835.76/8–1144: Airgram
The Chargé in Argentina ( Reed ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 21—8 a.m.]
A–649. The Argentine Government has requested Transradio Internacional to rent Radio del Estado two of the company’s best transmitters for 4 hours a day, for the purpose of short waving government sponsored programs; as Embassy understands project, programs would be broadcast on two beams, one directed toward San Francisco and one toward New York. The plan also is reportedly to broadcast programs in Spanish, English and Portuguese, as the Foreign Minister’s speech was handled on July 26. Evidently the government feels that broadcast of this speech was so successful as to justify daily programs designed to help all the peoples of the Americas better to understand Argentina.
Transradio officials prefer not to rent transmitters for this purpose and intend to refuse if this can be done without antagonizing government. Presumably, if Transradio refuses to rent transmitters government will go elsewhere, and in this connection, I. T. & T. is being given advance warning by Embassy.