{"conversationCode":"003-161","tapeNumber":3,"conversationNumber":161,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-003-161","startDateTime":"1971-05-28T01:14:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-05-28T01:16:00.000Z","startDate":"27-May-1971","startTime":"9:14 PM","endDate":"27-May-1971","endTime":"9:16 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Goldenson, Leonard H.;","description":"On May 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Leonard H. Goldenson talked on the telephone from 9:14 pm to 9:16 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-161 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":1,"chronRelease":"First Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"5-Oct-1999","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 003-161\n\nDate: May 27, 1971\nTime: 9:14 pm - 9:16 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with Leonard H. Goldenson.\n\n     Goldenson's location\n\n     John A. Scali's work\n\n     A cable television matter\n          -Charles W. Colson\n          -Goldenson's meeting with President\n\n     Goldenson's location\n          -Dana Ashley\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n     Scali's work\n           -Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] announcement\n\n     American Broadcasting Company [ABC] News\n         -Reporting on President\n         -Harry Reasoner and Howard K. Smith\n\n     Network news reporting\n         -President's response\n         -White House staff response\n         -President's press conferences\n\n     Goldenson's health","filename":["003-161.mp3"],"tapeStart":"03:50:16","tapeEnd":"03:52:44","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Goldenson, Leonard H."],"prevCode":"003-160","nextCode":"003-162","transcript":[{"start":0.03,"end":0.49,"text":"Hello?"},{"start":1.03,"end":2.03,"text":"Mr. Goldenson, sir."},{"start":2.53,"end":7.42,"text":"I found you were in the hospital, but I thought I could tell you that first two things."},{"start":7.44,"end":11.72,"text":"One, how grateful I am for the fine job John Scali is doing in telling you."},{"start":11.94,"end":12.32,"text":"Oh, good."},{"start":12.35,"end":12.87,"text":"I'm delighted."},{"start":12.88,"end":22.88,"text":"Second, that I've talked to Colson, and I think that we have that other matter involving that cable thing pretty much on the track at the moment."},{"start":23.08,"end":23.54,"text":"Oh, good."},{"start":23.66,"end":26.46,"text":"I think he has been in touch with you, but I've..."},{"start":27.01,"end":30.9,"text":"After our conversation, I told him to watch it closely."},{"start":31.7,"end":32.06,"text":"Fine."},{"start":32.38,"end":34.5,"text":"Are you in just for something, just a checkup?"},{"start":34.78,"end":36.23,"text":"Oh, fine, fine."},{"start":36.25,"end":40.21,"text":"Oh, they can't, you're too tough for anything to happen."},{"start":40.23,"end":43.1,"text":"And the main thing is not to do what the doctor says, not everything."},{"start":43.6,"end":47.08,"text":"Otherwise, you know, you live long, but you won't enjoy it."},{"start":47.06,"end":51.49,"text":"Dana actually up here, he's up here every year for a checkup."},{"start":51.51,"end":52.59,"text":"Oh, he's right, he's right."},{"start":52.93,"end":58.08,"text":"Then just do about 80% of what he says, but the other 20% enjoy it, huh?"},{"start":58.22,"end":58.4,"text":"Right."},{"start":58.42,"end":60.08,"text":"Tell him that's what I said, will you?"},{"start":60.1,"end":61.68,"text":"Well, I certainly shall."},{"start":61.74,"end":63.12,"text":"I'm delighted on Scali."},{"start":63.24,"end":66.79,"text":"He's a good man, and I was hopeful that he could do a great job for you."},{"start":66.83,"end":67.73,"text":"He's doing a great job."},{"start":67.75,"end":69.29,"text":"He's been very helpful in this."},{"start":69.27,"end":74.28,"text":"When we had this breakthrough on the arms limitation assault, he was very good."},{"start":74.36,"end":78.39,"text":"And there are other things coming along where he'll be just indispensable."},{"start":78.59,"end":79.71,"text":"Yes."},{"start":79.73,"end":80.94,"text":"Well, I'm delighted."},{"start":80.96,"end":83.38,"text":"And thank you very much on the other matter."},{"start":83.46,"end":84.48,"text":"All right."},{"start":84.5,"end":86.47,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":86.45,"end":91.98,"text":"I keep listening to our news people, and I think they treat you very nicely."},{"start":92,"end":93.74,"text":"Oh, I have no complaints."},{"start":93.86,"end":96.14,"text":"Harry Reisner is coming through beautifully."},{"start":96.24,"end":98.09,"text":"Yeah, he's a very fine objective."},{"start":98.11,"end":99.69,"text":"And, of course, Howard always has been."},{"start":99.99,"end":101.57,"text":"Well, Howard's a good, strong man."},{"start":102.63,"end":105.04,"text":"And as a matter of fact, you know, you've got to have balance."},{"start":105.92,"end":108.98,"text":"Sometimes somebody comes in, gee, look what this guy says to the rest."},{"start":109.08,"end":110.43,"text":"I don't care what network it is."},{"start":110.99,"end":112.43,"text":"I tell them, well, keep your cool."},{"start":112.53,"end":114.09,"text":"Look, we just..."},{"start":114.07,"end":120.22,"text":"particularly when I have the opportunity, like on Tuesday, I'm going to have a press conference, and I do about one a month."},{"start":120.8,"end":125.5,"text":"My goodness, when I go on at prime time, that has an enormous impact."},{"start":125.62,"end":126.53,"text":"Oh, there's no question."},{"start":126.55,"end":129.75,"text":"You fellows give us that, what can we complain about, right?"},{"start":130.81,"end":136.46,"text":"I think you're handling yourself in those press conferences very well, and I think you've come through exceedingly well."},{"start":136.57,"end":141.68,"text":"Well, I just hope, Leonard, you're feeling okay, and as I say, don't do everything the doctor says."},{"start":141.74,"end":142.68,"text":"It'll be very dull."},{"start":142.88,"end":142.98,"text":"Okay."},{"start":142.96,"end":144.86,"text":"That's what I tell my doctor."},{"start":145.35,"end":146.18,"text":"Okay, bye."},{"start":146.2,"end":147.47,"text":"Thank you very much."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon called ABC executive Leonard Goldenson to express his gratitude for the performance of John Scali and to confirm that Charles Colson was managing a pending cable television issue. The two discussed the importance of balanced network news coverage, with Nixon expressing satisfaction with ABC’s reporting and his own press conference strategy. Nixon also checked on Goldenson’s health during his hospital stay and encouraged him to maintain a positive outlook.","topics":["John Scali","ABC News","Charles Colson","Cable television","Press conferences","Media relations"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-05T21:35:15.162Z"},"topicSlugs":["john-scali","abc-news","charles-colson","cable-television","press-conferences","media-relations"],"audioDurationSec":147,"audioFiles":[{"file":"003-161.mp3","bytes":1729628,"durationSec":147.43,"bitrate":93855,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:20.571Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:42:33.609Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/003-161.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-161","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/3/conversation-003-161","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}