[Editor’s notes: Much of serials 153 and 201 duplicate each other. This serial was issued later than the other, is directed to fewer field offices than the other, and has a longer reference paragraph before the text. Other than those, the text for Section 1 of both serials – as well as the deleted material – is identical.
[The most significant difference between the two is the second section of each – beginning of the seventh page of the respective pdfs – which are completely unrelated to the other.
[Several of the subjects whose names are deleted in these serials are known to the editor. Those notations have been indicated by red type.]
O 222345Z NOV 78
FM FBI WASHINGTON FIELD (89-570)
TO DIRECTOR FBI IMMEDIATE
FBI LOS ANGELES IMMEDIATE (LA VIA FBIHQ)
FBI PHOENIX IMMEDIATE
FBI SAN FRANCISCO ROUTINE (SF VIA FBIHQ)
BT
UNCLAS SECTION 1 OF 2
RYMUR
Reference Washington field teletype, no copy for Phoenix, Washington field telephone calls to Bureau, Atlanta, and San Francisco, November 22, 1978.
Inquiry at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Washington, DC (WDC), Legal, Advisory and Enforcement Division and the Field Operations Division on November 21, 1978, determined the following:
The Peoples Temple operated two ham radio stations in Guyana, which was determined by fixes and one ham radio
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station from the Peoples Temple in San Francisco. This appeared to the FCC to be the major communications link between the church and the missionary outpost and since May, 1977, has been the subject of FCC investigation as it is a violation of the ham regulations to use ham radio for business purposes, which it was determined the Peoples Temple was doing. Initially, the FCC thought only general conversations were being transmitted, but after monitoring several transitions, some of the transmissions were identical. The ham station located in the Peoples Temple, San Francisco, was located by mobile fix and physically inspected by FCC personnel on May 9, 1977, in the Peoples Temple physical plant. After other ham operator complaints and additional monitoring by the FCC, primarily at the Powder Springs, Georgia monitoring facility, a series of citations was issued to the ham station being operated at the Peoples Temple in San Francisco.
In May 1978, the original licensee of the Peoples Temple station turned in his license and in the middle of a
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broadcast the station started using different call letters. From this time the use of code and the changing to frequencies outside the authorized ham radio operators band increased.
During the monitoring, the FCC determined that the transmissions from the Peoples Temple, San Francisco, were to the missionary facility, Jonestown, Guyana.
The last FCC monitoring of the Peoples Temple broadcasts was on October 2, 1978, and was recorded along with other transmissions. These tapes are maintained by the FCC, and would be available either by letter from the Bureau or subpoena. It is believed many of these tapes deal with real estate transactions of the church.
The FCC has been monitoring the Peoples Temple station since Saturday, November 18, 1978, and has intercepted no communications.
According to the FCC, the original licensee of the station being operated at the Peoples Temple was [deleted name] [Ben Bowers], Redwood Valley, California, assigned call letters [deleted]. The licensee who replaced [Bowers] was
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[deleted information] [Albert Touchette], San Francisco, California, assigned call letters [deleted] [WBC MID/8R3] with a station location of 1859 Geary Street, San Francisco, California (headquarters of the Peoples Temple, San Francisco).
By letter dated June 25, 1978, [Bowers] advised he was no longer associated with the Peoples Temple.
The two stations operating in Guyana were [deleted] with temporary location call letters [deleted] (which would have been granted by Guyana), licensed to [deleted name], Redwood Valley, California, and [deleted] licensed to Paula Adams, 1664 Page Street, San Francisco, California. According to “The Washington Star” of November 21, 1978, an article by [deleted name], reported from Georgetown, Guyana, states Paula Adams, who was in Georgetown on the night the congressman’s death, told reporters that her 2 1/2 -year-old baby was held hostage at the remote location so that she could not break her connection with Jones and the rest of the group. Adams was quoted as saying “I knew I wasn’t trusted and because I question things.”
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The FCC has been the object of a letter writing campaign of the Peoples Temple regarding the violation notices issued to the licensees of the stations operated at the Peoples Temple facility, San Francisco.
The FCC has received an FOIA request for the files from Jim Jones and [deleted name] [Michael Prokes] , a communications specialist, offices at [deleted information], WDC, [deleted information] made the request on behalf of [deleted name] [Marshall Bentzmann] reportedly a San Francisco attorney for the Peoples Temple.
Additionally, FOIA requests have been made by the news media for the FCC records.
Two ham operators have filed complaints regarding the ham radio operations of the Peoples Temple and monitored the transmissions. The San Francisco division should give consideration to interview these persons as they may be aware of recent radio traffic with Guyana by the Peoples Temple, San Francisco. They are: [name and address deleted], Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, and
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[name and address deleted], Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
[deleted name] in his letter to the FCC dated October 12, 1978, said “… in Guyana, a frequent operator is called both [deleted name] and Jim. A visitor to the ‘ mission’ last month indicated to me that [deleted name] and Jim Jones are one and the same. The visitor was told that Jones assumed the identity of [deleted name] because terrorists threatened his life (under the identity of Jones).”
[deleted name] in his letter dated October 12, 1978, enclosed articles regarding the Peoples Temple church and complained of illegal band operation of ham radio by the Peoples Temple. One enclosed article of the San Francisco Chronicle dated June 15, 1978, entitled “grim report from jungle” reported on the experiences of admission of [deleted name] [Debbie Blakey] who was formerly in charge of [deleted information] in San Francisco before going to the mission in December, 1977. (It is noted [deleted name] has been reported as being one of the subjects at the airport).
SECTION 2 OF 2
Atlanta Division advised on November 22, 1978, that tapes not in Georgia but may be at a regional office in California. Atlanta will submit teletype was appropriate lead.
On November 22, 1978, [deleted name], Internal Review and Security, FCC, WDC, advised that the tapes previously referred to are probably at a regional office in Douglas, Arizona. He stated that FCC legal staff are now of the opinion that due to provisions of the Communications Act that FCC cannot voluntarily provide these tapes. FCC
PAGE TWO DE WF 0054 UNCLAS
would be receptive to a subpoena addressed to chairman of FCC or custodian of records, FCC. This information telephonically furnished to San Francisco.
Los Angeles and Phoenix hold investigation in abeyance pending issuance of subpoena and service on FCC.
Investigation continues at Washington field.
Armed and dangerous; suicidal tendencies.
BT
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