Broadcasting Telecasting (Jan-Mar 1956)

POLITICAL BROADCASTING LAR DALY REQUEST REJECTED BY NBC Network denies equal time to America First candidate for GOP presidential nomination to answer Eisenhower's Feb. 29 announcement speech. NBC fielded the hottest ground ball of the young political season last week, but whether the network could throw it for a put-out was still uncertain at week's end. The network rejected a request from Lar Daly, an America First candidate for Republican presidential nomination, for equal time [B»T, March 12] to answer President Eisenhower's speech Feb. 29. Mr. Daly countered that the NBC reasons for rejection were incorrect, and he reiterated statements that he would appeal to the FCC if all networks did not agree to his demands. Mr. Daly, a Chicagoan who signs himself "Lar (America First) Daly," had written all the national networks saying he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for President and wanted time and facilities equivalent to those used by President Eisenhower when he explained his decision to stand for re-election [B*T, March 5]. NBC, denying the request in a letter sent last Monday over the signature of Vice President and General Attorney Thomas E. Ervin, used Mr. Daly's own words as the basis for its refusal. Mr. Ervin's letter explained: ". . . There is attached a photostatic copy of a letter dated Feb. 21, 1956, signed by you and addressed to the Secretary of State of the State of Illinois. It is clear from this letter that you have made a public disavowal of your candidacy for the Republican nomination for President of the United States. It is also clear from this letter that you are now supporting General Douglas MacArthur and Sen. William E. Jenner as candidates for the Republican nomination. "Your letter to us was written on stationery bearing the heading 'Republican National Committee.' Your name appears on this stationery as 'national director.' We have been informed by the Republican National Committee in Washington, D. C, that you are neither a member of that committee, a national director thereof, nor authorized to hold yourself out to the public as such. "In view of all the circumstances, we must respectfully deny your request." The Daly letter cited by Mr. Ervin asked the Illinois Secretary of State to withdraw the petition he had filed for nomination for president on the GOP ticket. The letterhead carried this admonition: "Vote Republican for your Uncle Sam. Douglas MacArthur or U. S. Senator William E. Jenner of Indiana for president in 1956 — Joseph McCarthy — John Bricker or William Knowland for vice president — Lar (America First) Daly for governor of Illinois — always America first." Mr. Daly told B»T he went through "the formal motion" of withdrawing as a candidate for Republican presidential nomination purely in the hope of getting some publicity, knowing that it was too late to drop his name from the Illinois primary ballot. By Illinois law, the last day for filing for presidential nominations was Jan. 23 and the last day for withdrawing a candidacy was Jan. 28. Mr. Daly sent his publicity-seeking letter Feb. 21. "I wanted to get some ink," was his way of describing his desires. Mr. Daly said Hall vs. Butler A political debate, scheduled on CBS radio and tv Sunday, March 25, will feature Paul Butler, chairman of the National Democratic Committee, and Leonard Hall, chairman of the National Republican Committee, who will be appearing at the 10th annual Philadelphia Bulletin Forum. The public debate, of the Lincoln-Douglas variety, will be carried live on tv 2-2:55 p.m. EST, preempting Adventure. CBS Radio will carry a delayed broadcast that same evening, 9:05-10 p.m. CBS newsman Walter Cronkite will moderate. he later received a letter from the Illinois Secretary of State advising him his name would remain on the primary ballot. Other networks still had not replied to Mr. Daly's request. Butler Again Refused Bid for Equal Time TEXTS of messages from ABC, CBS and NBC — all turning down a second request by Democratic National Chairman Paul M. Butler for equal time for Democrats to answer President Dwight Eisenhower's Feb. 29 broadcast on all radio and tv networks — were released last week by the Democratic National Committee. Mr. Butler sent all networks a telegram March 1 asking them to reconsider his original request for equal time made Feb. 29. Only Mutual complied with Mr. Butler's second request, giving the Democrats the 10-10:20 p.m. EST period March 7, which was used by Sen. John J. Sparkman (D-Ala.) [B»T, March 12j. Meanwhile, the Senate Commerce Committee at hearings last week on tv networks and uhf-vhf troubles (see page 66) entered in the hearing record a March 7 letter from Mr. Butler suggesting that "you might want to consider asking the president of the other three networks (ABC, CBS. NBC) to appear before your committee to explain in detail for you their refusal of our request for equal time." Committee Chairman Warren G. Magnuson (D-Wash.) urged that networks "give careful consideration" to the Democratic requests and added that "the questions regarding political time will be gone into at a later date." Sen. Magnuson's recommendation was announced by Sen. John O. Pastore (D-R. I.), presiding at the hearing during the absence of the chairman. ABC President Robert E. Kintner in a March 6 letter said ABC feels "our programming has achieved a fair and balanced presentation of the various political viewpoints — this applies to both Republicans and Democrats," and noted that ABC would be legally obligated to give equal time to a "nationally recognized Republican" if one should announce his candidacy in opposition to Mr. Eisenhower, "depending upon the circumstances at the time." ABC already has adequately covered announcements for the Democratic nomination by Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-Tenn.) and Adlai Stevenson, he said, and would do so for other announced candidates for Democratic nomination. Mr. Kintner said ABC felt Mr. Eisenhower's talk was designed to obtain the Republican nomination and "on this basis, we see neither legal nor moral reasons for granting time to the Democratic National Committee." He said ABC always has broadcast not only speeches of major political leaders, but also balanced analyses by commentators, both liberal and conservative. He said ABC does not believe the present Senate bill (S 3308) to permit networks to give time to major parties, without an obligation to do so for minor parties, is in the public interest. CBS President Frank Stanton in a March 7 letter said CBS through the years has tried to maintain an over-all balance on major viewpoints of all significant controversies: that this may not be maintained by "isolating a single broadcast and matching that single broadcast with an equivalent broadcast." Such a course would lead to chaotic programming and result in such a depreciation of the integrity and impact of radio-tv that the public would soon lose interest, sets would be turned off and it would not be worthwhile to make requests for time, he said. He said CBS tries to maintain this over-all balance over a period of time, which is "a tremendous responsibility; the decisions in particular cases may often be close, difficult and delicate. In the circumstances we can hardly expect to please all of the vigorous advocates on every side." He listed a schedule of CBS Radio and CBS-TV broadcasts carried in 1955 and 1956, showing the presentations of Democratic and GOP spokesmen for this period. He noted this list omitted several broadcasts by President Eisenhower, Vice President Richard Nixon and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, which he said had been labeled by them as non-political or were otherwise clearly so. NBC President Robert W. Sarnoff in a March 2 telegram said NBC made its decision "on the very considerations of fairness and balance to which you refer. We have maintained such balance and fairness, having already given time on several occasions to Democratic leaders as a public service. Accordingly, giving additional free time to Democratic spokesmen is not called for at present." He said in future campaign activities NBC "shall of course, continue to maintain balance and fairness in appearances by representatives of the major parties as the campaign progresses." Johnson Bill May Become Part of Hennings Measure INDICATIONS last week were that a Senate bill (S 3308) to raise election campaign ceilings and provide equal radio-tv time for the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the major parties might not be reported out of the Senate Rules Committee to which it has been referred [B«T, March 12]. Instead, the bill might be suggested on the Senate floor as an amendment to another elections bill (S 636) already on the Senate calendar. Meanwhile, the bill has gained more cosponsors, bringing the total to 85 senators. A spokesman for the Senate Majority Policy Committee said no immediate action is planned on the bill "until we clear some of these other bills out." Senate leadership, however, has expressed hope of Senate action on the measure before the Easter recess (March 29-April 9). Hearings were held last year on S 636, introduced by Sen. Thomas C. Hennings Jr. (DMo.), and the Rules Committee reported it out. The Hennings bill would raise campaign expenditure ceilings, but carries no amendment of Sec. 315 (a) of the Communications Act, as does S 3308, introduced by Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson (D-Tex.). Sen. Theodore F. Green (D-R. I.), chairman of the Rules Committee, has been given authority to call a special meeting on S 3308 after sounding out senatorial leaders. Broadcasting • Telecasting March 19, 1956 • Page 49