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~s9 a/Vff~/ 7~. 1511 K Street, N. W Washington, D. C. 20005 April 7, 1978 APR 1 ol: 11 u TO: PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE Gentlemen: The enclosed is for your information and files. Cordially, 1 ./ R. O'Connell, Jr. VD { rector Public Relations. JRO:kcp Enclosure Telephone: Area Code (202) 628 -0189 • April 1, 1978 Media March weather proved more cooperative than February for traveling. Martha Pehl flew to Flagstaff, Arizona, to appear on KOAI-TV with Loraine Bendix. She offered "Eye It Before You Diet" to viewers and discussed hypoglycemia and overweight for 30 minutes. KEOS radio gave Martha 30 minutes for the cereal controversy, special diets and general nutrition. She called on Wanda Seglund, Arizona Sun food editor and County Extension Horne Agent, Beth Tucker. In Phoenix, Martha was on the popular "Open House with Rita Davenport," KPHO-TV, to demonstrate how to make meringues. To begin with, it rained for days in San Diego prior to the trip . Because of the dampness Martha's meringues would never get crisp. She managed to show some good finished products after a little doctoring (regluing a broken swan's neck with freshly beaten egg white, etc.). The station assured her they had a good mixer to work with and came up with a poor excuse that had only one beater. Thus the eggs wouldn't beat properly, which meant they wouldn't come out of the pastry bag properly either. She was able to show the viewers all the disasters that could happen before showing slides of how everything looks when it's not a bad day. On KPHO-TV, Phoenix, Larry Martel taped a program on special diets. Next stop was Las Vegas where she appeared on KLAS-TV c overing our suggested questions on sugar. KSHO-TV asked Martha to be its guest on "Inquiry" with host Maurice Morgan. They covered weight control, metabolism of carbohydrates and additives for 30 minutes. The University of Nevada at Reno had a Saturday "Nutrition Update" for 75 Cooperative Extension agents and teachers. Martha was on one of the panels discussing sugar's role in the diet. Dr. Roslyn Alfin-Slater, Professor of Nutrition at UCLA, was the key speaker. She had a very positive attitude toward sugar. After the meeting Martha told her about the Association's various educational and research activities. John Alexander of American Crystal Sugar Company arranged for Elizabeth Spannhake, New Orleans, to speak at the two-day Red River Valley Institute and Machinery Show in Crookston, Minnesota, March 15 and 16. Working with John, we decided to utilize Liz's background in several ways. She presented an in-depth seminar on sugar's role in health to 80 teachers, Extension Service personnel and students at North Dakota State University. The university Extension staff video taped Liz for a series of four 10-rninute segments on obesity to be used by agents throughout the state. • She was available for a press conference and also appeared for a combined total of l hour and 47 minutes on KFCO radio, KTHI-TV in Fargo; KFJM radio, WDAZ-TV and KNOX radio in Grand Forks. The diet booklet was offered and sugar's role in health discussed. Seven hundred people attended each of the two sessions at the Institute. John Alexander and Elizabeth held a typical media interview. He asked Liz all the questions we are asked on the air. The audience was able' to learn first hand what the various controversies about sugar are. Many of the attendees asked Liz additional questions afterwards. John and Liz both felt the presentation was well received. While Liz was in the North, I was in the South for a change. First stop was Dallas, Texas . WFAA-TV wanted to debate about sugar coated cereals, and whether the sugar industry had any concern over how food companies misuse sugar in their consumer products. Bruce Halford and medical reporter, Gary Schwitzer of WFAA, were the interviewers. Dr. Peggy Fry, nutritionist for the pediatric clinics at Southwest Medical School and I were the guests. Dr. Fry and I agreed on most points regarding sugar's role in health. She felt it was to be used in moderation. She was against sugar coated cereals because they are often used as "snacks" . Many of the comments that appeared in the March Consumer Reports on sugar came up. I stressed that sugar's main role in food was to enhance pal atability. I would say the station hoped to have their two guests at each other's throats and were surprised when this didn't happen. This same format was used by KHOU-TV, Houston . The second guest was Denise Tobias, head of Methodist Hospital's Weight Control Clinic. In this case it was not a panel format. I spoke first and covered everything I could possibly imagine. Denise would be asked about sugar. The hosts asked her more questions about weight control and how fat and salt as well as carbo hydrates affected it. While in Dallas, I also appeared on Ed Pewitt's early (6:30 a.m.) morning show, KXAS-TV, Ft. Worth, which has a tremendous following. The booklet was offered and within· eight days we received 300 requests. Bob Berry interviewed me on KFJZ radio. He followed a format that more and more stations are using. Two or three people are interviewed on a topic, in this case sugar. Everyone is supposedly asked the same questions. Then the interviewer edits and puts everyone together as if it were a panel discussion. Of course, you don't have the advantage of knowing what the other guests have to say. John Dale of KOAX radio interviewed me for a half hour on the saccharin article in the March 13 issue of Time Magazine, as well as the cereal controversy. In Houston, I also appeared on KDOG-TV with Harold Gunn, a very popular TV personality. He had a positive view toward sugar. Another guest repre senting dog food went to great lengths to tell viewers how dogs get too much sugar, which isn't good for them. I appeared on KLOL radio for 20 minutes discussing obesity, hypoglycemia and tooth decay. Then I traveled along the Gulf. In Beaumont, I was on KFDM-TV for 10 minutes on the cereal controversy. Susan Springfield, KTRM radio, interviewed me for 30 minutes about all aspects of sugar. In Corpus Christi, I appeared for a five minute news short on KZTV-TV talking about the cereal controversy. Gene Looper of the same station interviewed on the street. We talked about sugar's role in health. In Laredo, I was on the noon news at KGNS-TV for 10 minutes talking about "whether sugar is poison" with Barbara Kazen. Neil Gi liaan ot" KVTV-'l'V Next stop was Harlingen/McAllen, Texas. Les Brecht, an old timer at KGBT-TV, interviewed me for 10 minutes on fad diets. The booklet was offered. David Highbaugh, station manager for KRIO radio, McAllen, covered the Consumer Reports article, 60 Minutes, Don Rather's presentation and the cereal controversy for 20 minutes. Last week I traveled to Milwaukee to make up for the cancellation last February when New York was snowed in. I appeared on the early morning news WTMJ-TV show "Morning Scene". I talked about sugar for 10 minutes and answered call-in questions, most of which were excellent. The cereal controversy was the popular topic. Howard and Rosemary Gernette invited me to be their guest on "Dialing For Dollars." We talked about fad diets and offered the booklet. John Baas of WBCS radio did an in-depth 20-minute interview on all aspects of sugar and general nutrition. Diane Lillianfeld of WUWM radio at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, talked to me for 20 minutes on snack foods and the sugar controversy. She had read Consumer Reports thoroughly. In summary, my experiences this month have found me facing interviewers who are much more vindictive toward sugar than I've seen in past months with the exception of the period immediately after "60 Minutes" was aired. The cereal controversy usually gets into, "what is the role of parents regarding selection of cereal?" It has not made near the impact on people as the Consumer Reports article has. I've decided that publication is second to the bible in the minds of many people. Martha did not find Consumer Reports mentioned as often in Arizona/Nevada as I did in Texas. Dorothy Buckner morning Sta r-T eleg ram THURSDAY. MA.RCH9. 1978 Ii Vi ng_se_cti_on_C : Critic~ sour on sweetened cereals By JO ANN vACHULE · Dr. Charles E. Cash says the worst part of it all is that Star-Telegram Food Writer consumption of such cereals is not limited to meal-time. Ask dietitians to rate pre-sweetened cereals and they "Children watch television and they see a commercial get a "PG"' for parental guidance ~dvised. and run to the pantry to get some Froot Loops. That . Leave t?e rating up to dentists, specifically pedodon- sugar stays on their teeth like glue," he said. "They t1Sts or children's dentists, and they get, at best, an "R" shouldn't saturate the Saturday morning cartoon pro- for restricted. grams with such commercials." Some would go so far as to give sugar-loaded cereals a • • • triple "X" ... totally bad for everyone. TELEVISION ADVERTISING does make children The Sugar Smacks, Kabooms, Froot Loops, Orange think the cereals are fun food, Mrs. Hendrix said, adding Quangaroos and all their sugary kin are coming in for a that she would like to see a change in emphasis on new_ round of scrutiny, mostly because they are ad- Saturday morning when children are watching cartoon verhsed extensively during children's television pro- shows.