Chairman Paley, Critic Murrow . These are excerpts from David that was in a perpetual state of willingness to. experiment in quality Halberstam's "CBS: The Power & the revolution, and mastered it and stayed programming in the arts or public af- Profits," the first of a two-part profile on top. And yes, CBS was the best, but fairs. What was lacking was a modest running in the January and February the doubts persisted, and what was sense of balance. More, the trend was editions of The, Atlantic. Halberstam's more, they persisted among those who not good, for as television time became thesis is that profits, more than the knew by far the most about CBS, those more expensive and thus more public interest, governtelevision news who had worked there and who knew valuable, the cost of experimentation programming. These segments out- the difference between the reality and grew higher and the potential loss of line that problem and trace how it the potential of network broadcasting, revenue far greater. gradually eroded the relationship of the difference between what was and The networks always had an excuse CBS Chairman William Paley and what might have been. Of the two very or a scapegoat for whatever they chose. his close friend and most noted new- powerful drives working on Bill to do or not to do (the ratings, the of-' scaster, the late Edward R. Murrow. Paley—the wish to make a profit, to filiates, the FCC). The. CBS public, The CBS profile will eventually com- drive CBS's stock and profit ever relations machinery was able to single prise part of a book by Halberstam on upward, and the sense of excellence. out a play at Christmastime, or a how information technology has and responsibility to the public—the: documentary like "The Selling of the shifted the roots ofpower in American second thrust had clearly diminished Pentagon," or claim that,the network society. The following is printed with over the, years. The dominant thrust, was doing Very daring things in its Permission of The Atlantic. ever more powerful, 'was for greater situation comedies (whites with blacks profit, almost always at the expense of See CBS, C23, Col. 1 Paley had pioneered in an industry public time and public service or of

F. CBS, From C19 and blacks with whites): For if public then the second Mrs. William Paley -- affairs prograMs were sponsored and Babe — was perfect because she was made a profit, that was not good taste, she was an arbiter of style by in- enough; CBS demanded superprofit, stinot and by nature; where she went, 1-the kind thatOatoe from dominating a tasted and style, followed. She was, key sectioebf prime time, so that its'' pronounced designer Halston, 'The ; share of a minute. was worth'. two or ( number one fashion personality in 4, three times' as much as the (quite America because all women nottce her profitable)' minute of the .opposition, — and men too." That was profit, that was the ratings, and no one was better at the, TV super- (Enter Ed Murrow.) In 1937 a job money game than Bill Paley and CBS. opened up for'a head of CBS's European division. It was, in effect, a business 4d Paley has lived a rich and full life, en- job, involVing scheduling prominent 4 joying his money and getting the full, Europeans for CBS broadcasts. It was t. benefit of ' it. His social ,ac not a journalistic job at the start. For a complishments have been at least as ' time it appeared likely to go to a young considerable as his business ones. He man named Fred Willis, who was char- married one of the three fabled ming, sociable, and graceful. A Cushing girls of Boston, Barbara colleague asked Willis about the Cushing Mortimer, a lady at once rumor, since the job was considered beautiful, gracious, and social. That somethint of a plum. No, answered gained him Jock Whitney as a brother-, 'Willis, he had thought it over, but he in-law and Mrs. Vincent Astor as a wanted a real future at the company,'- sister-in-law. A whole new,world open- t And the one thing he was sure of was ed to him; eventually, in his progress that you should never be that far from through it, he became president and ,` headquarters. So the job went instead subsequently dhairman of the Museum to Edward R. Murrow. of Modern Art. A man who wantectthe Murrow. The right man in the right best in everything, he now had the ul- 'place in the right era., An innately , timate wife, a woman who was Vogue elegant man in an innately inelegant magazine, sprung .to life; who looked like Vogue anddressed like Vogue and lived inhomes where Vogue would be at ease. If Bill Paley cared about taste, profession. A rare figure, as good as his , The lialey-MurrOw friendship sur- legend. His presence was so strong that vived their return home. Paley still it still liver.,In many ways, because he liked having .MurroWaround him, and I was what he was, CBS News is today why not? In the afterglow of the great what it is. He was shy and often war, Murrow was the most prestigious , withdiawn in personal conversation, joutnalist in the country., At Paley's, but totally controlled and brilliant .urging„ Murrow beCaihe a vice presi- as a communicator. His voice was dent of CBS. This wawa mistake, since steeped in civility, intelligence, And he had neither the talent. nor the in compassion. He was a man who, much clination for administration, and be as Lindbergh did, ipanned'the oceans soon found himielt speaking for the , and shortened distance and heightened company, and having to defend CBS time. He helped make radio respec- policies with whiCh he did not table as a seriousAournalistic ; -necessarily agree. But that did not profession,-and more than a decade ,,,bother either man at the start; Paley later, simply by going over to offered Murrow a house in Manhasset, television, had a good deal to do with Long Island, next to his own (the offer making that journalistically was not 'accepted). If the relationship legitimate too. He: as, an a way, more was nice for Paley it was also good for an educator than a journalist. His own Murrow and the news. depattment.. career and the techpological revolu- . .Easy acCelisto the Chairman meant tic- tion be was a part of helped .mark cessto airtime. It was a built-in protec- America's transformatiOn from a post- • Lion tot torrespondeitk It seemed to , Depression i nation to a ma- symbolize tbeStrength andimportance jor international spperpower. Hie veryve of the news division within the coin- voice bridged the ocean; btought . Aany,,",,the. invulnerability to the Europe (and thus Potentially thieateit; pressures nutside• t,„ • ' ing alien powers) claierAnd made its . AnYone. doubting Mitircvi'm power presence more immediateand:mOre: complicated. He hell* edOcAte thane- •and infitienCe, or misjudging the priori- ' ' ity Paley veined 'to plies On news, tion in the proceis of entering the had 'only to MOW. abotit the guest list for larger world. He also helped in- augurate an era in which the very speed Paley's'aecond wedding; in 1947, his • of communication became a form of marriage to Barhatti Cushing Mor- power. timer. The wedditigwaavery srtialland select:" her family, not his; her world, not his. Just before the wedding, Paley As the beat of English society was went to an associate at CBS to ask for open to Murrow, so was it, open to his camera film and to explain that despite boss, Colonel William S. Paley. Paley their close professional relationship, took a leave ;from CBS' and went to no business colleagues or friends of his London 1943::: to , serve on were being invited: A very smaliparty, Eisenhower's psyChologiCal warfare just family, Paley emphasized. The Staff. A friendihip with Murrow, whom friend underatood, and did not mind un- he had Well; known before, was im- til after . the wedding, when Paley mediately forged. They were often dropped off the film to be developed'', joined by Charles Collingwood, and the The associate loOked at Some of the three strikingly handsome young men shots, and saw; yes, it was small; Bill were seen at the best places, often with and Babe, and the family, and Jock the best-looking women: Paley was, Whitney, and there was ... Edward R. close to young correspondents then, Murrow. Since the associate who lent They were heroes, and he was impress- the camera and film, Dr. Frank StaPin, ed with'their intelligence; courage, the had become the president of CBS a year risks those boys took in reporting from ' earlier, and since he hadcome to resent wartime Europe. And, in no matter both Murrow's fame and his personal what city, they seemed to know just the closeness to Paley, the incident did not right people. Those who know Paley soon leave Stanton's mind. Nearly 15 believe that during the war in England years WO-, asked by mutual friends he sensed for the first time the true -- why he could not close the terrible - sodal possibilities that his power breach with. Murrow, since both of might generate ..., Not that he was them were by then ostensibly working frivolous—he was still the relentless, toward the same essential goals, driving businessman—but he was less Stanton would mention this incident as open, less accessible. His friends were part of the problem—Murrow was a changing, they were more social, more guest at Bill and Babe Paley's wed- from the upper reaches of the business ding; Stanton was not: The nerve was world. There was a gradually still that raw. diminishing number of people who might argue with him or dispute him. (1954.) The Murrow-McCarthy show ., without any screening by g BS took so - In late February of 1954, Marrow and superiors. A decade later it would be ‘t was significant-first because it long incoming, second becaused loom- Friendly began to move ahead on the very. different. ed so large over what was clearly so show.. Those who knew him well 'Just before the McCarthy show was low a landscalie,'Mid third, because it believe that Murrow knew the Army to be broadcast, at 10:30 p.m., March 9, ,have was also going to attack McCarthy; he caused such a storm. It would a call came through to Miirrow frOm been unforgivable for television and realized that he could delay no longer. Paley : "gct, I'm With you tOday„„And , the l'il be with you tomorrow," A nice for a team with the reputation of the ReportsCarthy might were gocirculating after Murrow; that Mc Murrow-Friendt group to fail to do. a call . ' It senator was already telling people that major dochmeit ry od ,McCarthy: television in he had documents proving that On April 27, 1965, Ed Murrow died of woUld have rendered Murrow was a' communist. Murrow general, and CBS and Murrow in par- on the staff what , lung cancer. Muirow had left CO in warned everyone 1961 to head USIA. He had suffered a ticular, a joke. From the start, the real might lie ahead and asked if they had ,exhausting il- question raised by Joe McCarthy was long and' painful and ' was—thaf was anything to hide, anything which lness: That night CBS,,undei the direc- not what might come out later and embarrass self-evident — but rather which Jour- tion of the man who was now head of newe, Fred Friendly,' broadcast a nalists and networks' would have the' them. At the same time CBS's lawyers . dis- courage to say what he was. From the began to go through every aspect of memorial program', "to the mott tinguished commentator moor start he wes reckless and shallow; the Murrow's own past, in preparation for of tapes from only thing real about him was the fear McCarthy's expected' coun- history." It was Made up he generated. For he came on the scene terchal lenge. ' his television broadcasts, and voice- Murrow was uneasy about using over from his radio days, accompanied at a volatile time. America blown over- television in what would inevitably be night to great power status, the Soviets so personal a fashion., McCarthy had by still photos.' It was powerful and with atomic Weapons. His was an es- moving, not least because those friends sential challenge to freedont'of speech, broken the rules of civilized political, of his who happened to narrate It — Sevaried and Collingwood — had.the and an astonishing number. of people behavior: this meant that any jour- efter- were cowed, tea greaterbr lesser ex= nalist portraying him accurately' best voices ie broadcasting, The neon before it was =hired.' Friendly tent, into retreating before the would similarly have te break his own . of demagogic challenge. This was true of rules and built in restrictieos.When he received a phOne call from Alio' even more true of finally decided on the yehicie for taking Pit people ,!, print journalism and simple one. He Paley's caM- electronic journalism. If theCenterdid on McCarthy, it was a Is anyone going' ei speak for the destroy • not fold,.it did not exactly hold, either. would let McCarthy pany? the man incinirect Murrow was a, man of the Center; he McCarthy; 'tthe terror:" Murrow Friendly answered that he didn't was the best of broadcasting. So it was said after screening some footage keow, what that meant, 'This was a this room." .iiilurrew,lho natural that in 1953, and' 953 friends the senator, Is in show, he said, about Ed Murrow and Friendly kept the idea of • - began to ask Murrew and Friendly„ shor.a sestet inside CBS as long had worked for CBS. (producer Fred 'Mendip' when they their Are you going to be on? the PR-Haan were going to take on McCarthy. , as possible, on the assumption that the ed. * less the 20th Hear knew, the better, No, said Friendly, it was going to" be When? It was a very good 'question. That was fine with the 20th floor. Paley For -a year before, the McCarthy. very simple, Murrow and some otitis

broadeast, the "See It Now team had was not abbut toorder Murrowwas he not likely to doto;. boys. been told to start eollecting film., No' a McCarthy show, nor What do you think, saidthe PR Mani ) - date for broadcisting the show had order him to" do one But he was not of the idea of the Chat rman going on for two minutes? been set. MurroW's own failure to act eagerkept as to muchbe associated institutional with distance It and heas was becoming an issue among, jour- CBS. Oh, said Friendly, slightly taken nalistic 'colleagues. Yee( he had done • , possible between the shoW and. aback, do you think,he really wants to? Yes,said the pR man, m very Ore some shows which touched on civil No, CBS would not advertise the liberties, on people being pressured by prograM or anew* CBS. and logo Friendly "eye" he'd like to. farms of McCarthyism. Buthe had not to be used. So !Arrow So on the occasion tif the death of • gone after McCarthy himself. „When . bought. their own ad and paid for it out Edward R;.Murrow, William S. Paley, the subject came up he answered yes, of their own pockets and signed it with Who had done so much to Make him and the show would be done; but he was their own,'' names.want to No screen Paley, the when show almost as much to break him, and who searching for the right vechicle. When Basked, did not. wanted to be sure that the compapygot colleagues and friends were, as they before it ran, Both Murrow and Paley credit for Mtirrow, went on the air to often were somewhat more insiatent, 'knew what his reaction would be Ed, say that Ed Murrow had symbolized . and demanded that he go on and take dolwe reallythat have Mutrow to do offerthis? McCarthyPaley did the golden age of broadcasting, and that there would soon be anotper the extraordinary forum of television . suggest MUtTOW had been thinking and make an attack upon. McCarthy,? equal time. golden age.. : Murrow pulled back. Noe he couldn't' of that too; that it had the adVantage, In 1973, as' the Watergate scandals do that It woul4n't doany good. He was , when McCarthy demanded equal time, unfolded, Janet Murrow watched aware of the 'Problem, be said, and Of not looking'as if they were backing television news regularly. She oten aware of the force of television, but it down. They also asked Sig Mickeison, felt frustrated by the lack of commen- wouldn't do any good for him to simply nominal head of CBS News (In fact. tary. Of the varying commentateri, go on television and make a speech Murrow and Friendly were practically she thought that Bill Moyers most against McCarthy. His friends were running a separate shop, which was resembled Ed: But he was not ontlhe often not satisfied with his answer, and known as Tobruk), if he wanted to look networks; he was on public television. Herson, Casey Murrow, lived in yer- for that 'matter, neither was be. For he 'screenedat it, but Mickeisonnothing eiSe declined. of theirt:Sethe He had knew, better than most, that-what mont and taught school. He did not bin journalist chooses not to seers often as most potent and sensitive television a television set. • show of a decade ' went on the 'air important as what hechooses to see, William S. Paley: -He has no equal in politics or in business. In 'an age where political and corpoiate structures have ' been arranged so no one can be held accountable, he may be our last autocrat." Mirror, irror Reflections,

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28,1975 C19 Reaction,s and the CBS Empire

By Sander Vanocur The niovemeht, may be officially in the United States and how power is dated from last July when CBS began ta exercised — from the ways computers If information is power, then CBS react to Robert'Metz's "CBS: Reflec- have altered the information process Chairman William S. Paley is the most tions in a Bloodshot Eye," a somewhat to the massive impact of a fleeting TV powerful man in the United States. slapdash history of Paley and CBS, the • image. - He has no equal in politics or in •two being synonymous. The CBS reac-. It is not being ignored. It could not be. business. In an age where political and tion to the book was excessive. The' Halberstam traces the rise of CBS to its corporate structures have been present role as leader of the broad- arranged so that no one can be held ac- casting industry and how the rise of the countable for their acts, where Television company and its insistence on ever decisions are reached by'committee so. greater corporate profits has affected that no one can be linked to failure, 'Paley's special relationship with his Paley may be our last autocrat. book should have beep ignored. news department, a relationship which Autocrats do not like criticism.. A new look at CBS and Paley in the Paley had fostered through his close Neither do lesser beings. The dif: current issue of The Atlantic cannot be :friendship with the late Edward R. ference lies in the power of the autocrat ignored. It is the first installment of a :Murrow. to counter it, using information to two-part series by David Halberstam, Halberstam's conclusion in the first counter other information. We are now author of "The Best and the article will not be easy for Paley to ac- in the midst of what historians may one Brightest," that forms a central part of cept — that he abandoned Murrow in day call Paley's "counter-. a new book on how technological See TELEVISION, C21, Col. 1 information." change has redefined who holds power

TELEVISION, From C19 the rise of Huntley and Brinkley, he CBS entertainer who lost his job after was the sole dominant voice on radio ',he was blacklisted by anti-communist the late '50s after Mtirrow went before ' and television. There was Murrow and vigilantes. a meeting of radio and television news then there was everyone else. directors in Chicago to denounce what CBS has a curious corporate per- How CBS car • wis off will be in- television was showing its vast audien- sonality split about Murrow. In the late teresting. The Oatiiiitrania Made'no ce. According to Halberstam, "Paley '50s, CBS made him virtually a non- •mentioa of eithei Paley or FrankStan- Sivas furious; Murrovi had betrayea person _before he left the network to ton, the number two man at CBS during him, had fouled his own nest. Ed become director of the U.S.I.A. in the those days. Can CBS show a drama Murrow had betrayed the man who, in Kennedy administration. But from about Murrovv without getting into Bill Paley's view at least, had made time to time, CBS celebrates the -what happened to his, relationships him rich and famous." memory of Murrow by showing some with Paley and Stanton? If the drama It is difficult for those who were born of his celebrated documentaries. It is does not, do Paley and others at CBS after World War II to understand how even considering a dramatic program think this will go unnoticed? important a figure Murrow was in based on Murrow's life, something Perhaps they do. Television is, after broadcast journalism. From his broad- similar in form to the two-hour drama all, a medium that can rearrange and casts from London during the war until it aired this fall on John Henry Faulk, a alter our perceptions of reality and Edward R. Murrow: "It is dif- ficult for those born after World War II to understand how important a figure Murrow was in broadcast journalism...There was Murrow and then there was everyone else." does so on a daily basis. Why not 'designed to be issued either to One of those giants is gone. The other history? Great men worry about stockholders or affiliates next year, 'remains with certain loose midi: bt history. They wonder what will be said when CBS celebrates its 50th anniver- history that must be tidied and perhit of them after they are gone from the sary. If • CBS changes or • edits . the rearranged. That Is the privilege, f scene. Some try to tidy up all the loose history, Mayer says it then becomes a great and powerful men..Paley halls ends while they still have the power to company documept and his name will,_' own sense of his relationship wOh do so. Why let others build your be removed froni it. '• ' Murrow. , His commissioned histoyy memorial while you still have the • will have its own special sense. Reckr- power to commission its design? A commissioned history of CBS ters such as Halberstam will have News, a projeCted drama about theirs. We will knoW in time. But This may be the reason why Paley Nturrow on CBS ... It is obvious that a perhaps it is now in order to ask tot/a has commissioned Martin Mayer, raw nerve has been touched, a nerve modicum of charity on the part of author of "About Television" and "The that reached back in time to the mo- Paley and CBS where the memory of Bankers,'! to write a history of CBS ment when two. giants, Paley and Ed Murrow is involved. He served both News. Mayer does not know what CBS Murrow, joined together to create an well *hen he lived. There is no more he Intends to do with it. Neither, at this excellence in broadcast journalism can do for them now.• Let him rest in time, does CBS, though it appears that has never since been touched. 'peace.