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o o ,oRQ:_ngEftiogT Vol. 91 No. 13 CBS News photos to carry a back -up. "Common practice will Top of the Week change after this," he ventured. The network anchormen took over with recaps and reports from correspondents Stage wait of while engineers searched for the prob- lem -which was not clearly defined in 28 minutes time for an explanation to viewers -and found a way to get around it. The debate, which had been scheduled mars first to run from 9:30 -11 p.m. NYT, was inter- rupted at about 10:51 during an answer by Governor Carter. It resumed at about great debate 11:19 with Mr. Carter completing his Estimated 100 million see opener answer, then went to the candidates' sum- in candidate confrontations, but mations and ended at 11:27. they had to hold on for nearly Representatives of both candidates, in- half hour for the ending terviewed during the interruption and in as audio breaks down; Van Deerlin network wrapups after the debate, ex- says it shows that the networks pressed delight with the way it had gone should have been in control; and maintained without reservation that overnights indicate so -so ratings their man had won. But if both were dissatisfied with league The first -head -to -head debate between control of the debates, Congress could presidential candidates in 16 years was move "in half an hour" this week to vote watched by an estimated 90 -100 million the exemption needed to permit the net- viewers in 35 -40 million homes Thursday works to hold the remaining debates in a night as President Ford and Jimmy Carter studio, Representative Lionel Van Deerlin opened what both consider the most cru- (D- Calif.) said last week. cial phase of their campaigns. Mr. Van Deerlin, chairman of the Corn - The first ratings, the Nielsen overnights munications Subcommittee where such for New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, legislation would begin, said he was pre- suggested that in the first two cities, at pared to move a bill, but would not do so least, the debate audience came reason- without requests from both candidates. ably close to normal levels for network en- Mr. Van Deerlin's opposite number, tertainment, neither plummeting as con- Senate Communications Subcommittee ventional public -affairs broadcast usually Chairman John Pastore (D -R.I.) said on do but not going through the roof either. the other hand that he was "not prepared In New York Nielsen put the averages to go along with" the last- minute exemp- for the three commercial networks and the tion, the purpose of which would be to Public Broadcasting Service over the two - permit the networks to carry the debates hour period at 53.7 rating and 82 share. without equal time obligations. Other sources said the ABC station Mr. Van Deerlin was moved to com- averaged a 27 share, CBS 26, NBC 25, for ment by his outrage over the audio failure a three -network total of 78 -in the same that interrupted the candidate debates for ball park with a normal three -network au- Off and running. First of political de- nearly a half -hour. It was "just beyond dience. In Chicago the three network sta- bates, pitting Jimmy Carter against belief, absolutely ludicrous" the congress- tions alone had a combined 54.9 rating and President Gerald Ford, was televised man said. 81 share, while in Los Angeles the net- live Thursday by ABC, CBS, NBC and What the incident shows, Mr. Van work stations had a 42.7 and 65. PBS. The candidates were queried in a Deerlin said, "is that the networks know The near -historic broadcast set an un- question- and -answer session by (sec - what they were talking about in the first wanted record of its own when an electri- and photo, l -r) Frank Reynolds of ABC, place. As long as the candidates are going cal malfunction shut off TV and radio James Gannon of Wall Street Journal to be hermetically sealed anyway, they sound with nine minutes to go in the and Elizabeth Drew of New Yorker while should have been where they belonged in scheduled 90- minute confrontation. The Edwin Newman of NBC served as the first place -in a studio." candidates stood at their lecterns and moderator. Senator Pastore, by contrast, was unper- waited like everyone else during the 28 turbed by the 28- minute gap, saying in his minutes it took engineers to locate the the mixer controlling the microphones opinion it merely prolonged an already trouble and bypass it. and feeds it to the networks. unexciting event. "1 don't think it made William Sheehan, president of ABC He said there was back -up equipment that big a difference," he said. News, which handled the pool for the for the microphones, mixers and lines The senator said he thinks it too late to debate in Philadelphia's Walnut Street used in Philadelphia but that engineers press an exemption for the networks and Theater, said the problem had been traced had advised him there was no duplicate on believes furthermore that such a move to a capacitor in the audio distribution hand for this particular unit because it is so would be an affront to the League of amplifier that takes the audio signal from reliable that it is "common practice" not Women Voters, which has carried the Broadcasting Sept. 27 1 976 25 .