On March 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, William S. Paley, Frank Stanton, John A. Schneider, Richard W. Jencks, Robert D. Wood, Richard S. Salant, Herbert G. Klein, Charles W. Colson, Ronald L. Ziegler, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:05 pm to 5:34 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 464-024 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 464-24
Date: March 9, 1971
Time: 4:05 pm - 5:34 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with William S. Paley, Frank Stanton, John A. Schneider, Richard W. Jencks,
Robert D. Wood, Richard S. Salant, Herbert G. Klein, Charles W. Colson, and Ronald L.
Ziegler; photographers were present at the beginning of the meeting
[Discontinuities exist in the original recording]
President’s schedule
Greetings
Arrangements for photographs
Fire in fireplace
Topics for discussion
President’s meetings with network executives
-Agenda
-President’s previous meeting with newspaper editors
-Agenda
-President’s relationship with the media
Television
-President’s press conferences
-President’s televised interviews
-Commentary
-President’s view
-Frequency of President’s television appearances
-Possible future appearances
-Network coverage
President’s televised interviews
-Networks
-Howard K. Smith
-Format
-President’s view
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
-Edited tapes compared with live appearance
-An American Broadcasting Company [ABC] interview in March
-President’s appearance
-Format
-President’s view
-Network concerns
-Compared with East Room press conferences
-Number of reporters present
President’s press conferences
-Time of airing
-Location
-Oval Office
-Old State Department building [Old Executive Office Building]
-”Indian Treaty Room”
-Networks’ views
President’s televised interviews
-Smith
-Foreign policy
-Cronkite
-Domestic policy
-Format
Campaign spending bill
-Hugh Scott and John O. Pastore’s proposals regarding media
-Spending limitations
-A previous bill
-Veto
-Reasons
-Limitations
-President’s view
-Implementation
-Television networks
-Free time
-Government’s role
-Spending limitations
-Presidential and Congressional candidates
-Incumbency
-Advantages
-Networks’ position
-Comprehensive bill
-Robert J. Dole
-Equal time
-Splinter parties
-Possible problems
-New York
-Role of networks
-Likelihood in 1972 Presidential election
-Possible solution
-George C. Wallace
-Administration’s view
-Scott’s efforts
-Television broadcasting
-Provisions
-Enforcement
-Effect
-Fairness
-Colson’s efforts
-Possible outcome
-An unknown event
-Scott and Dole
-Legislation
-Restrictions
-Enforcement
-President’s position
-Corporations, individuals, unions
-Implementation
-Committees
-Political Action Committees
-Non-profit committees
-Pure Water Committee example
-President’s position
-Burden on candidates
-Effect of expensive campaign
-Restrictions
-Individuals, unions, private lobbies
-A news story
-Possible provisions
Fairness doctrine
-Union support compared with other support
-Financial spending
-1968 Presidential election
-Wallace
-Political events
-President’s State of the Union address
-Black Congressmen
-Edward W. Brooke
-Networks’ position
-Television commercials
-Cigarettes
-Detergents
-Peace
-Chevron gasoline in California
-Alcoholism
-Pharmaceuticals
-President’s position
-Executive privilege
-Application of equal time
-Networks
-Federal employees
-Environmentalists
-Public view
-Perception
-Industrialism
-Nature
-Industry efforts
-Automobile example
-Cost and benefit analysis
-Possible effect of equal time
-Possible network action
-Enforcement
-President’s suggestion
-Campaign compared to social issues
-Effect
-Minorities
-Liberal commentators
-Possible effect
-Public perception
-Women’s liberation
-Congressional Black Caucus
-Possible letters
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC]
-Nicholas Johnson
-Commercials
-FCC
-A court ruling
-Administration position
-Public service
-Anti-pollution
-New York City environmental commissioner
-FCC
-Ralph Nader’s Raiders
-Columbia Broadcasting System’s [CBS] record
-Public programs
-Possible network action
-President’s view
-Station license renewals
-Challenges
-Effect
-Dean Burch
-The President’s instructions
-Television and newspapers
-Richard E. (“Dick”) Berlin
-Current situation
-Causes
-Minorities
-Johnson
-Attempts at Congressional or FCC action
-Purpose
-Colson
-President’s instructions
-Burch and FCC
-Private enterprise aspect
-American television
-Variety
-FCC licensing policy
-President’s view
-Radio
-Bakersfield and Los Angeles
-Number of radio stations
-Radio
-Future use by President
-Forthcoming speakers
-Compared with television news coverage
-KCBS, KNX, KFWB, KFI
-President’s recollection of a Los Angeles station
-Earle C. Anthony
-Don Lee
-KHJ, KNX, KFI
-Anthony’s station
-Burbank
Colleges
-Berkeley
-University of Southern California [USC]
-Football team
-A Notre Dame game
-A Nebraska game
-A Nebraska - Louisiana State University [LSU] football game
-An unidentified fullback or Fulbright
-Notre Dame
-Football team
-USC
-John McKay
-Anthony Davis
Television
-Domestic satellites
-Networks’ position on FCC
-Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead
-Value
-Costs
-American Telephone and Telegraph [AT&T]
-Technology
-Bureaucratic problems
-Whitehead
-Approaches
-Communications Satellite Corporation [COMSAT]
-Western Union
-FCC action
-Public utilities
-COMSAT
-Globe Com [?]
-AT&T
-Value and quality of photos from satellites
-Canadian experience
Cable television [CATV]
-CBS’s holdings
-FCC ruling
-CBS’s divestiture
-New York Stock Exchange action
-Impact
-Governmental policy
-FCC
-Regulations
-Burch
-Formulation of Administration’s position
-Office of Telecommunications Policy
-Whitehead
-Staff
-FCC
-Compared with other commissions
-Federal Trade Commission [FTC]
-Federal Power Commission [FPC]
-President’s Advisory Council on Executive Organization
-John B. Connally
-Walter N. Thayer
-Networks
-Employees
[An unknown portion of the conversation was not recorded while the tape was changed]
-Cost
-Public utilities
-Public television compared with private enterprise
-A boxing match
-Super Bowl
-Public interest
-Private enterprise aspect of television and radio
-Government regulation
-President’s view
-Networks’ efforts
-Campaign spending bill
-Effect
-FCC role
-FCC commissioners
-President’s view
-Government role
-Compared with wage and price controls
-Public opinion
Golf course
Wage and price controls
-Public opinion
-Businessmen
-Unions
-US Steel
-Fred Borch [?]
-Chairman of General Motors
-George Meany
-World War II experience
-Enforcement problems
-Prospects
-Effect on economy
Television
-Public interest aspect
-Government regulation
-Compared with newspapers and radio
-Los Angeles
-Public service aspect
-Compared with medical profession
-Problems
-Private enterprise aspect
-President’s view
-Needs
-Expansion
-Public service aspect
-Fairness doctrine and equal time
-President’s position
-Previous statement
-Commercials
-President’s position
-Courts
Supreme Court
-Warren E. Burger, Potter Stewart, Harry A. Blackmun, John M. Harlan, Byron R.
(“Whizzer”) White
-Possible views
-William J. Brennan, Jr.
Television
-Private enterprise aspect
-Fairness doctrine
-Wage and price controls
-Network relations with stations
-England, France, India
-President’s position
-Networks’ support
-Follow-up
-Colson
-Whitehead and staff
-Burch
-Burch
-Tenure
-Networks’ view
-Possible future
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Networks’ response
-Possible meeting with President
-Previous meeting with President
Quakers
Astronauts
-Television coverage
-A splashdown attended by President
-Frank Borman
-Neil Armstrong
-Interest
-Meetings with students
-Space program
-Space program, Supersonic Transport [SST]
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:05 pm
President’s schedule
-John D. Ehrlichman and George P. Shultz
Bull left at an unknown time before 5:34 pm
Astronauts
-Meetings with students
-Space program
-Benefits
-Value of space program
-Military position
-President’s view
-Borman
-Future
-Armstrong
-Value of space program
-Future exploration
-Mars
-National spirit, spirit of exploration of New World
-Shuttle program, exploration of Mars
-National spirit
SST
-President’s position compared with editorial writers’
-Value
-Speed of international travel
-Cost of development
-Job creation
-Tax revenue increase
-Increase in foreign trade
-Role in transportation
-DC-3, DC-6; jets
-Prospects for future
-Speed of travel
-National role in transportation
-Soviet Union
-United Kingdom
-Compared with space program
-Future implications
US role in world
-Youth
-Vietnam, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, India
-Space program
-Isolationist feeling
-Late 19th century
-Current situation
-Importance
-Effect
-Goals
Appreciation
Golf
Football
-Notre Dame
-Ara Parsegian
-A quarterback
-University of Miami
Presidential gifts
-Golf balls
-President’s golf
-Cuff links
-Wives, secretaries
-Value
Goodbyes
President’s schedule
-United States Information Agency [USIA] meeting
Paley, et al. left at 5:34 pmNo transcript is available for this conversation. The audio may not contain audible speech, or the recording may not yet have been processed.