848–10

Conversation No. 848-10

Date: February 5, 1973
Time: 11:09 a.m.-12:39 p.m.
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead and Charles W. Colson; the White House
photographer was present at the beginning of the meeting.

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's presence

Photographs

The White House photographer left at an unknown time before 11:11 am.

The President’s appreciation
 -24-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Controversy
-College
-Conflict
-Compared to consensus
-International relations

Haldeman entered at 11:11 am.

Colson’s schedule
-Trip
-Moscow
-Bucharest
-Vienna
-Tel Aviv
-President’s visits to Israel
-Jerusalem

Telecommunications policy
-Internal communication and consultations
-Executive Branch reorganization
-Whitehead
-Economic policy
-George P. Shultz
-Compared to political policy
-Federal Communication Commission [FCC]
-Shultz
-Staffing
-William E. Timmons
-Edwin L. Harper
-Informing White House staff
-Meetings
-John D. Ehrlichman
-US News and World Reports
-Domestic Council

Office of Telecommunications Policy [OTP]
 -25-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Broadcasting legislation
-Ehrlichman
-Procedure for drafting legislation
-William J. Baroody
-Ehrlichman, Shultz

Broadcast regulation
-The President’s meeting with broadcasters
-Herbert G. Klein
-Support
-Opposition
-Groups
-Minorities
-Networks
-Local stations and broadcasters
-Crutchfield
-Fight
-Networks
-Local stations
-Congressional relations
-Robert P. Griffin
-Clarence J. (“Bud”) Brown, Jr.
-Hugh Scott [?]
-[First name unknown] Steiger
-John O. Pastore
-Politics
-Networks
-Local broadcaster involvement
-Opposition
-Ehrlichman
-Opposition to local control and responsibilities
-Liberals
-Klein
-Anti-networks
-Crutchfield
-Chicago Tribune
 -26-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Attack
-Censorship
-Legal controls
-Reaction to press coverage
-Hearings
-Program to support
-Klein
-The President’s meeting with broadcasters
-Fears
-American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Responsibilities
-Legislation
-White House unity
-Public relations plan for support
-Broadcasters
-Richard A. Moore
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Ehrlichman

Cable television
-Cabinet Committee
-Founding
-Chairman
-Members
-Department of Health, Education, and Welfare [HEW]
-Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD]
-Commerce Department
-Robert H. Finch, Klein
-Long term policy
-ABC
-Report
-Role of states
-Development of services
-Cabinet meeting
-Garment
 -27-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Moore
-Public relations
-Administration’s support
-Technology
-Impact

Communications
-Repeal of prime time rule
-Support
-Hollywood
-Opposition
-Networks
-Local networks
-Congressional support
-FCC
-Robert E. (“Bob”) Lee
-Dean Burch
-Richard E. Wiley
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.

Public broadcasting
-Major disputes
-PR
-Administration control
-Strategy
-Ziegler, Klein, Ehrlichman, Moore
-White House unity
-Compared to December 1972 bombing decision
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Meeting
-Ziegler, Klein
-Staffing
-Cole
-Domestic Council
-Garment, Moore, Klein, Ziegler
 -28-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Compared to Earl L. Buntz
-Shultz
-Milton Friedman
-Equality
-Public affairs programs
-\"Agronsky and Company\"
-Funding
-William Moyers
-\"Black Journal\"
-\"Washington Week in Review\"
-Funding
-William F. Buckley, Jr.
-Administration's actions
-Buckley, Moyers
-Propaganda
-Voice of America [VOA]
-HEW
-Educational TV
-Role of public broadcasting
-Corporation for Public Broadcasting [CPB]
-Legal Services Division of Job Corps
-Radical views
-George C. Wallace
-Budget of Public Broadcasting Service [PBS]
-Cuts
-Board
-Public affairs programs
-Quarrels
-Cuts

Telecommunications policy
-Staffing work
-Klein, Ziegler
-Five year plan
-Minority groups
-Local ownership, control
 -29-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Controversy
-Whitehead’s speech
-Richard M. Scammon [?]
-Garment, Patrick J. Buchanan
-Opposition to local control
-Station license extensions
-Network control
-Programming policy
-Martin Z. Agronsky
-Peter Lisagor
-Control by Washington and New York
-Compared to local control
-Budget
-Administration's philosophy
-Compared to philosophy of bureaucracy
-Bureaucracy
-Leftist authoritarian orientation
-Control over local communities
-Wyoming

Telecommunications policy
-Administration’s position
-White House unity
-Discussion of positions
-Public broadcasting
-Prime time access
-Klein
-Cable television
-Disagreements
-Moore’s support
-Local control of broadcasting
-Licenses
-Networks
-Local responsibility
-Five year licenses
-Challenges to licenses
 -30-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Staff work
-Ehrlichman
-White House unity
-Klein
-Decisions

President's schedule
-Whitehead’s proposal
-Pubic reaction

Telecommunications policy
-Local control
-Censorship

President's schedule
-Forthcoming meeting
-Colson, Haldeman
-W. Richard Howard

Whitehead left at an unknown time before 11:48 am.

Telecommunications policy
-Press releases
-Meetings
-Colson, Shultz, Ehrlichman
-Garment, Klein
-Whitehead’s speech
-Ehrlichman
-Cole

The President met with Albert E. Sindlinger and W. Richard Howard at 11:49 am; Stephen B.
Bull and the White House photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting.

Introductions
-Weather
 -31-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



Photographs

The White House photographer left at an unknown time before 12:39 pm.

Poll
-Public reactions
-Sindlinger’s performance
-Publicity
-Administration’s needs
-Howard’s role
-Contact
-Work with Sindlinger
-Pubic polling
-1972 election
-Gallup, Harris
-Addition of Sindlinger
-Gallup, Harris
-Delays
-The President’s trip to the People’s Republic of China
[PRC]
-Methodology
-December 1972 bombing
-Vietnam settlement
-Sindlinger’s polls
-TV networks
-Offers
-Individual TV stations
-Teletype machines
-Constant feed
-Independent network
-Independent fees
-Local data
-Community service
-1972 election
-Democrats
-Voters for the President
 -32-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Cities
-Large states
-Allegiance to Republican party
-Ethnics
-Union members
-Issues
-Vietnam
-Economy
-Pride controls
-Raises
-Steel industry
-Automobile industry
-Imports
-Cars
-Shoes
-Future voters

Political attitudes
-Numbers
-Democrats
-Republicans
-Total population
-Independents
-Affiliations
-Democrats
-Uncertainty
-December 1972 bombing
-1972 election
-“Hardcore doves”
-Affluent, suburban, stocks, college
-Mothers and College-aged children
-Fathers
-George S. McGovern supporters
-Young people
-“Hardcore hawks”
-Ideas for Vietnam
 -33-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Compared to “doves”
-Support for the President
-December 1972 bombing
-Ethnic connection
-patriotic voters
-Classification as “hawk” or “dove”
-“Hawks”
-Selfishness
-Vietnam settlement
-1972 election
-The President’s reelection
-Kissinger’s “peace is at hand” statement
-Percentage of support

1972 election
-McGovern vote
-Morning turnout
-Associated Press [AP], United Press [UP]
-Compared to 1968 election
-Hourly interviews
-Statistical tie
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Hourly interviews
-Minority turnout
-McGovern vote
-California
-Early returns
-Non-voters
-McGovern vote
-Final vote
-AP
-Scammon
-Non-voters’ support for the incumbent

Press
-Influence
 -34-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Pubic opinion
-“March of Time”
-Adolph Hitler
-World War II commentators
-Great Britain
-Commentators
-Negative public opinion
-1968 Democratic convention
-Riots
-Lights
-Coverage of campus unrest
-1972 conventions
-Network
-Public perceptions
-Credibility
-CBS
-[Arnold] Eric Seareid
-Vietnam negotiations
-Network’s depiction
-Public’s perception
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Kissinger
-Polls on commentators
-“Liberal press”

Issues
-Gun control
-John C. Stennis shooting
-Capital punishment
-Supreme Court
-Support
-Public fears of crime
-Compared to inflation
-Vietnam War
-Commentators
-Skepticism about settlement
 -35-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Cease-fire
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-End of war
-General public compared to antiwar minority
-December 1972 bombing
-Loss of votes
-Wage and price controls
-Inflation
-Public support

Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:49 am.

Refreshments

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:39 pm.

Issues
-Wage and price controls
-George Meany
-Labor and management’s opposition
-Steel strike
-Recession
-Unemployment
-End of war
-Navy Yard
-Inflation
-Paul W. McCracken
-Fears
-Deflation
-Automobile sales
-Buying decisions
-General public compared to businessman
-Business planning
-Expenditures
-Overexpansion
-Wall Street
 -36-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Banks
-Interest rates
-Business compared to consumers
Taxes
-Reform
-Congressional expenditures
-Public attitudes
-McGovern
-Change
-Labor unions
-Welfare
-Spending
-Capital punishment, busing, Vietnam

Electorate
-Democrats
-Confusion
-Large electoral states
-Division in US
-South
-Recession
-Rural and small towns
-Cities
-Suburbs
-Blacks
-Blacks
-Capital punishment
-Support
-Mandatory sentences
-Drugs
-Concern
-Compared to inflation and Vietnam
-Sindlinger’s interviews
-Use of Sindlinger’s data and interviews
-American Enterprise Institute [AEI]
-Speeches
 -37-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Quality of writing
-Congress members
-Catchphrases
-Congress members
-John E. Moss [?]
-James C. Wright, Jr.
-Questionnaires

Administration’s policies
-Budget
-Tax increases
-Law and order
-Capital punishment
-Supreme Court
-Economy
-Inflation
-Food prices
-Strike
-Food prices
-Control
-Production
-Imports
-Inflation
-Public attitudes
-Fears of inflation
-Food prices
-Explanation of problems
-Savings
-Support for budget cuts
-Food prices
-Meatless days
-Armed forces
-Vietnam
-Perpetual opposition
-Affluence, education
-“Hawks”
 -38-

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Tape Subject Log
(rev. Oct.-09)
Conversation No. 848-10 (cont’d)



-Selfishness
-Money from war
-Timing

Future meetings
-Issue cycles

Herbert C. Hoover
-Meeting with Sindlinger
-Age
-Rose Garden
-[John] Calvin Coolidge
-Swearing-in
-Founding of Sindlinger’s Company
-Financing
-John Shaw
-Chicago
-Intelligence and administrative ability

Sindlinger, Howard, Colson, and Haldeman left at 12:39 pm.