811.42700 (R)/4–2649: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Kohler) to the Secretary of State
1054. VOA Russian now totally jammed 1800 and 2100 GMT. New jammers began 2100 GMT April 24 blanking every frequency except 9700. April 25 all blanked. Airpouching recording IBD. BBC Russian also blanked. Jammers of powerful type previously heard only against radio Madrid. See no hope getting through by increase signal strength since jammers loud enough blank radio Moscow itself.1 Urgent use more frequencies at once if available in order retain listeners.2 VOA by far our most important means direct action Soviet people.
Sent Department 1054, repeated Munich 2.
- The Embassy reported in telegram 1063 from Moscow on April 27 that the jamming still continued, and estimated that between 12 and 21 jammers were now available for simultaneous operation in the Moscow area.↩
- In reply to the Embassy in telegram 272 on April 28 the Department advised that at present it was technically impossible to increase the number of transmitters; but it derived some satisfaction because the jamming would at least force the Soviet Government to concentrate its “radio activity on jamming rather than more productive projects.”↩