European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 8, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Legislators urge end to Nasa cheer leading Cape canaveral fid. Up Congress must Slop Check leading Tor Nasa and increase is oversight of the emf titled Agency in the Wake of tic space shuttle challenger disaster congressional lenders said Friday. Twee member of inc House science and technology Commilee visited the Kennedy space Center Friday for briefings in a prelude to hearings thai Cpin tuesday to review the Rogers commission report on i he Accident which will be released monday i Hope that the Congress will perform n greater Check and balance on Nasa in the future rep. Robert Walker of Pennsylvania said at a news conference after the committee members viewed shuttle wreckage. I think Congress can perform a very valuable function in making Nasa come Forward with a More in dip Gies some  children a demons ration of his tiler. Fred from Tiiu p " let i i us Aner Kui the falling value of the Dollar against the japanese yen the Dollar also usually ii falling against the German Mark. That Means the euro Pean edition could not come to the Rescue. If the european paper could afford a transfusion of fund in could be done under present regulation they added. Dod official Laid a study to begin Early in fiscal 19b7 will look at consolidation. The Gao report recommended thai the Secretary of defense direct that the study begin As soon us possible address Consolida Tion and be reported to him. One Issue that did not surface in the re port was How a merger would affect the paper s editorial Freedom. How we a sin Gle stars and stripes edited a the United Stales be kept free of Washington political influence defense officials asked. The report request y welfare and recreation panel of Lue House armed services committee sought ways to reduce appropriated fund support of the papers that has grown from s3.7 million in 1977 10 Aboul s9 million in 1984. The european edition received a subsidy of Mare than 11,5 million in 1984 by being allowed to use official mail to distribute the paper outside Germany the report Laid. The Pacific c Litun received about ii. 1 Mil lion to pay japanese employees. The Issue of Las Dollar Tupp Orl boils Down to a difference of opinion Over what kind of organizations inc papers Are the report said. The Gao considers the papers 10 be mar resale Ali Vilics which should make do with a minimum of appropriated funds. The Dod position is thai the papers Are operational Mission activities in heir role of in fanning the troops in the euro Pean and Pacific commands and Are entitled to some appropriated support. The advertising Issue stemmed from complaints that the papers were competing unfairly with the private sector. The papers earned Al million from advertising in 1984, the Lait year for which figures were Avail Able during the Gao s nine month study about a dozen publishers in Europe and the Pacific have voiced concern that the stars and stripes advertises Brand names and prices and charges less than Commer Cial publications can the report said. Defense officials say commercial and stars and stripes advertising Are complementary. Manufacturers advertise in commercial publications to build Brand awareness. Tie in changes advertise in the stare and stripes to Alert shoppers to product availability. The report said that if the newspaper operations had been merged in 1984, the savings would have been 12.5 million. It said relocating most of the editorial operations to the United states would eliminate the need to pay More than 600,000 a year in living quarters allowance and ruling the Price of the european edition from 15 Cunti to 25 menu a Day would add $3.3 million to Revenue. The weekday Price of the Pacific paper a 25 cent. Defense officials responded that employee l state d have to be paid is. Wages which probably would equal the salaries plus allowances they earn overseas. They said that the Gao used data from a 1917 defense audit serv ice study to estimate Cost savings and that a fresh in depth study would be a cried. The Gao study envisioned As one possibility a single edition of the stars and stripes edited in the United Stiles with images of the pates cent to printing plants overseas by satellite. To retain the local flavor of the papers a staff of reporters could be kept in the commands overseas. The papers could be distributed by Road rail and air As they arc today. A single edition could in till a Cost in timeliness for some readers especially in the Pacific the report said. But it said that readers also have Oiher news sources including inc armed forces radio and Tele vision network and that some inconvenience May be necessary in an Era of Federal government balt tight Ching. Defense officials replies thai in proposal would seriously hamper the european and Pacific commanders ability to conduct their separate internal information pro Grams especially involving curtises and other regional political issues. They said that one paper no matter Haw Well edited could nol serve readers in two parts of the world As Well As two papers. The news of a terrorist attack on the Frankfurt Airport or the picketing of a cruise missile Silt in the . Bears an entirely different value for european com Mand member than in would for someone serving in the Pacific their response said. The european paper prints three editions Wilh a total circulation of about 130,000 daily primarily in Germany the United kingdom. Belgium the Netherlands Greece Leary spin and Turkey. The Pacific paper has m editions with a total circulation of about 40,000 a Day mostly in Japan Okinawa the philippine Korea and Guam. The european edition had Gross Revenue of Aboul a million in 19w. Whip tic Profic edition had about 116 million tic papers themselves Ion about 5.7 million the losses Wen overcame by Revenue Tram latest of boots and Magazine on military Potts overseas