Peoples Temple Radio:
An Archived Site

One of the least examined aspects of Peoples Temple’s history was its relationship with the Federal Commiunications Commission (FCC). The relationship was also an important one: Jonestown’s only medium of direct and immediate communication with the outside world was through its HAM amateur radio; the Concerned Relatives oppositional group knew of the Temple’s use of its HAM radio – and of its misuses as well, such as conducting Temple business on its bandwidths – and alerted the FCC of the violations; and HAM operators around the US started reporting their own experiences with communications from Jonestown. With all these considerations in mind, history student and HAM operator Josef Dieckman launched a website to document all aspects of Jonestown radio. The site was active for several years in the first decade of the 2000s before going offline. This website has restored as much of the site as has been possible to do, and has archived it below.

Restored Pages

Some of the links within these articles are no longer operational and have been disabled.

Additional Info

Transcripts: FCC #3
Links:
Home Page
Back to FCC Tapes

The following is a transcription of an audio recording made by, or furnished to, the Federal Communications Commission, dated 4/30/1977 and labeled Tape 7, of amateur radio transmissions between what is believed to be Jonestown, Guyana and a stateside affiliate.
Transcription completed on the 12th of December, 2003 by Josef Dieckman. For record keeping purposes the tape is referred to as FCC #3.

Side One


Male 1:
Roger. F– L– A– five point zero. Do you copy?
Male 2:
Say again.
Male 1: F as in Frank, L as in Lima, A as in Alpha– five point zero. Do you copy?
Male 2: F– L– A– five point zero.
Male 1:
Roger. The next is L as in Lima, R as in Romeo, A as in Alpha, [sudden burst of off-frequency chatter makes number unintelligible], point [Unintelligible word]. Do you copy?
Male 2: L [unintelligible, sounds like ‘N’, followed by short fade in signal] compressor motor?
Male 1:
Roger, roger. The last thing was L– R– A– [bad signal fade]– R as in Romeo, A as in Alpha– three zero point four. Do you copy?
Male 2: Lima Romeo Alpha three zero point four.
Male 1: Roger. The next item is a Copeland Compressor. Do you copy?
Male 2: Copeland Compressor.
Male 1: Roger. The number is zero, S as in Sierra, A as in Alpha, L as in Lima. Zero, S in Sierra, A in Alpha, L as in Lima. Do you copy?
Male 2: Zero– S– A– L.
Male 1: Did you say S as in Sierra? [short pause] Did you copy?
Male 2: Stand by. You’re getting drowned out.
A long pause of approximately 1 minute and 45 seconds follows and ends at about 064 on the tape counter. Off-frequency conversation is heard for the duration on the pause but totally unintelligible. Some seems to be in a foreign language.
Male 2: This frequency is in use. This frequency is in use. [short pause]
Male 1: Do you copy? Do you copy?
Male 2: [Distantly] You’ll have to stand by, I can’t get through this conversation– [referring to the Off frequency chatter]
[medium pause]
Male 2: The frequency is in use. The frequency is in use. Over.
Male 1: Do you copy? Do you copy?
Male 2: [much stronger signal, off frequency chatter drops off] The frequency is in use. The frequency is in use. You’re talking over the top of my conversation. [pause] Do you copy? Over.
Male 1: Roger, roger, roger. Do you copy?
Male 2: WA6JHA, and I’ve been using this frequency. I’m talking to an agricultural mission in South America, and I cannot get through the conversation on, uh, this end, over?
[pause]
Male 2: WB6MID [unintelligible, includes WA6JHA call] Do you copy, over?
Male 1: Roger, roger, roger. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger. Uh, I hope I can keep the clear frequency for a while. Really can’t hear you at all when this other party cuts in. Uh, the last I got was a Copeland Compressor, zero Sierra Alpha Lima.
Male 1: Roger. Dash zero zero seven five. Do you copy?
Male 2: Dash zero zero seven five.
Male 1: Dash one, A as in Alpha, B as in Baker, dash zero zero one. Do you copy?
Male 2: [off frequency chatter  starts up again] Dash, uh, one Alpha Baker dash zero zero one.
Male 1: Roger. The next item is a Henry Dri-Cor [unintelligible due to fading and off frequency chatter ] Do you copy?
Male 2: Negative copy.
Male 1: [faintly] Next item, next item. Do you copy?
Male 2: I copy next item.
Male 1: Henry, the name is Henry. Do you copy?
Male 2: Negative copy. Try again.
Male 1: Henry, the name is Henry. Do you copy?
Male 2: Henry.
Male 1: Dri-Cor– D– R– I, dash, C– O– R. Do you copy?
Male 2: Henry Dri-Cor.
Male 1: Filter dryer. Do you copy?
Male 2: Uh, I copy Henry Dri-Cor dryer.
Male 1: Filter dryer, filter dryer.
Male 2: Filter dryer.
Male 1: Roger. The number is H as in Hotel, zero eight two. Do you copy?
Male 2: H as in Hotel, zero– ah– I copy H zero.
Male 1: Eight two. H zero eight two.
Male 2: Hotel zero eight two.
Male 1: Roger. The next item is a temperature control switch. Do you copy?
Male 2: Temperature control switch.
Male 1: Roger. The maker is White Rogers– White dash Roger. Do you copy?
Male 2: I did not copy the first word before Rogers.
Male 1: White– W– H– I– T– E– White.
Male 2: White?
Male 1: Roger. Type one six zero nine, dash– [pause] Stand by.
[Faintly and off frequency, a voice is heard asking if the frequency is in use.]
Male 2: The frequency is in use, the frequency is in use. A clear frequency would be appreciated, over.
[short pause]
Male 1: Did you copy type one six zero nine?
Male 2: White one six zero nine.
Male 1: [Unintelligible] White– the maker is White dash Roger . Do you copy?
Male 2: White dash Roger.
Male 1: Roger. And then type one six zero nine. Do you copy?
Male 2: One six zero nine.
Male 1: Roger. Dash one six zero one. Do you copy?
Male 2: Dash one six zero one. Stand by.
[pause]
[Faintly and off frequency, a voice is heard asking if the frequency is in use.]
Male 1: Roger, roger. The frequency’s in use. Thanks for checking.
[Not hearing Male 1, the voice proceeds to call for WA4KAU– who presumably answers, telling the caller to move to a new frequency, chatter follows]
Male 2: The frequency is in use, the frequency is in use. A clear frequency would be appreciated, please. This is W6YAIA.
Male 1: Do you copy?
Male 2: Say again.
Male 1: Uh, do you copy?
Male 2: Could you get me a count please?
Male 1: 1– 2– 3– 4–5. Do you copy?
Male 2: [The speaker has moved off frequency, but is still understandable] Roger.
Male 1: [faintly] All right. How’s that? That’ll [unintelligible] a little bit better. Condenser fans. Condenser fans. Do you copy? Uh, how do you copy now? Is that any better?
Male 2: Try [unintelligible word].
Male 1: Condenser fans. Condenser fans. Do you copy?
Male 2: Nah, give me another count, please.
Male 1: 1– 2– 3– 4– 5– 6– 7– 8– 9– 10. Do you copy?
Male 2: [back on frequency] Roger. the last thing I got was temperature control switch. White dash Roger  one six zero nine.
Male 1: [off frequency] Dash one six zero nine– that’s one six zero nine dash one–
Male 2: [Over the top of Male 1, who continues to relay unintelligible numbers] Roger, I copy the one six zero one with the end of it.
Male 1: The next item, the next item. Do you copy? [pause] Condenser fans, condenser fans. Do you copy?
Male 2: Condenser. I did not copy the word after condenser.
Male 1: Fans. Fans. Frank, Alpha, Nancy, Sierra. Do you copy?
[A voice is heard saying, ‘this frequency is in use’ twice]
Male 2: Fans. Roger, go ahead.
[Both signals growing weak]
Male 1: The blades are eight inches, the blades are eight inches, and [sounds like, ‘they are two of the fans]– there are two eight inch fans. Do you copy?
Male 2: Two eight inch fans.
Male 1: Roger. The next item, next item. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger, go ahead.
Male 1: They are circulating fans inside of a freezer, circulating fans inside of a freezer. Do you copy?
Male 2: Circulating fans inside freezer.
Male 1: Roger. Two five-inch blades, two five-inch blades. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger. Five inch blades, two each.
Male 1: Roger. We cannot– [unintelligible word]– no number, we cannot get the number.
Male 2: Roger.
Male 1: All right, that concludes the parts for the freezer. The next parts will be for a refrigerator. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger, next part refrigerator.
Male 1: Roger, this is a Tyler refrigerator. Do you copy?
Male 2: Tyler re– Tyler refrigerator.
Male 1: Roger. The unit model number, the unit model number is C as in Charlie, A as in Alpha, T as in Tango. Do you copy?
Male 2: I copy model number Charlie Alpha.
Male 1: Tango, tango. C– A– T–  Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger. C– A– T.
Male 1: 3– 4– 1– 1– T as in Tango, K as in Kilowatt. Do you copy?
Male 2: 3– 4– 1– 1– T as in Tango, K as in Kilowatt.
Male 1: Roger. And the maker is Tango, Echo, Charlie, United, Mary, Sierra, Echo, Hotel. Do you copy?
Male 2: Tecumseh. Is that right?
Male 1: Spell me. Did you copy my spelling?
Male 2: Roger, T– E– C– U– M– S– E– H.
Male 1: Roger. The fan – this is for the fan now – is a G– E– General Electric. Do you copy?
Male 2: Fan, General Electric.
Male 1: Five, K as in Kilowatt, S as in Sierra. Do you copy?
Male 2: Five Kilowatt Sierra.
Male 1: P as in Papa, five one. Do you copy?
Male 2: Negative copy.
Male 1: P as in Philadelphia five one, Philadelphia five one. Do you copy?
Male 2: Philadelphia five one. Is that all one number, General Electric five Kilo– Kilowatt Sierra Philadelphia five one?
Male 1: Roger, roger, and here’s the rest of it. Alpha, Charlie, one zero one five four. Do you copy?
Male 2: Alpha Charlie one zero one five four.
Male 1: Roger, the blades are eight inches. And there was one fan– The blade is eight inch and there is one fan.
Male 2: Roger.
Male 1: [unintelligible word] That’s all the numbers you need off the refrigerator, that’s the unit model number– the unit model number– will be sufficient. That is all that is needed for that refrigerator. Do you copy?
Male 2: Negative copy. Say again.
Male 1: The unit model number, the unit model number. Do you copy?
Male 2: Unit model number. Are you talking about the fan still?
Male 1: Yeah, the first number I gave you , the C– that began with C– A– T. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger.
Male 1: That is all you need. That is the whole unit. That is the whole refrigerating unit. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger.
Male 1: All right, that’s all of that I have. Stand by. [short pause] All right, will you pass this information on to Dell, pass this information on to Dell. Do you copy?
Male 2: Pass it on to De– Roger.
Male 1: Louise’s sister– this is Louise’s sister’s license number. Do you copy?
Male 2: Louise’s sister’s license number.
Male 1: Roger. Echo two five eight seven seven five. The number is Echo two five eight seven seven five. Do you copy?
Male 2: Echo two five eight seven seven five.
[pause]
Male 1: All right, the– the license is under Louise’s sister’s name. Do you copy?
Male 2: Under Louise’s sister’s name.
Male 1: All right, the address is si – is one six six four Page, one six six four Page.  Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger. One six six four Page.
Male 1: Roger. The address was changed from two nine three nine Asbury Avenue, Berkeley. Do you copy?
Male 2: Two nine three nine Asbury Avenue, Berkeley.
Male 1: Roger, you copied it– that there was– address was changed from the last one you gave me.
Male 2: [very faintly] Roger, the address was changed from the Berkeley to the [unintelligible] address.
Male 1: Roger. Next thing. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger.
Male 1: Gloria R. and Josh are the next ones to come. Do you copy?
Male 2: Negative copy.
Male 1: Gloria R. and Josh are the next ones to come. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger, Gloria R. and Josh next to come.
Male 1: Have them get ready now. Do you copy?
Male 2: Roger. Have them get ready now.
Male 1: Josh is to get with J.R. or Martha. Do you copy?
Male 2: Negative copy.
Male 1: He– Josh is to get with J.R. or Martha. Do you copy?
Male 2: Josh get with J.R. or Martha.
Male 1: He is to bring bills of lading. Do you copy?
Male 2: Bring bills of lading. Roger.
Male 1: For the freight shipment. Do you copy?
Male 2: For the freight shipment. Stand by.
[drawn out pause, other conversations audible]
Male 2: W6YIW [?] and TY8TV3.
[Continued pause with other conversations still audible]
[New, female voice now picks up conversation with Male 1]
Female 1: On the bills of lading, on the bills of lading, uh, are you talking about for the second shipment, over? [pause]
Male 1: Bring ‘em for both of them. Do you copy?
Female 1: You said bring both those [unintelligible] for the first shipment too. You should have received that long ago, over.
Male 1: All right, well, they did not say that we [several unintelligible words] high priority, that you must bring them. Do you copy?
Female 1: Uh, repeat, repeat. Negative copy.
Male 1: They did not specify for first or second– They did not specify for first or second– they said that this is a high priority– it is a high priority and you must bring them. Do you copy? [pause] Did you copy?
Female 1: Roger, we copy, we copy. Stand by.
[pause]
[Another new female picks up the conversation]
Female 2: Ah, this is W6Y8RA TY8 [or TYA?] TV3. Do you copy? over?
Male 1: Roger, roger.
Female 2: Okay, uh, uh, Tom here is incapable of handling the traffic, he feels, so could you give it to me, over?
Male 1: Roger. Okay, um, answer to the question on NAACP. Do you copy?
Female 2: Uh, roger, roger. We just got an answer to that, we just got off the phone. Thank you.
Male 1: All right, the next thing is a message to Dexter about the antenna. Do you copy?
Female 2: Ah– We just got the answer to that too, over.
Male 1: Uh– Did you get the answer that no on Williams’ call to Baily?
Female 2: That what?
Male 1: No on Williams’ call to Baily?
Female 2: Roger.
Male 1: Did you get the message about Sam writing a statement for the [unintelligible]?
Female 2: Roger.
Male 1: Did you get the message about the boat?
Female 2: [Speaking over the top of Male 1, making part of his sentence unintelligible] Roger. Roger.
Male 1: Did you get okay on Bob Canazda (phonetic spelling)?
Female 2: Ah– I think so, but let me see what you got, over.
Male 1: All we have is okay on Bob Canazda.
Female 2: [speaking over Male 1 again] Yeah, okay, I understand. Over.
Male 1: Did you get the message about the laundromat?
Female 2: No.
Male 1: It said, on the– on the laundromat, see if you can negotiate a better deal than what you can– to Mac. Do you copy?
Female 2: Okay, negotiate to get a good deal. Is that what you said? And it goes to Mac, over.
Male 1: A better deal, a better deal. Do what you can.
Female 2: Okay.
Male 1: Did you get the messages for Sharon about Baily?
Female 2: Roger. Her, uh, call in regards to an interview. Is that right?
Male 1: Roger.
Female 2: Yeah, I got it.
Male 1: That’s all we have.
Female 2: [Unintelligible] It’s really been a pleasure doing traffic with you, so you’re sure that’s all, over?
Male 1: That’s all. Do you have any?
Female 2: Ah, the only thing I have is that Judy wants to know– what type of fetal monitoring, uh, device, she’s supposed to look into. She said there were two kinds at General Hospital, a small one and then a larger one, and to ask Joyce what kind, over?
[pause]
Male 1: You say, they wanna know what type of fetal monitoring device to look into, ‘cause there’s two types. A large one and a small one?
Female 2: [faintly] Roger.
Male 1: Do you have any more details than that?
Female 2: No, I don’t, but I think, uh, Joyce will know what she means, over.
Male 1: Roger.
Female 2: Also, um, in talking to Dexter. Uh, he’s gonna try and come as soon as possible. The only problem is, uh, shipping the large, uh, crates with the antenna and the, uh, tower, we’re gonna try and get on a– on a special deal, but that’s what’s gonna take the time. Do you copy?
Male 1: Roger.
Female 2: [signal fades badly] Also, he wanted to know if there was one– a rotator in town, um– You can ask him. It’s about an extra hundred and twenty dollars, but it sounds like it’s a good idea, ‘cause then they can rotate from between where I am to where you are and talk to both. Over.
Male 1: Roger. We’ll ask, but I doubt if you’ll find anything like that in town.
Female 2: You mean, find one here?
Male 1: No, there– Where MaryRuth is.
Female 2: Sorry, negative copy.
Male 1: Whu– do you want– do you want them to look in, in– where MaryRuth is if they can find a rotator there, or do you want, uh, Clarence or Dexter to get one?
Female 2: No, I was talking about Dexter getting one here. He wants to know if they want one, it would be a good idea, ‘cause that way they could switch between talking to me and talking to you. Over.
Male 1: [fading] All right, well, they left off– they left– you know, they left that up to you whether or not you thought, you know, you have better– [unintelligible] if it was necessary.
Female 2: Okay, well– our opinion he– here is that it would be necessary and a good idea, um, convenient for the office if he could stay in one place, and uh, talk to dif– two different locations, over.
Male 1: Roger, we copy. [pause] Do you have any other traffic?
Female 2: Uh, stand by a minute. [long pause] Um– Al , we have no further traffic. I heard there was a question that, uh, Sandy’s brother was talking to, uh, people that were not of the same religion that he is, and, uh, I talked to him and there’s nothing to be concerned about. He’s only talked to one young woman who has been to his church [unintelligible] a couple times, and wants to attend his church, over.
Male 1: Who’s concerned?
Female 2: I don’t know. There was a message that came over the, uh, phone that uh, somebody was concerned that he was, um, visiting people of a different religion, uh– you know how strict his family is with their religion, over.
Male 1: Roger.
Female 2: But uh, he’s only talking to uh, another Mormon girl and– you know [unintelligible] going to the same um, Mormon tabernacle that she is, over.
Male 1: Roger.
[pause]
Female 2: Okay, we don’t have any more traffic, over.
Male 1: [distantly] Uh, do you know when the second shipment will leave?
Female 2: [very distant, degraded signal strength] Um– well– Considering it’s still being packed, I don’t know uh– I just [unintelligible string of words] things have been requested– purchased and pack ‘em, so– uh, I can’t tell you definitely what day [unintelligible string of words], over.
Male 1: [very faint] All right, roger. [Unintelligible word] We don’t have anything else.
Female 2: Okay, uh, I guess uh, we can say 73’s– [signal drops to almost undetectable]  [unintelligible] W6YIA/TY8TV3, off and clear.

This portion of the recording comes to an end near position 407 on the tape counter. Light static crashes and, off frequency mumbles and even distinct voices of other hams can be heard intermittently.
The recorded portion of the tape ends at approximately 428 on the tape counter, and the remainder of side 1 is blank.

Side 2 blank
Jonestown Audiotape Primary Project

Tape Number FCC 3

FCC Listing

000-0059G 4/30/77, Tape 7
177-0114G, Copy
354-0128G

Date: 30 April 1977

Summary:

This is an audio recording made by – or provided by - an unknown private party to the Federal Communications Commission. It was used as part of the agency’s investigation of Peoples Temple amateur radio transmissions to determine whether the Temple was violating its licenses by conducting business or engaging in other prohibited activities. The conversation takes place between Temple operators in San Francisco and in Jonestown, Guyana.

This tape was made during the construction of Jonestown, before much of the leadership – and before any of the general membership of Peoples Temple – began its final migration to Guyana. During the first half of the tape, the male at the Guyana end (likely Albert Touchette, the holder of the license in Guyana) places an order for units and parts of refrigeration equipment, with specific model numbers.

About halfway through the tape, the Guyana male names several people as “the next ones to come.” They also have additional instructions, such as to “bring bills of lading … for the freight shipment.” There are several single question exchanges – “Did you get the message about the boat? … Did you get the message about the laundromat?” – which suggest the use of code, since on many of these, there is little elaboration.

Most of the names are unfamiliar, and are also likely in code. The Peoples Temple code books which the editors of this website have located do not include any of the names. However, it is likely that the codes were changed periodically, and the subjects of interest in the known codes books – including custody battles and lawsuits – are ones that did not affect Jonestown at the time of this recording. One name – Dexter – appears on several tapes made during this period, adding more weight to the supposition that these names are in an older code.

Two names are used which might not be in code, however. At one point, the conversation turns to medical equipment, and the San Francisco operator says “Joyce will know what she means.” There were two women named Joyce who were with the Jonestown medical staff – Joyce Rozynko and Joyce Parks – and the reference is likely to one of them.

Secondly, one of the people at the San Francisco end addresses the male at the Guyana end as “Al”, suggesting that Al Touchette is in fact operating the radio in Jonestown.

This tape was transcribed by Josef Dieckman. The editors gratefully acknowledge his invaluable assistance.
Summary courtesy of Fielding McGehee III
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