Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-152

Nixon phone call with Keyes on Television production and Media ratings

Tuesday, October 19, 1971 · 6:45 PM–6:47 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Keyes, Paul W.Conversation011-152 on Tape 11 (tape position 04:31:06–04:32:41)StartTuesday, October 19, 1971 at 6:45 PMEndTuesday, October 19, 1971 at 6:47 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 011-152 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon held a brief, informal check-in with television producer Paul W. Keyes to discuss the progress and ratings of his variety program. The two exchanged personal pleasantries and briefly recalled past shared experiences on the yacht 'Mojo.' Nixon expressed interest in future episodes, specifically requesting updates on an upcoming show featuring Liza Minnelli and a special 100th-episode milestone appearance by John 'Duke' Wayne, for which the President promised to send a congratulatory telegram.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Mr. Paul Keyes?
Yeah.
There you are.
Hello.
Hello, sir.
How are you?
Hi, Paul.
How's your program going?
Great, thank you.
Everything's going well?
Yes, sir.
We're up in the ratings, and that's...
That's the yardstick.
Right, right.
We were just taping a sketch about you, and somebody came in and said you were calling.
Is that right?
How are you?
Well, I'm great.
But I'm just glad it's going so well.
Well, it is.
And you're holding up right where you were, huh?
Yes, sir.
Yes.
I could use a weekend on the Mojo, though.
Yeah.
Even with the noisy engine.
Oh, who cares?
That was great.
Right, right, right.
You feeling all right?
Oh, it couldn't be better.
Good, good.
Just keep the boys in line.
They're doing great.
What, is it on Thursday nights?
Monday, sir.
Monday.
Well, I haven't seen it since the first one, but I'll have to look again.
Good, good.
It's sold.
And I'll tell you one.
There's one coming up you should watch with Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland's daughter, and it's just great.
Right.
Well, you...
Drop Rosa a note, and I'll try to... Of course, Mondays, you know, usually most of these nights I'm out, but what time do you come on?
Eight, sir.
I can make that at times.
Okay.
At times.
In two weeks, we do our 100th one, and that's really a big event.
And Duke Wayne is a guest on it.
Well, if you do that one, then let me know, and then maybe I'll see it, and I'll send you a wire or something.
How would that be?
Good.
I'll do that, sir.
Right.
Okay, Paul.
Take care of yourself.
Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On October 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Paul W. Keyes talked on the telephone from 6:45 pm to 6:47 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-152 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 011-152

 Date: October 19, 1971
 Time: 6:45 pm - 6:47 pm
 Location: White House Telephone

 The President talked with Paul W. Keyes.

 [See Conversation No. 292-36A]

        Keyes's television program
            -Date of showing
                   -Liza Minnelli
                          -Judy Garland
                          -Rose Mary Woods
                   -John ("Duke") Wayne
                   -Presidential telegram

Also recorded on October 19, 1971

  • 011-151 6:20 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:20 pm and 6:45 pm.
  • 292-031 6:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:30 pm to 6:34 pm.
  • 292-032 6:34 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 6:45 pm.
  • 292-033 6:34 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 6:45 pm.
  • 292-034 6:34 PM · 53 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 6:45 pm.
  • 292-035 6:34 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 6:45 pm.
  • 292-036 6:34 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Paul W. Keyes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 6:45 pm.
  • 292-037 6:47 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:47 pm and 7:49 pm.

All 93 conversations from October 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 011-152, October 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-152 (accessed September 28, 2026).