Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 637 › Conversation 637-009

Nixon & Ziegler on NBC and Media relations

Friday, December 10, 1971 · 10:37 AM–11:04 AM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation637-009 on Tape 637 (tape position 01:37:23–01:45:08)StartFriday, December 10, 1971 at 10:37 AMEndFriday, December 10, 1971 at 11:04 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 637-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to coordinate media strategy regarding upcoming television appearances, specifically focusing on an NBC documentary titled 'A Day in the Life of the President.' They discussed the program's historical significance and potential for future rebroadcasting, with Nixon instructing Ziegler to organize a campaign encouraging public feedback to NBC to cement its status as a historical document. The conversation also touched upon scheduling logistics for other media engagements, including an upcoming interview with Dan Rather and a Christmas special featuring Julie Nixon Eisenhower.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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I'm on track with Henry and I, assuming that's on track with the state.

Yeah.

Okay.

I just wanted to check it out.

I see you're trying to put it out at 11.

Well, we're moving toward 1130.

Yes, sir.

I talked to Bob last night.

I called him last night.

What I discussed with Bob would be that NBC is going to announce their

The day of the life of the president on Monday, sir.

When we return to Washington on Wednesday, I will get questions.

Well, that's the day of the life of the president.

I would announce then that we agree and you agree on the third at a time.

Why don't we do this?

He will be on Christmas Eve.

Oh, that's great.

I talked to Bill Small.

Oh yes, very excited.

Oh, sure.

in the history of any Western leader.

There's no...

Nothing's been recorded on film that way.

Would you be involved in the process?

Nothing like this.

Nothing like this has ever been on either.

There's never been a de Gaulle or anyone.

There's never been a day recorded in any leaders in history.

At least they say that in news release.

I mean, when you have a camera around for leadership meetings where they're

nsc meeting for henry kissinger sitting in here with you in the morning for the things in the cabinet room and then end up the state january the trudeau meeting now it's fantastic it's going to be a very good show very good program and a very worthwhile program i bet this will be rerun and rerun

I think he should set up a massive program in this case for people wiring and calling NBC, not us, urging them to rewind as an historical document.

Now, we try to get this in the neighborhood of 3,000 or 4,000 across the country.

Might as well.

It's good.

So you can't rerun the Christmas special, but you can rerun this.

And this could be rerun.

Sure.

And every time the cameraman even came out of the session, he said, oh my God, I've just been where history's been made.

You know, the cameraman, where is that?

Oh, sure.

Well, even when I was in here, the brief period I was in here, you were discussing the Middle East, Sadat, and India, Pakistan, and so forth, where I was talking to you about the briefing.

Well,

You know, to have the camera going where the president is reflecting this thing, and then I went out and reflected that view, you see in the briefing, of course.

And the follow-up type thing all the way through to Disney is...

I'm very excited about that.

Mark, did I want to say something in your direction?

Yes, you did.

NARA Description

On December 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:37 am and 11:04 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 637-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 637-9

Date: December 12, 1971
Time: Unknown between 10:37 am and 11:04 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     The President's schedule
          -Press conference [?]
               -State Department
               -Timing
          -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
               -Ziegler's talk with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                      -Timing
                      -The President’s forthcoming interview with Dan Rather

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:37 am.

     Gift from Walter H. Annenberg
           -Placement in Oval Office
                -Picture of George Washington

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 11:04 am..

     CBS
           -Ziegler's talk with Haldeman
                 -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
                       -"A Day in the Life of the President"
                             -Timing
           -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                 -Christmas special
                       -Timing
           -Ziegler's talk with William Small [President, CBS News Division]
           -CBS
           -NBC
                 -"A Day in the Life of the President"
                       -News worthiness
                       -Gen. Charles A.J.M. de Gaulle
                       -Lyndon B. Johnson
                                              17

                          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 637-9 (cont.)


                     -News release
                           -NBC’s statement
                     -Leadership meetings
                     -National Security Council [NSC] meeting
                     -Henry A. Kissinger meeting
                     -Cabinet Room
                     -State dinner
                     -Pierre E. Trudeau meeting
                     -Optimism for NBC program
                     -Ziegler's talk with Charles Colson
                           -Meeting
                                 -Program for incoming wires and phone calls to NBC
                                       -Number
                                       -Rerun
                                            -Program defined as historical document
                     -Middle East
                           -Anwar el-Sadat
                     -India/Pakistan situation
                     -Camera movement
                     -Ziegler's briefing
                     -Kissinger

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 11:04 am.

Also recorded on December 10, 1971

637-006 10:17 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:17 am to 10:37 am.
637-004 10:26 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at 10:26 am.
637-005 10:26 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at 10:26 am.
637-007 10:37 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:37 am and 11:04 am.
637-008 10:37 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:37 am and 11:04 am.
637-010 10:37 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:37 am and 11:04 am.
635-008 10:51 AM · 22 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:51 am to 11:12 am.
637-011 11:04 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:04 am to 11:14 am.

All 75 conversations from December 10, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 637-009, December 10, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/637-009 (accessed October 5, 2026).