Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 326 › Conversation 326-017

Nixon & Haldeman on Section 315 and Equal time rule

Friday, March 24, 1972 · 1:12 PM–1:16 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation326-017 on Tape 326 (tape position 02:14:11–02:16:34)StartFriday, March 24, 1972 at 1:12 PMEndFriday, March 24, 1972 at 1:16 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 326-017 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss political maneuvering surrounding legislative efforts to address Section 315 equal-time requirements for television broadcasts. Nixon expresses concern that Democrats are manipulating these regulations to force candidate debates and gain free airtime while exploiting minority party candidates. The conversation also touches on broader strategies to attack the Democratic opposition regarding their stance on controversial social issues, including school racial balancing.

Audio

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Position in tape: 02:14:11 – 02:16:34

part B, 13:41

326a.mp3
326b.mp3

NARA Description

On March 24, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:12 pm and 1:16 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 326-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 326-17

Date: March 24, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:12 pm and 1:16 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Pending legislation
          -Section 315 on equal time

                -The President’s previous call to Charles W. Colson
                -Democrats
                -Possible candidate debates
                -Television
                     -Minor candidates
                -The President’s view

     Peter M. Flanigan
           -John D. Ehrlichman

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).

All right.
Right.
Good.
Good.
Start coming a little.
That's right.
Good.
And putting the Democrats on the side of Jordanians.
And they're trying to torpedo this thing.
They aren't cooperating with the country.
Thank you.
What is the right guarantee for the 14th Amendment?
Some protection of the laws.
And that's what it is.
Racial balance is not a right guarantee for the 14th Amendment, and wrestling is not a right guarantee for the 14th Amendment.
How the hell is racial balance?
And it's cruel.
I mean, it's just equal protection from the law.
Okay.
Bye.
It ain't new.
Colson just told me about that.
I did.
They were catching a paper about the Senate ruling on that 315 thing.
All about the Democrats were doing that for just to get free television.
Oh, no, no, no.
It goes beyond that.
They know I'm not going to debate.
No, but... Not a fan.
Not a fan.
What can they do in the House?
Nothing, probably.

Also recorded on March 24, 1972

  • 022-013 12:54 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 12:54 pm to 1:12 pm.
  • 326-016 12:54 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:54 pm to 1:12 pm.
  • 022-014 1:12 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:12 pm and 1:16 pm.
  • 022-015 1:16 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 1:16 pm to 1:17 pm.
  • 326-018 1:16 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:16 pm to 1:17 pm.
  • 326-019 1:24 PM · 35 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:24 pm to 2:00 pm.
  • 022-016 1:28 PM · 51 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 1:28 pm to 1:29 pm.
  • 022-017 1:29 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:29 pm and 2:05 pm.

All 35 conversations from March 24, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 326-017, March 24, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/326-017 (accessed November 15, 2026).