University of Virginia Library

Local Television Threatened

The Federal
Communications Commission
(FCC) has directly threatened
local television stations for
broadcasting what the White
House terms network "liberal
bias."

Just last Friday the
Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (CPB) announced
the cancellation of a half-dozen
public affairs programs for lack
of funding Public television
had been guaranteed federal
subsidies until the
administration became irritated
over some of the viewpoints of
some of its news
commentators

Newsmen feel they can no
longer guarantee news sources
any degree of confidentiality.
In the past four months at least
four newsmen have chosen jail
over the courtroom to keep
confidential information from
the hands of government
investigators.

Last June's Supreme Court
ruling in the Branzburg case,
which involved a Kentucky
reporter's refusal to identify
two hashish makers referred to
in an article, argued that the
First Amendment does not
exempt a reporter from
withholding information in a
criminal investigation.

* * *

One man in particular has
been more than customarily
concerned over rights
infringement. As chairman of
the important Senate
subcommittee on
constitutional rights, Senator
Sam J. Ervin, Jr. (D N C) has
had to convene the
subcommittee twice in the past
two years to examine alleged
First Amendment violations.

Opening the first session in
Fall, 1971, the man referred to
by many as 'Congress'
constitutional lawyer', wanted,
"...it is apparent that in today's
American people doubt the
vitality and significance of the
First Amendment's guarantee
of freedom of the press."

Following the Pentagon
Papers trial by only a number
of weeks, the hearings focused
on the government's right to
enjoin newspaper publication.