Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 14 › Conversation 014-075

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Television news coverage and Veterans Day

Thursday, November 11, 1971 · 7:48 PM–7:51 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation014-075 on Tape 14 (tape position 02:24:21–02:26:51)StartThursday, November 11, 1971 at 7:48 PMEndThursday, November 11, 1971 at 7:51 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 014-075 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417190681 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler reviewed the evening television news coverage of the President's Veterans Day ceremony, recent Department of Agriculture announcements, and Senate votes. They assessed how different networks reported on administration initiatives, with Nixon expressing a clear preference for ABC's news coverage over that of CBS and NBC. Additionally, they briefly discussed the minimal media attention given to an investigation regarding Daniel Schorr.

Audio

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NARA Description

On November 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 7:48 pm to 7:51 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-075 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 14-75

Date: November 11, 1971
Time: 7:48 pm - 7:51 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Networks' coverage
         -The President's Veterans Day ceremony

               -American Broadcasting Company [ABC], Columbia Broadcasting System
                     [CBS], National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
               -Thomas E. Jarriel
          -Agriculture Department announcement
               -ABC, CBS
                     -Clifford M. Hardin
                     -Earl L. Butz's statement
                           -Corn prices
               -The President's statement
                     -ABC, NBC, CBS
                     -Reorganization
                           -ABC
          -Senate vote on John C. Stennis Amendment
               -ABC
               -Bob Clark
          -ABC news

     Misuse of Government agencies
         -Daniel L. Schorr
         -Investigation

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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Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Hello.
Yes, sir.
I was wondering in view of the announcement on agriculture if the
thing up at the memorial got any play today?
Yes, it did.
On both CBS and ABC.
It did not get on NBC.
What did they play?
Just the laying of the wreath?
Yes, it was very good.
Played the tabs and so forth.
And ABC, Tom Giro referred to the statement that we released, but ABC and CBS used the film.
Now what about the other announcement?
How did it play?
The ABC and
CBS used the Hardin thing and also filmed from it.
They used the part of Butts where he referred to, I have the full support of the president.
in relation to the agriculture problems.
And then when he looked to Hardin and said that corn prices are too low and the president understands this, which was really not a slap at Hardin, but it was a good point to come across, you know.
So ABC and CBS used that.
NBC did not use it.
They didn't use any of my comments.
NBC didn't, but ABC and CBS did.
what they use of what I said.
I'm just curious, just for future reference.
I'm trying to recall here because I was... Just the announcement.
Well, the announcement and I think the reorganization.
I know ABC used the reorganization.
I believe it was ABC.
Did they network quite positively, the Senate vote today?
Yes, they did.
ABC did, for example.
Clark had a very good report on that.
Who?
Clark.
Bob Clark on ABC.
ABC has by far the best news.
I know.
No question about it.
They are the best, aren't they?
Yes, sir.
And CBS had a report.
from the hill on how they were turning around and moving.
Well, we must have had a pretty good day, except for the stock market.
It's interesting, both NBC and ABC did a very quick pass on the shore thing.
CBS did not use it, which was interesting, I think.
But the shore thing did not play heavily at all.
What isn't that big a story, for Christ's sakes?
Building him up to some victory.
Somebody, they were considering him for something, an environment, and he didn't pass.
Right, right.
Okay, thank you.
Okay, sir.

Also recorded on November 11, 1971

  • 014-069 7:22 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:22 pm.
  • 014-070 7:24 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:24 pm to 7:26 pm.
  • 014-071 7:30 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 7:30 pm to 7:39 pm.
  • 014-072 7:40 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 7:40 pm to 7:45 pm.
  • 014-073 7:46 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:46 pm to 7:47 pm.
  • 014-074 7:47 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:47 pm and 7:48 pm.
  • 297-001 7:51 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:51 pm and 8:19 pm.
  • 014-076 8:19 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:19 pm.

All 111 conversations from November 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 014-075, November 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417190681). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-075 (accessed November 15, 2026).