrective measures. EXPLANATION OF MAJOR ITEMS The fiscal year 1955 estimate projects the fiscal year 1954 budget without change. The reduction made in 1954 as compared to 1953 was due to completion of major construction projects. Program direction activity This activity provides for the program direction of the entire broadcasting operation It includes the Office of Assistant Director for Radio and Soviet Operations together with a small staff of assistants; the policy advisory staff and the public information staff. This element, headed by the controller, is responsible for the managerial functions of the broadcasting service, including most of those services formerly identified as the New York administrative office. The consolidated activity provides for the following services: Budget preparation and financial management, management methods and procedures; personnel management; procurement and warehousing; records management and communications control; and other general housekeeping services. Summary by purpose PROGRAM LIQUIDATION COSTS Program liquidation costs (payment of terminal leave and related costs) are estimated at $691,723 for the radio broadcasting service in fiscal year 1954. These costs, as a special item, are nonrecurring in 1955. MOVE OF RADIO ACTIVITIES TO WASHINGTON A total of $900,000 has been programed out of the 1954 appropriation to cover the cost of moving the radio broadcasting staff from New York to Washington, in accordance with provisions of the 1954 IIA Appropriation Act (Public Law 207, 83d Cong.). The Agency plans to reserve these costs out of 1954 operating funds, in accordance with congressional intent, even though it is now apparent that for reasons beyond the control of the Agency, the actual move cannot be completed until well after the end of the current fiscal year. Consequently, the United States Information Agency must request congressional authorization to extend the time by which the move must be completed, and to permit use of these 1954] funds in fiscal year 1955, when they would actually be required for the purposes for which reserved. The 1955 estimates make no provision for any carryover portion of the cost of moving personnel and facilities from New York. For budget purposes this entire estimate is considered as a 1954 reservation of funds. This problem will be discussed with the committee during hearings. Composition of the preliminary estimate is as follows: Personal services: Terminal leave for employees electing not to transfer. $106, 500 Transportation of office furniture and equipment... Other contractual services: Restoration of space vacated in New York-175,000 square feet 200,000 156, 000 100, 000 262, 500 75,000 Total estimate__ 900, 000 This estimate does not include the cost of constructing and equipping studios in Washington. The Agency believes that such costs are properly chargeable to the no-year construction funds. This matter has already been referred to the committee. COST OF FACILITIES Mr. STREIBERT. We lease facilities under annual contracts to private companies for their operation in the United States. The annual cost for the operation of those private facilities is about $1,500,000. Senator ELLENDER. Now, how are those facilities selected? Mr. STREIBERT. They are Government-owned to a large degree, and they are operated by the General Electric and RCA and Columbia and NBC. Senator ELLENDER. What I had in mind, Mr. Streibert, is money that is paid directly to privately owned broadcasting companies. Mr. STREIBERT. Well, we have a provision in this for some $300,000 for the production of programs and for broadcasting as against $54,000 allocated in the current fiscal year. LEASING OF BROADCASTING FACILITIES Senator ELLENDER. Now, do you lease any broadcasting facilities? Mr. STREIBERT. Yes; we lease some shortwave facilities. Senator ELLENDER. Are those facilities located throughout the world, or principally in this country? Mr. STREIBERT. Principally in the United States. We do lease some from the BBC in England. Senator ELLENDER. How about South America? Do you lease facilities, privately owned facilities, in South America? Mr. STREIBERT. This provision I speak of this year is for that purpose. Senator ELLENDER. How many facilities do we actually own in Central America, do you know? Mr. STREIBERT. We don't own any. Senator ELLENDER. So that the broadcasts in South America are carried on principally by and through the facilities owned privately by citizens Mr. STREIBERT. They are owned privately in the United States, by shortwave transmitted down there. Senator ELLENDER. In South America do you have rebroadcasts of those over privately owned facilities? Mr. STREIBERT. Yes; in Caribbean countries, and our principal radio effort is directed toward the local production of programs in South America where they can be placed on the local broadcasting systems which have the most listeners. Senator ELLENDER. When I was in Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo, I was informed you had facilities across the Congo River in Brazzaville that beam to South America. To what extent do you use that facility in order to broadcast in South America? Mr. STREIBERT. That facility is not operated by us. We provide programing material to them and we most recently have made available our wireless file, which is transmitted by radio, and they pick it up and translate it themselves and we are glad to have them do that. Senator ELLENDER. Are you proposing more funds in order to expand that service in that area, around Brazzaville. Mr. STREIBERT. Yes. Senator ELLENDER. Because I was very much impressed with that, Mr. Streibert, and I believe it is money well spent to utilize that facility as much as possible. It has quite a range? Mr. STREIBERT. Yes. Senator ELLENDER. And that, I believe, is money admirably spent. ACTIVITIES CONTINUING IN NEW YORK AFTER DECEMBER 1954 Mr. STREIBERT. I wanted to refer to the letter of request specifically with regard to the move to Washington because I want to make sure there is no misunderstanding about it. Where the House in its language said no appropriation would be available for the operation of the international broadcasting service. in New York City after December 31, 1954, although we are not requesting any change in this language, we do want to point out that there are 2 activities incidental to our broadcasting service which will continue in New York after the basic operations are moved. One I spoke of this morning, a couple of studios and a staff of something like 19 people for special events and news types of broadcast, and then probably a temporary use of an existing master-control board in New York, pending the completion of the construction and installation of the master control in Washington. The wiring of the |