IF YOU THINK TV IS BAD NOW...
NIXON MOVES TO PURGE ANTI-ADMINISTRATION NEWS
FROM TV
LIBERATION News Service
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"It appears as though the Nixon administration is using the same  tactic in both
its wars— the ône îri Vietnam and the one at
home, with the media. In both cases, it seems
intent on bombing the enemy into submission.
Over there it's one kind of air raid,  over
here it's another."
--quoted from Variety, trade
journal of the entertainment and communications industries, Jan. 10, 1972.
NEW YORK (LNS)-- On December 18, the Nixon administration resumed its terror bombing of North Vietnam. ŒhecUayshafofey, in a speech before the Indianapolis chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, the professional
journalism society, Clay T. Whitehead unleashed a
new wave of attacks on the press, in particular the
electronic media.
In his speech, Whitehead, director of Nixon's
Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP) announced
the administration's intention to propose legislation which would introduce new standards of evaluation for the Federal Communications to use when
evaluating license renewal applications of TV and
radio stations.
Just two criteria would replace the up till now
extensive list of standards: "First the broadcaster
must demonstrate he has been substantially attuned
to the (viewers) needs and interests in all his programs, irrespective of whether those programs are
created by the station, purchased from program suppliers or obtained from a network," Whitehead explained...
"Second, the broadcaster must show that he has
afforded reasonable, realistic and practical opportunities for the preservation and discussion of con»-
flicting views on controversial issues."
That doesn't sound so bad, does it? In fact, as
Whitehead would have us believe, this would actually
lead to less "bias" and more "local control." Under
the plan, local TV stations would be responsible
(to the Federal Communications Commission or FCC)
for the content of the material they show-- for its
"balance", variety, decency -- including material
they hook into from their network.
NETWORKS AND AFFILIATES:
WHAT»S ON THE AIR?
WHO DECIDES
The relationship between the three networks
[American Broadcasting Corp, (ABC), National Broadcasting Corp. (NBC) and Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)] and their 589 affiliate stations is key
to the strategy behind the Whitehead proposal.
The 589 affiliates "subscribe" to a network,
depending on them for national news, entertainment
--in fact a majority of their programming. In return, they offer the network an audience to use as
the necessary lure to get sponsors and advertisers
for their programs.
Except for-lS -TV stations ^wned and operated
by the three networks,(each are allowed by law to
own 5 local stations). local TV stations are owned
'and operated by a variety of interests. there are
'several major broadcasting groups like Metromedia,
Westinghouse, and the Taft Broadcasting group,
for example.
Cross-media groups own 25% of the local stafci
tions. These groups also own newspapers, radio,TV
arkf càblelTV stations, and sometimes invest in non-
media enterprises as well. Finally there are large
conglomerates who may own a TV station as well as
a factory, a publishing house or any other enterprise .
This means that a relatively small percentage
of local TV stations are owned by business interests actually located in the area. According to a
recenr study, 77% of local TV stations are owned
by "groups, cross-media owners and conglomerates."
The eagerness with which these corporations inj-
vest in local TV is explained by the fact that it
is possible to make anywhere from 40<f to 70£ on
each dollar invested. Given the record of the FCC
there is virtually no risk in the investment either!.
Two of the point6'' in the Whitehead proposal would
lessen the risk even more by reducing the possibil-|
ity of challenges to licenses and lengthening the j
renewal period,
Tom Wicker, of the New York Times, put it like j
this, "Station owners who themselves have little
concern for the first amendment or news or public
affairs are offered the carrot along with the stickj;
jas long as they do not care about being censored,
|theif economic security and freedom from competi- \
!tiofi will be enhanced."
What's important to the Nixon administration
is the political orientation of the affiliates.
According to a spokesman for Variety,"99% plus"
of the affiliates are politically conservative Republican. For example there's Westinghouse which
is a major defense contractor, and the Taft group
run by the famous Republican, conservative Taft
family from Ohio.
Of course, don't think that the network owners are so radical either, in spite of what Nixon
spokesmen may say.  But-in the day to day operations of the networks, specific departments like
jPublic Affairs, or News may operate somewhat in-
!dependently, which can result in coverage like CBS's
'Watergate stories or Grain Scandal pieces or a doc-
iumentary like the Selling of the Pentagon.
The administration hopes that pressure from
the conservative affiliates on the more business-
minded chiefs of the networks would cut down if
not eliminate entirely the productions of material
like that.
Two years ago at a meeting of CBS affiliates
the group voted 3 to 2 to object to the network's
coverage of the Indochina War. At the instigation ■
of a White House aide, NBC affiliates also crit-
! icized their network's coverage of the War. And
! beyond objecting, the affiliates can leave the net-
jwork to go to another, a pattern which has resulted
; in a growing affiliate membership for the most '
jpro-government of the three -- ABC -- although CBS j
lis still the largest network.
i |
j    The affiliates also can threaten to preempt
| the network. Right now the average local station !
1 depends on a network for about 61% of its pro-
; grammings but they can always drag out an old movie'
Page 3
LIBERATION News Service
(#493)
Jan. 13, 1973
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