Secret White House Tapes

103–4

About this recording

103–4
June 22, 1972
Conversation No. 103-4

Date: June 22, 1972
Time: 5:20 pm - 6:28 pm
Location: Cabinet Room

The President met with Charles Batson, Charles Crutchfield, Daniel R. Eaton, John Fetzer,
James S. Gilmore, Jr., Larry Israel, John Kluge, Charles S. Mechem, Bill Michaels, John T.
Murphy, Ancil Paine, John Poor, Ward Quaal, Leonard Reinsch, Bill Shaw, Reid L. Shaw,
Robert Slaughter, Franklin C. Snyder, Egmont Sonderling, E. R. Vadeboncoeur, M.C. Waters,
Fred Weber, Robert Wells, Richard Chapin, Herbert G. Klein, Ronald L. Ziegler, Peter M.
Flanigan, John D. Ehrlichman, George W. Romney, Charles W. Colson, Richard A. Moore,
Alvin Snyder, Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead, and Dean Burch

Greetings
3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-McGraw-Hill Co.
-Klein
-Gilmore of Gilmore Broadcasting
-Andy Granatelli
-President of Mexico
-Press
-Unknown woman journalist
-Commission on Baseball
-Unknown person
-New York
-Cleveland
-Baseball
-Crutchfield
-[General conversation/Unintelligible]
-Mayor Louie Welch
-Association of Mayors
-President’s phone call
-Astros

Request for group to be seated

The White House photographer entered at an unknown time after 5:20 pm

Photograph session

The White House photographer left at an unknown time before 6:28 pm

Opening of meeting

Reason for meeting
-Media requests
-Networks
-News programs
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Conflicts with local broadcasters
-Klein
-Flanigan

Private enterprise system
-President’s views
-Communications industry
-Newspaper, radio, television
4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)




-Television
-Comparison with abroad
-Shortcomings
-Quality
-Public broadcasting
-Support from staff

Format for meeting
-Flanigan

Domestic licensing processes
-Federal Communications Commission [FCC]
-Renewal objections
-Federal Trade Commission [FTC]
-Advertising
-FCC, FTC relationship

Brand names
-Moscow, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Advantages
-Advertising
-Restrictions
-Impact
-Public broadcasting

FTC regulations
-Advertising
-Fairness doctrine
-Camel
-Cigarette controversy
-General Motors
-Networks
-Compared with environmentalists
-Attacks on private enterprise

Private enterprise, profits
-President’s support
-FTC
-Problems with staff
-Philosophical debate
-Broadcast industry
5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Manufacturers and distributors
-General Foods
-Advertising
-Networks

License renewal problems
-Public interest groups
-New York Daily News station
-Censorship dangers
-Petitions
-Statistics
-FCC
-Office of the Presidency
-Proposed legislation
-Denver, Colorado
-Channel 2
-Financial standing
-Chicanos
-Criticism of station
-Wells
-Appointment
-FCC
-Minnesota station
-Station finances
-Uncertainty over licenses
-Proposed legislation on renewal
-Klein
-Flanigan
-Whitehead
-Scripps-Howard Memphis station
-Coalition of whites
-Complaints
-Blacks
-Complaints
-Broadcasting Magazine
-FCC
-Costs
-Courts
-Decisions
-Nebraska
-Omaha
-Complaints
6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Action consequences
-Financial abilities of applicants
-Washington baseball team
-Comparison
-Quaal

Meeting with President
-Television networks
-Views about the Administration
-Criticism
-Need for balanced views
-Freedom of expression
-Cambodia coverage
-J. William Fulbright
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Chappaquiddick
-Vietnam bombing announcement
-Quality of television coverage
-Predictions
-Accuracy
-Network news
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]

Legislative needs of broadcasters
-Congressional committee
-FCC
-Courts
-Conflicts with FCC

Broadcast executives’ problems
-Courts
-Washington
-New York
-FTC
-Appeals Court in Washington
-Decisions

Court cases
-Supreme Court
-District Court cases
7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Federal cases
-J[ames] Skelly Wright, Judge, US Court of Appeals, Washington, DC
-Access cases
-Vietnam
-Court of Appeals
-Supreme Court
-Whitehead
-Fairness doctrine
-Problems
-Black Panthers
-Oil interests
-Businessmen against Vietnam
-Advertisement
-Los Angeles
-Court case
-Wright

Sports
-President as sports fan
-FCC
-”Antisyphon” petition
-Free television vs. pay television
-Football games
-Cable Television [CATV]
-Blackout rules
-National Football League [NFL]

Overextension of licenses
-Bakersfield, California
-Radio stations
-Number
-Denver
-Chairman of the FCC
-Burch
-Concern
-Fort Wayne Ultrahigh Frequency [UHF] station
-Chicago
-Cleveland
-Free television

Television industry
-Capital investment
8

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-WGN-Television
-Indianapolis
-Bloomington-Indianapolis
-Financial situation of Channel 4
-CATV
-Action
-Shaw
-Jack Harris
-Klein
-Shaw
-Fort Wayne station
-WGN television signal
-Impact on local television
-Fort Wayne
-Indianapolis
-Rockford
-Springfield
-Local situations
-Broadcast signal
-FCC
-Decision
-Supreme Court
-Recent orders

CATV
-Support, opposition
-Columbus, Indiana
-Need for cable television
-Networks
-ABC
-CBS

License renewal
-Analogy with President’s reelection

Advertising
-Criticism
-Competition
-Ford
-General Motors
-Federal standards
-Brand names
9

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)




Station license renewals
-Burch
-Legislation
-Opponents
-Motives
-Finances
-Censorship dangers
-Reform of procedures
-Investments
-Opponents
-Motives

Broadcasting industry
-Legislation
-License renewals
-Ethical standards
-Complaints
-Legal action
-Time involved
-Proposed legislation
-Robert P. Griffin
-Joel T. Broyhill
-Renewal procedures
-Length of license
-Burden of proof
-California
-Judicial selection
-Compared to renewal procedures
-Burden of proof principle
-FCC
-Courts
-Workload
-Communications Act
-Administrative process
-Opponent financing
-Ford Foundation
-Stern Foundation
-Rochester, New York
-Challenges to licenses
-Denver
-Paul Miller
10

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Property
-Legislative objectives
-John O. Pastore
-Administration support
-Present policies
-Reasons
-Klein
-Recognition of President
-President’s concern for broadcasting
-Censorship possibilities
-Censors
-Future Presidents
-Quaal
-License renewal
-Mexican President
-Views
-Mexican constitution
-Similarities to US Constitution

Presidential cuff links
-Meeting with President
-Quaal
-Buggings

Presidential pins
-Appearance
-Cost

Network news
-Balancing of views
-Haiphong mining
-Commentary
-Gerald R. Ford
-NBC
-David Brinkley
-CBS
-[Arnold] Eric Sevareid
-Political views
-Brinkley, Sevareid
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Unknown reporter’s column
-President’s response
11

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)




Nebraska football team

Blair House
-Refreshment
-Meeting

Introductions
-Ehrlichman
-T. Whitehead
-Snyder
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Flanigan
-Discussions

[General conversation/Unintelligible]

President, et al. left at 6:28 pm
Secret White House Tapes |

103–4

This recording is currently not available on millercenter.org. To listen to it, please email Mike Greco at mdg4u@virginia.edu

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