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USIA: RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1983

UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS, Washington, D.C.

The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:14 a.m., in room SD419, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Charles H. Percy (chairman of the committee) presiding.

Present: Senators Percy, Pell, and Zorinsky.

Senator PELL [presiding]. The hearing of the Foreign Relations Committee concerning recent developments in USIA will come to order. The chairman is on his way here, but in order to get this hearing underway and for the sake of being expeditious he has requested that I should open it.

I am very glad to welcome Mr. Wick and his team who are with him. I congratulate him on his enthusiasm and the way he is going about dealing with the tremendous responsibilities that have been assigned to him.

As he knows the committee wants to back him up as much as possible. I realize that in the aftermath of the Korean airplane brutal massacre many of the ideas that we have discussed have to be put on hold for the time being.

But from the viewpoint of the long haul it is obviously to the advantage of both the superpowers to see a kind of mutual exchange continue. I would hope incidentally in this regard that the Soviet shooting down of the Korean plane will serve not as a hindrance but will help us try to understand better each other's viewpoints and live together and have a larger exchange program.

I see that the chairman is here, and I will defer to him.

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Pell, I really appreciate your starting the meeting. I apologize to our witnesses. I had an eye doctor appointment this morning.

I do apologize to everyone in the room. Today the committee will be hearing testimony from Charles Wick, Director of the U.S. Information Agency concerning recent developments within USIA.

The purpose of this hearing is to provide an opportunity for the Director to paint a more positive picture of the various aspects of the U.S. Information Agency in light of a number of critical newspaper articles during the last year. As we all know the USIA plays an extremely important and useful role.

Through its exchange programs and the Voice of America, the USIA projects abroad a positive and constructive image of the United States. The work of the Agency creates a broad foundation of international

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understanding that promotes peace and a world order based on humane values and humane government. The Agency is a strong warrior in the struggle for the minds of men.

I do not know of a more appropriate time for us to have this hearing. The burden of carrying the story to the world about the Soviet Union really rests on the backs of U.S. Government and USIA.

We have a story to tell we think the world ought to hear. Just as Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty project the truth to the people of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, USIA will state the facts concerning the KAL 007 incident.

During the course of the hearing today I hope you can tell us how you have responded to this event, the factual way in which you have been reporting to the world what has happened and the invaluable service that you have rendered to your Government, the American people and the people of the entire free world. So we are very pleased to have you here.

By the way, the markup on the State Department authorization will begin at 12 noon today, and we will, of course, be taking up the annual budget of the USIA.

Mr. Wick, we thank you.

Senator Pell, have you made your opening statement?
Senator PELL. Yes, thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Wick.

STATEMENT OF CHARLES Z. WICK, DIRECTOR, U.S. INFORMATION AGENCY, ACCOMPANIED BY RONALD TROWBRIDGE, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS, USIA; STANLEY SILVERMAN, BUDGET DIRECTOR, USIA; JONATHAN SLOAT, GENERAL COUNSEL, USIA; KENNETH TOMLINSON, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR BROADCASTING, VOICE OF AMERICA; AND C. NORMAND POIRIER, DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL, USIA

Mr. WICK. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We appreciate very much your unfailing cooperation and good presumptions as to our desire to do the best that we can for the United States in discharging our responsibilities. We are very sobered by the great focus that has been placed upon our role on behalf of the U.S. Government in telling the world not only about America but also the truth of the recent incidents that have captured the world's abhorrence.

I believe we have done a very fine job thanks to the number of greatly qualified career people, as well as noncareer people, who leaped into this particular project and spent time around the clock, with support from Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick, Secretary Shultz, the President, and others who are aware of the efforts of USIA.

I would like to go to my prepared remarks but also would thank Senator Pell for the favorable and generous observations he made just prior to your arrival. I appreciate it very much on behalf of my colleagues.

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am pleased to have this opportunity to meet with you today to discuss our programs and initiatives at the U.S. Information Agency. We at USIA are grateful

for this committee's continuing close cooperation and attention. The relationship between the Agency and this committee has been a particularly constructive one. We intend to continue in that spirit.

USIA can best be described as trying to do more with less than at any other time in its history. We think we are succeeding.

Let me give you just one recent and tragic example. When Korean Air Lines flight 007 was shot down in the Sea of Japan, USIA moved immediately to make the U.S. position known throughout the world. The counselor of the Agency, John Hedges, who is accompanying me today, was named Agency coordinator of a task force.

A chronology of USIA actions in the week following this tragedy has been provided to the committee and I am sure you will find it voluminous and responsive and innovative.1 Since the downing of the plane USIA has among other efforts increased VOA broadcasts to the Soviet Union by 90 transmitter hours daily at the expense of I might add of maintenance and repairs that will have to be compensated for

later.

It has distributed 17 television products, including statements by the President and the Secretary of State to 51 posts worldwide plus at least one item per week in our television satellite file distributed directly to overseas networks. USIA distributed several statements and articles daily via the wireless file to our posts worldwide.

USIA prepared and coordinated the video tape presentation of Soviet radio transmission which was used by Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick at the U.N. Security Council. The dramatic showing of this tape and audio was a great moment for public diplomacy.

I would also like to mention a few of the other initiatives we have undertaken in the last 2 years, many of which you know about, while at the same time we have maintained and supported the Agency's traditional activities. New opportunities created by dynamic times and new technology have made USIA a more significant partner within the administration in the formulation and conduct of foreign policy.

This administration has created a structure which brings the tools of public diplomacy to bear at a high level including participation of top USIA officials in numerous NSC [National Security Council] policy groups. Along with the President's Assistant for National Security Affairs, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of the Agency for International Development [AID], and the assistant to the President for communications, as Director of USIA I sit on the special planning group [SPG] as mandated by NSDD 77.

Four committees report to the SPG: The International Information Committee chaired by the Deputy Director of USIA; the International Political Committee chaired by the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; the International Broadcasting Committee chaired by a representative of the assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Public Affairs Committee chaired by the assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. USIA is a key member of these committees whose work helps the U.S. Gov

1 See page 6.

ernment speak with one voice on all matters involving public diplomacy.

The consolidation of the Agency into a central complex in southwest Washington, and the reinstitution of its respected name, USIA, is another accomplishment. Over the next 10 years, GSA estimates savings of $9 million resulting from the move after considering all nonrecurring one-time costs of the moving and installation.

Another innovation is the new television satellite file under the able direction of Al Snyder enables us to present America's leaders and ideas to an international television audience via their own networks. It is transmitted by satellite by commercial syndicators to over 150 networks at no cost to the Agency.

The university linkages program is another which supports longterm relationships by pairing United States and foreign institutions under the Fulbright program. The President's International Youth Exchange which will use both public and private funds to bring 15,000 additional young people from the Economic Summit countries to the United States over the next 3 years will bring the total of youth exchanges under this program during these 3 years with those six other countries to 30,000. This program is now being planned for expansion to additional countries including the Third World.

The institution is an extremely cost-effective way to convert video tapes to the different television signal standards used abroad. For an initial investment of $55,000 this will save the American taxpayers over $150,000 per year and is substantially below the original estimated cost several years ago of $1.2 million for this project.

The development of a monthly Soviet Propaganda Alert and the institution of a fast guidance system to the field to unmask and counter Soviet propaganda efforts falsely portraying the United States.

The initiation of VOA broadcasts in critical languages such as Dari and Pashto for Afghanistan; Azerbaijani for the Soviet Union, Turkev and Iran, and Amharic for Ethiopia.

In accord with the VOA charter, increasing the number of VOA editorials labeled as reflecting the views of the U.S. Government. Opening a foreign press center in Los Angeles to facilitate foreign press coverage of important events on the west coast such as the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Closing of a Government-funded International Visitor's Center in San Francisco and turning over the functions to a private volunteer organization which is expected to result in a savings of approximately $250.000 per year for the taxpayers.

Eliminating Agency inhouse travel arrangements staff and replacing it with a private travel agency through GSA at an annual savings of $112,000. A more complete listing of the Agency cost efficencies has been provided for your information.

Sponsorship of 4,200 Fulbright scholars, up from 3,800 the previous year, and 2,100 international visitors, up from 1,773 last year.

We also have some major problems, and I would like to mention one of them this morning. At a time when the world airwaves are saturated with high powered transmissions not just from the major powers but from a host of nations such as Cuba, Albania, Turkey, Egypt and many others, the Voice of America is operating with outdated and badly deteriorating equipment.

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