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Conversation: 514-015

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Start Date: 8-Jun-1971 3:03 PM

End Date: 8-Jun-1971 4:34 PM

Participants:

Nixon, Richard M. (President)Goodman, JulianScott, Walter D.Adams, DavidErvin, Thomas E.Frank, ReuvenDurgin, DonaldKlein, Herbert G.Colson, Charles W.Ziegler, Ronald L.

Recording Device: Oval Office

Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 03:18:17

Full Tape Conversation End Time: 04:37:09

514a.mp3

514b.mp3

514c.mp3

NARA Description:

On June 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Julian Goodman, Walter D. Scott, David Adams, Thomas E. Ervin, Reuven Frank, Donald Durgin, Herbert G. Klein, Charles W. Colson, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:03 pm to 4:34 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 514-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid:

Conversation No. 514-15

Date: June 8, 1971
Time: 3:03 pm - 4:34 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Julian Goodman, Walter D. Scott, David Adams, Thomas E. Ervin,
Reuven Frank, Donald Durgin, Herbert G. Klein, Charles W. Colson, and Ronald L. Ziegler

     Introductions

     Contemporary stories
          -Travel
               -Getting to airports
          -Bridges

     Cable television
          -Effect on television’s future
          -Governmental involvement
                -Confusion with regulations
          -Problems
                -Coexistence with regular television
          -Set up
          -Foundation of cable television
                -Control
          -Creation of shows
          -Showing
                -Local versus national
          -Copyright problems
          -Technical breakthroughs
                -Advance in photography
                      -Dr. Edwin H. Land’s conversation with the President
                                            24

                         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                    Tape Subject Log
                                      (rev. 10/08)



******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National Security]
[Duration: 20s ]

    INTELLIGENCE
                                                                      Conv. No. 514-15 (cont.)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

******************************************************************************


                    -Reconnaissance
                          -Soviet Union, People’s Republic of China
                          -Arms control
                                -Verification
                          -Importance
                                -Suez Canal
                                      -Soviet missiles
    Administration’s policies
        -Business orientation
              -Anti-trust legislation
              -Regulations
        -Censorship
              -Attitudes
              -Government intervention
        -Regulation of television industry
              -Concerns
              -Federal Trade Commission [FTC] [?]
              -Attitude toward “big boys”
              -Quality of television
                    -Self-regulation
              -Political problems
              -Standard Oil suit
                    -Equal time
              -Federal Communications Commission [FCC] rule
                    -Equal time
                    -Quality of programming
                    -Confusion created
              -General attitude
              -Movie industry
                                       25

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/08)



          -Television advertising
                -Appeal
                -Government inquiry
                      -Possibility of stricter rules
                             -Standards
                      -Effect on industry
          -Children’s programs
                -Efforts at improvement                        Conv. No. 514-15 (cont.)
                      -Dean Burch
          -Climate in government
                -Distaste for networks’ “bigness”
          -Philosophical difference of government and industry
          -Burch
          -Robert Wells
          -Effect of rules on programming
                -Specials
                -Time element
                -Equal time restrictions
                      -Lack of flexibility
                -Lack of emphasis on broad audience
          -Product sales
          -Congressional view
                -Frank E. Moss bill
                      -Content
          -FCC general regulations
                -Reversals
                      -Misleading advertising penalties
                             -Effect on television

Minority/special interest pressure
    -Common Cause
           -John W. Gardner
    -Criteria for equal time
    -Equal time philosophy of networks
    -Black Caucus
    -Republican Group
    -Democratic National Committee [DNC]
           -FCC decision on additional time
                -Upcoming election spots and implications
                       -Howard K. Smith
                       -Barbara Walters
    -Cigarette commercial precedent
                                        26

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                Tape Subject Log
                                  (rev. 10/08)



     -Ecology group pressure
           -Legal standing
     -Presidential use of air time
           -Network handling of President’s time requests
     -Campaign problems
     -Third party candidates
           -George C. Wallace
                 -Television time                           Conv. No. 514-15 (cont.)
     -Regulatory problems
     -Equal time
           -Environmental concerns
     -Public interest
           -Defense
           -College attitude
           -Use of television
           -Changing nature of US public

Repression
     -Rights of press
           -Coverage of Congressional hearings
           -President’s efforts
           -Criticism of President
                 -Desire of networks
           -Judgement
           -Television criticism
                 -News programs
                      -Dependence of public
                      -Network goals
                 -Special interests
           -American Broadcasting Company [ABC]/Columbia Broadcasting System
                 [CBS] comments

Cooperation between National Broadcasting Company [NBC] and administration
    -Scheduling problems
          -Time preferences
    -Campaign problems
          -Equal time
               -Lyndon B. Johnson
               -Edmund S. Muskie
               -Hubert H. Humphrey use during campaign
    -Financial situation of networks
          -Obligations to schedule
                                               27

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)



                       -”Apollo” splashdown
           -Televising of President’s trips
                 -Confidentiality
                 -Helsinki
                 -Moscow
                       -Soviet cooperation
                 -Rome
                 -Planning of trips                             Conv. No. 514-15 (cont.)
                       -Upcoming schedule
                       -Confidentiality of trip announcement
                       -Golf
           -Bias of reporters
                 -William E. Brock, III
                 -James Hanson [?]
                 -Network view
           -Danger of bias
                 -Network criticism of President
                       -William S. Paley
                       -Frank J. Shakespeare
                       -Journalism as a skilled profession
                             -Need for criticism
                       -President’s debt to television

     Wedding
         -Weather
         -Television coverage
         -Timing

     Presentation of gifts
          -Cuff links
          -Golf memento
                -Donald McI. Kendall [?]
          -Gift for wives
          -John B. Connally
          -Tricia Nixon
          -Paperweight
                -Milton Friedman
          -President’s schedule
                -Previous lunch date with Lou Nichols

Goodman, et al. left at 4:34 pm
                                              28

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/08)