University of Virginia Library

Gives More Freedom

"It's patently not a
repressive bill, Whitehead
emphasizes. "It's a bill giving
more freedom to the
broadcasting industry and less
opportunity to the government
to use legal licensing powers to
implement what it thinks
broadcasting ought to do."
Despite his repeated claims,
members of the industry object
to administration's 'carrot and
stick' approach to licensing
procedures.

Even before Congress has
decided one way or the other
on the bill, local stations are
falling in line behind the White
House proposal. A week ago
CBS planned to air a drama
about a returning Vietnam
POW. 69 affiliate stations
refused to have anything to do
with it. They feared it might
offend those emotionally
caught up in the return of the
prisoners.

While individual stations
have always been responsible

for what they air, the FCC's
recent intimidation has forced
many to cancel anything that
may be controversial, or just
upset the administration.

Last January television
station WJXT of Jacksonville,
Fla. ran into difficulty when it
applied for license renewal.
Owned by The Washington
Post, the station had to fight
off challenges of three other
license applicants.

Observers noted quite
readily that WJXT had
uncovered Supreme Court
nominee G. Harrold Carswell's
segregation endorsement in
1948, which ultimately lead to
his rejection by the Senate.
One of the three license
challenges was directed by
George Champion Jr. Finance
chairman of Nixon's Florida
election campaign. However,
the White House denied that
anyone in the administration
had prompted the challenge.

Public Television has also
been vulnerable to the
administration's media
campaign. Less than a week
ago the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting (CPB) announced
cancellation of several public
affairs programs due to lack of
funding. Dropped were "Bill
Moyer's Journal," "Washington
Week in Review," and William
F. Buckley's "Firing Line,"

Currently funding a third of
all public television
programming, the CPB is
working with a reduced budget
of $35 million. While it is
asking Congress for $60 million
for fiscal 1972 and $80 million
for fiscal 1974, Nixon has
budgeted only $45 million for
the upcoming year.

Non-controversial programs
such as "Sesame Street," "The
Electric Company," and "The
Advocates" will remain on the
air.