Office of the Historian
  1. Home
  2. Historical Documents
  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume XXXVIII, Part 2, Organization and Management of Foreign Policy; Public Diplomacy, 1973–1976
  4. Document 93

93. Memorandum From Helmut Sonnenfeldt of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger)1

Washington, September 14, 1973.

SUBJECT

  • Soviet Halt of Jamming of VOA

State and USIA inform you in the memoranda at Tab A2 that on September 9 the Soviet Union ceased jamming VOA broadcasts to the USSR, and that BBC and Deutsche Welle jamming has also ceased.

While not mentioned in either memorandum, this Soviet move probably relates to efforts to improve the Soviet image on the eve of the resumption of CSCE, as well as official efforts to improve the Soviet image in the midst of the anti-Sakharov/Solzhenitsyn campaign.

This memorandum is to advise you that the jamming of VOA has ceased, at least for the time being. I see no need for any action on your part.

  1. Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 306, Agency Files, Voice of America. Limited Official Use. Sent for information. Kissinger initialed the memorandum, and an attached correspondence profile indicates that he noted it on October 18.↩
  2. Pickering’s September 13 memorandum to Scowcroft and Keogh’s September 12 memorandum to Kissinger are attached but not printed.↩