Chairman Paley, Critic Murrow

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: •and infitienCe, or misjudging the priori- complicated. He hell* edOcAte thane- ' ' ity Paley veined 'to plies On news, had tion in the proceis of entering the 'only to MOW. abotit the guest list for larger world. He also helped in- Paley's'aecond wedding; in 1947, his augurate an era in which the very speed • marriage to Barhatti Cushing Mor- of communication became a form of timer. The wedditigwaavery srtialland power. select:" her family, not his; her world, not his. Just before the wedding, Paley went to an associate at CBS to ask for As the beat of English society was camera film and to explain that despite open to Murrow, so was it, open to his their close professional relationship, boss, Colonel William S. Paley. Paley no business colleagues or friends of his took a leave ;from CBS' and went to were being invited: A very smaliparty, London 1943::: to , serve on just family, Paley emphasized. The Eisenhower's psyChologiCal warfare friend underatood, and did not mind un- Staff. A friendihip with Murrow, whom til after . the wedding, when Paley he had Well; known before, was im- dropped off the film to be developed'', mediately forged. They were often The associate loOked at Some of the joined by Charles Collingwood, and the shots, and saw; yes, it was small; Bill three strikingly handsome young men and Babe, and the family, and Jock were seen at the best places, often with Whitney, and there was ... Edward R. the best-looking women: Paley was, Murrow. Since the associate who lent close to young correspondents then, the camera and film, Dr. Frank StaPin, They were heroes, and he was impress- had become the president of CBS a year ed with'their intelligence; courage, the ' earlier, and since he hadcome to resent risks those boys took in reporting from both Murrow's fame and his personal wartime Europe. And, in no matter closeness to Paley, the incident did not what city, they seemed to know just the soon leave Stanton's mind. Nearly 15 right people. Those who know Paley years WO-, asked by mutual friends believe that during the war in England why he could not close the terrible - he sensed for the first time the true -- breach with. Murrow, since both of sodal possibilities that his power them were by then ostensibly working might generate ..., Not that he was toward the same essential goals, frivolous—he was still the relentless, Stanton would mention this incident as driving businessman—but he was less part of the problem—Murrow was a open, less accessible. His friends were guest at Bill and Babe Paley's wed- changing, they were more social, more ding; Stanton was not: The nerve was from the upper reaches of the business still that raw.

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