Conversation No. 464-24

Date: March 9, 1971
Time: 4:05 pm - 5:34 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with William S. Paley, Frank Stanton, John A. Schneider, Richard W. Jencks,
Robert D. Wood, Richard S. Salant, Herbert G. Klein, Charles W. Colson, and Ronald L.
Ziegler; photographers were present at the beginning of the meeting
[Discontinuities exist in the original recording]

     President’s schedule
     Greetings

     Arrangements for photographs

     Fire in fireplace

     Topics for discussion

     President’s meetings with network executives
          -Agenda
          -President’s previous meeting with newspaper editors
          -Agenda
          -President’s relationship with the media

     Television
          -President’s press conferences
                -President’s televised interviews
                      -Commentary
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               -President’s view
     -Frequency of President’s television appearances
          -Possible future appearances
               -Network coverage

President’s televised interviews
     -Networks
           -[Forename unknown] Davidson                    Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
           -Howard K. Smith
     -Format
           -President’s view
                 -Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
     -Edited tapes compared with live appearance
     -An American Broadcasting Company [ABC] interview in March
           -President’s appearance
     -Format
           -President’s view
                 -Network concerns
           -Compared with East Room press conferences
                 -Number of reporters present

President’s press conferences
     -Time of airing
     -Location
           -Oval Office
           -Old State Department building [Old Executive Office Building]
                 -”Indian Treaty Room”
           -Networks’ views

President’s televised interviews
     -Smith
           -Foreign policy
     -Cronkite
           -Domestic policy
     -Format

Campaign spending bill
    -Hugh Scott and John O. Pastore’s proposals regarding media
         -Spending limitations
    -A previous bill
         -Veto
              -Reasons
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-Limitations
      -President’s view
      -Implementation
-Television networks
      -Free time
-Government’s role
-Spending limitations
      -Various election races                           Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
-Presidential and Congressional candidates
      -Incumbency
            -Advantages
      -Networks’ position
            -Comprehensive bill
            -Robert J. Dole
-Equal time
      -Splinter parties
            -Possible problems
            -New York
                  -Role of networks
            -Likelihood in 1972 Presidential election
                  -Possible solution
                  -George C. Wallace
-Administration’s view
      -Scott’s efforts
            -Television broadcasting
      -Provisions
            -Enforcement
            -Effect
      -Fairness
      -Colson’s efforts
-Possible outcome
-An unknown event
      -Scott and Dole
            -Legislation
-Restrictions
      -Enforcement
      -President’s position
      -Corporations, individuals, unions
            -Implementation
      -Committees
            -Political Action Committees
            -Non-profit committees
                                       48

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                      -Pure Water Committee example
          -President’s position
     -Burden on candidates
          -Effect of expensive campaign
     -Restrictions
          -Individuals, unions, private lobbies
     -A news story
          -Campaign donations                            Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
     -Possible provisions

Fairness doctrine
     -Union support compared with other support
           -Financial spending
     -1968 Presidential election
           -Wallace
     -Political events
     -President’s State of the Union address
           -Black Congressmen
                 -Edward W. Brooke
                 -Networks’ position
     -Television commercials
           -Cigarettes
           -Detergents
           -Peace
           -Chevron gasoline in California
           -Alcoholism
           -Pharmaceuticals
     -President’s position
           -Executive privilege
           -Application of equal time
                 -Networks
           -Federal employees
     -Environmentalists
           -Public view
                 -Perception
           -Industrialism
                 -Nature
           -Industry efforts
                 -Automobile example
           -Cost and benefit analysis
           -Possible effect of equal time
     -Possible network action
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      -Enforcement
      -President’s suggestion
      -Campaign compared to social issues
      -Effect
            -Minorities
-Liberal commentators
-Possible effect
-Possible network action                                Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
      -Public perception
            -Women’s liberation
            -Congressional Black Caucus
      -Possible letters
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC]
      -Nicholas Johnson
-Commercials
      -FCC
      -A court ruling
      -Administration position
-Public service
      -Anti-pollution
            -New York City environmental commissioner
                  -FCC
      -Ralph Nader’s Raiders
      -Columbia Broadcasting System’s [CBS] record
            -Public programs
      -Possible network action
            -President’s view
-Station license renewals
      -Challenges
            -Effect
            -Dean Burch
                  -The President’s instructions
-Television and newspapers
      -Richard E. (“Dick”) Berlin
-Current situation
      -Causes
            -Minorities
            -Johnson
-Attempts at Congressional or FCC action
      -Purpose
-Colson
      -President’s instructions
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     -Burch and FCC
          -Private enterprise aspect
     -American television
          -Variety
     -FCC licensing policy
          -President’s view
          -Radio
                -California                                    Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
                      -Bakersfield and Los Angeles
                            -Number of radio stations
     -Radio
          -Future use by President
                -Forthcoming speakers
          -Compared with television news coverage
          -KCBS, KNX, KFWB, KFI
          -President’s recollection of a Los Angeles station
                -Earle C. Anthony
                -Don Lee
                -KHJ, KNX, KFI
          -Anthony’s station
                -Burbank

Colleges
     -Berkeley
     -University of Southern California [USC]
          -Football team
                -A Notre Dame game
                -A Nebraska game
     -A Nebraska - Louisiana State University [LSU] football game
          -An unidentified fullback or Fulbright
     -Notre Dame
          -Football team
     -USC
          -John McKay
          -Anthony Davis

Television
     -Domestic satellites
           -Networks’ position on FCC
           -Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead
           -Value
                -Costs
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                          -American Telephone and Telegraph [AT&T]
                     -Technology
                -Bureaucratic problems
                -Whitehead
                -Approaches
                     -Communications Satellite Corporation [COMSAT]
                     -Western Union
                     -Networks’ position                         Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
                          -FCC action
                          -Public utilities
                     -COMSAT
                     -Globe Com [?]
                     -AT&T
                -Value and quality of photos from satellites
                -Canadian experience

     Cable television [CATV]
          -CBS’s holdings
          -FCC ruling
                -CBS’s divestiture
                      -New York Stock Exchange action
          -Impact
          -Governmental policy
                -FCC
                      -Regulations
                      -Burch
                      -Formulation of Administration’s position
          -Office of Telecommunications Policy
                -Whitehead
                -Staff
          -FCC
                -Compared with other commissions
                      -Federal Trade Commission [FTC]
                      -Federal Power Commission [FPC]
                -President’s Advisory Council on Executive Organization
                      -John B. Connally
                      -Walter N. Thayer
                -Networks
                      -Employees

[An unknown portion of the conversation was not recorded while the tape was changed]
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     -Cost
          -Public utilities
     -Public television compared with private enterprise
          -A boxing match
          -Super Bowl
          -Public interest

Media                                                      Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
    -Private enterprise aspect of television and radio
          -Government regulation
               -President’s view
                      -Networks’ efforts
               -Campaign spending bill
          -Effect
          -FCC role
               -FCC commissioners
               -President’s view
          -Government role
               -Compared with wage and price controls
                      -Public opinion

Golf course

Wage and price controls
    -Public opinion
         -Businessmen
         -Unions
         -US Steel
         -Fred Borch [?]
         -Chairman of General Motors
         -George Meany
         -World War II experience
                -Enforcement problems
    -Prospects
    -Effect on economy

Television
     -Public interest aspect
     -Government regulation
           -Compared with newspapers and radio
                 -Los Angeles
     -Public service aspect
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           -Compared with medical profession
                 -Problems
     -Private enterprise aspect
     -President’s view
           -Needs
           -Expansion
     -Public service aspect
           -Campaigns                                       Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
                 -Fairness doctrine and equal time
                       -President’s position
                             -Previous statement
     -Commercials
           -President’s position
           -Courts

Supreme Court
     -Warren E. Burger, Potter Stewart, Harry A. Blackmun, John M. Harlan, Byron R.
           (“Whizzer”) White
           -Possible views
     -William J. Brennan, Jr.

Television
     -Private enterprise aspect
           -Fairness doctrine
           -Wage and price controls
           -Network relations with stations
           -England, France, India
     -President’s position
           -Networks’ support
           -Follow-up
                 -Colson
                 -Whitehead and staff
                 -Burch
     -Burch
           -Tenure
           -Networks’ view
           -Possible future
           -Barry M. Goldwater
           -Networks’ response
           -Possible meeting with President
           -Previous meeting with President
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     Quakers

     Astronauts
          -Television coverage
          -A splashdown attended by President
                -Frank Borman
                -Neil Armstrong
                -Cronkite                                              Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
                      -Interest
          -Meetings with students
                -Space program
          -Space program, Supersonic Transport [SST]

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:05 pm

     President’s schedule
          -John D. Ehrlichman and George P. Shultz

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:34 pm

     Astronauts
          -Meetings with students
                -Space program
                      -Benefits
          -Value of space program
                -Military position
                -President’s view
          -Borman
                -Future
          -Armstrong
          -Value of space program
                -Future exploration
                      -Mars
                -National spirit, spirit of exploration of New World
                -Shuttle program, exploration of Mars
                -National spirit

     SST
           -President’s position compared with editorial writers’
           -Value
                 -Speed of international travel
                 -Cost of development
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           -Job creation
           -Tax revenue increase
           -Increase in foreign trade
           -Role in transportation
                 -DC-3, DC-6; jets
           -Prospects for future
           -Speed of travel
                 -Europe, San Francisco                    Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)
           -National role in transportation
                 -Soviet Union
                 -United Kingdom
                 -Compared with space program
           -Future implications

US role in world
     -Youth
     -Vietnam, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, India
     -Space program
     -Isolationist feeling
           -Late 19th century
           -Current situation
     -Importance
     -Effect
     -Goals

Appreciation

Golf

Football
     -Notre Dame
           -Ara Parsegian
           -A quarterback
           -University of Miami
Presidential gifts
     -Golf balls
           -President’s golf
     -Cuff links
     -Wives, secretaries
     -Value

Goodbyes
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      President’s schedule
           -United States Information Agency [USIA] meeting

Paley, et al. left at 5:34 pm


                                                                      Conv. No. 464-24 (cont.)