Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 368 › Conversation 368-007

Nixon & Haldeman on Radio broadcasting and Public relations

Tuesday, October 17, 1972 · 7:18 PM–8:08 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation368-007 on Tape 368StartTuesday, October 17, 1972 at 7:18 PMEndTuesday, October 17, 1972 at 8:08 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 368-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman evaluated the strategic effectiveness of using radio broadcasts over television for the President's public messaging. The discussion focused on the perceived quality of Nixon’s radio voice and its potential to connect with audiences more effectively than visual media. They further deliberated on specific policy messaging, specifically regarding aid to parochial schools and education policy, ultimately deciding to coordinate these issues with upcoming campaign appearances in Wisconsin.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 45% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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Uh, not to bother you, but I was rather, uh, interested in comedy, so, you know, let's go, you know, a strong statement about the legal voice, you know, you've got to do something, you know, because the guy that's heard them all, you know, has, but it may be that the voice is better than we think, you know, I, I know it's good, but, but it may be that it has some qualities that on radio are better than on television.
In fact, the picture was scratched.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But the voice, if it is, you know, I think it's cooking in the head.
Our use of radio is just in order, don't you think so?
It's a box, a rather broken tone, which is such a horror.
Use radio for virtually everything.
But what I mean is when people say, why should I put it in my own speech?
Why should it be on the radio?
It's enough for me.
Unless it's something that you'd like on the 15th when you have to go to the rally of the nation.
But in terms of the general idea of doing something, saying something, so forth, when you have to make speeches in the U.S. too, it has to be on the radio.
The other thing with regard to this program, I'd still load the radio on that side.
Don't you think so?
of the exact person.
Yeah.
And I feel that the education one has much to recommend, but I don't know.
I think Price is a little off on that because he's not too keen on either the vocational schools or the best of them.
But I think we need it for other reasons.
On the positive side, you know, equal educational opportunities.
So we're going to go ahead and go.
John, John, I just want to let you in.
Okay.
Sure.
And also, I think the idea of dropping, and even when we do it, we can drop another statement on age of growth in schools out there.
In Wisconsin, over there.
See?
For an age of growth in a school statement.
So that's what I mean.
Okay.

NARA Description

On October 17, 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 7:18 pm and 8:08 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 368-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 368-7

Date: October 17, 1972
Time: Unknown between 7:18 pm and 8:08 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

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

         Radio
             -The President's radio voice

                -John B. Connally’s opinion
                -Comparison with television
            -Speeches on issues
                -Economic issue
                -The President’s message to Congress, August 15, 1971
                -Aid to parochial school statement
                    -Importance
                    -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                         -Busing
                    -John D. Ehrlichman
                    -The President’s schedule
                         -Wisconsin

Also recorded on October 17, 1972

  • 802-009 6:30 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:30 pm to 7:17 pm.
  • 802-010 7:17 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:17 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 031-109 7:18 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:18 pm and 8:08 pm.
  • 368-006 7:18 PM · 35 sec — 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 7:18 pm and 8:08 pm.
  • 368-008 7:18 PM · 13 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 7:18 pm and 8:08 pm.
  • 368-009 7:18 PM · 12 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 7:18 pm and 8:08 pm.
  • 368-010 7:18 PM · 14 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 7:18 pm and 8:08 pm.
  • 368-011 7:18 PM · 9 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 7:18 pm and 8:08 pm.

All 65 conversations from October 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 368-007, October 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/368-007 (accessed October 10, 2026).