SAN FRANCISCO CHAPTER NATIONAL ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS AND SCIENCES OFF CANIBIS Nixon's Telecommunications policy,. SEPTEMBER, 1972 CLAY T. WHITEHEAD — LOCAL CRITICS TO REVIEW TV'S FALL ACADEMY'S NEXT SPEAKER SEASON AT SEPT. 21ST LUNCHEON An opportunity to question the Terrence O'Flaherty, Dwight Newton and present political Bob MacKenzie, three of the Bay Area's Administration's top television critics, will soon face influence on bro- the very industry that produces the com- adcasting will be modity they dissect with the written word. presented Academy members on Thurs- The print media's TV sages will offer a day, September 14, critic's eye-view of the coming fall sea- at the Mark Hop- son at a luncheon at the Mark Hopkins kins Hotel. Hotel on Thursday, September 21st. Clay T. White- This affair offers an excellent oppor- head, Director of tunity for producers and programmers to President Nixon's question the basis for criticisms and Office of Tele- accolades leveled at the product of their communications Policy, will address the TV toils. industry in a luncheon speech at 12 noon. No-host cocktails will be served at 12. The discussion will include an explora- Lunch is at 12:30. Tickets are $5.00. tion of the recent startling proposal made by the Federal Trade Commission that cer- tain portions of broadcast time be set difficulties involved, we don't think it aside for "counter-advertising" when con- is a responsible act on the FTC's part. ditions warrant it; that the Fairness Doc- Without sufficient advertising revenues," trine be applied directly and broadly to he stated, "the media cannot live in its all commercial advertising. present form." As Max Gunther stated in the June '72 He will also comment on the hotbed of issue of TV Guide, "It (the Fairness Doc- tension between the Corporation for Public trine) could destroy television as an Broadcasting and the Office of Telecom- entertainment medium...TV executives are munications Policy resulting from the worried not only about being forced to President's veto of the appropriations give away big chunks of time (the only bill containing $45 million for CPB. It thing we have to sell), but that adver- is felt the changing political scene, and tisers might desert the medium if it be- particularly Nixon's veto, is a major comes an electronic soapbox for grumblers." factor in the recent resignation of CPB President John W. Macy, Jr. Whitehead, who is the President's per- sonal adviser in matters relating to TV, Following the election in 1968, White- says he is "disturbed by the FTC propo- head was a member of the President-elect's sal," and "considering the huge economic (Cont'd on Page 6) THE INSIDE STORY Page SENATOR MOSCONE REPORTS CLAY T. WHITEHEAD LUNCHEON 1 ON SENATE RESOLUTION 65 TV CRITICS REVIEW An unusually ambivalent audience faced Senator George Moscone during his address MOS CONE LUNCHEON 2 to members of the television industry on August 24th at the Mark Hopkins RUSS COUGHLAN - KGO-TV's Hotel. New Manager 3 The Senate Majority Leader explored aspects of Senate MANAGEMENT VUES Resolution 65, talked about the By Roger Rice 4 State Legislature and its pres- ent problems, and probed Governor Reagan's SANTA ROSA'S KFTY - Channel 50 tax reform bill. On the Air In clarifying what he feels is a "mis- AWRT FORUM 5 conception" about Senate Resolution 65, the Senator stated, "This matter is dir- "Newsroom's" JOE RUSSIN - ected toward network owned stations and New 5 Director would affect also those stations affili- CASEY MAC KENZIE - The ated with the networks. It does not urge Consumer Champion 6 the FCC to interfere in any way with the programming offered by independent sta- KCSM - CHANNEL 14 tions. There is evidence to indicate that By Doug Montgomery 6 independent stations would benefit, since material cast off by the networks would be STATION NEWS & NOTES fresher." By Lillian Fortier Apparently some misunderstanding pre- vailed over the Resolution's possible ef- LAW AND MEDIA FORM PRESS fect on the FCC, which Moscone dispelled ACCREDITATION COMMITTEE by commenting, "I admit a Resolution from the California State Senate directed to The second in a series of forums design- the FCC is somewhat less than binding ed to establish guidelines of conduct under upon that august body. I further admit that the First Amendment in the area of civil perhaps the unfriendly newspaper editor- disorders, August 17th's Law and Media ials mistook a Resolution for Seminar at the Mark Hopkins Hotel was suc- Legislation." cessful in establishing a press accredita- "And I further realize," he continued, tion committee. "...that the FCC will do what it damn well pleases in this decision no matter what The organization, consisting solely of the California Senate has decided by an persons, will structure criteria for media 18 - 17 decision." accreditation; when these standards are established, the committee will meet with Station representatives in attendance various police departments and law en- presented a study in mixed emotions. forcement agencies for acceptance thereof, There flows an unspoken feeling through- after which press credentials will be out the industry that Senator Moscone's issued at the media committee's discretion Resolution would tend to increase pro- instead of by police agencies. gramming costs to prohibitive levels, thereby creating serious financial diffi- Under this arrangement and through culties for local stations. Certainly it screening by the media committee, quali- follows that original programming costs fied news gatherers from the so-called money and reducing reruns would serve to "underground" can receive credentials, wound somebody's pocketbook. which they are presently being denied by the majority of law enforcement agencies. (Cont'd on Pg. 8) Baker and Organized by KQED's Marilyn Contributions to Off Camera should be Jack Armstrong of NATAS, the seminars addressed to: The Editor, Off Camera, will continue to be held on a bimonthly NATAS, 235 Montgomery Street, #1620, basis until desired guidelines are San Francisco, CA 94104. copy dead- structured. line is the 20th of the month for the following month. OCTOBER'S BOARD OF RUSS COUGHLAN — KGO—TV'S GOVERNORS' MEETING NEW GENERAL MANAGER Russ October's regularly scheduled meeting Coughlan has been named of the Board of Governors, Executive Offi- General Manager cers and Committee Chairmen will be held of KGO-TV, on the second Tuesday of the month it was announced on (October 10th) at 5:00 p.m. in the Main August 28th by Conference Room of KRON-TV, 1001 Van Ness Richard Avenue, San Francisco. General member- A. O'Leary, President ship and their guests are invited to of ABC attend. owned television stations. NEW APPOINTMENTS TO Coughlan has BOARD OF GOVERNORS AND been a familiar EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE face and voice to San Francisco residents for the past three years as host of Free-lance writer and Off Camera Editor both television and radio public affairs Alma Carroll replaces departing Larry series. He presently conducts KGO-TV's Sunday Kingen as the San Francisco Chapter's 2nd evening program "Call Out," and is heard Vice-President. Larry has moved to Seattle. each weekday night on KGO Radio in a KQED reporter Marilyn Baker has been similar broadcast featuring leading city appointed to the Board of Governors. She and state officials discussing a variety will replace Don Zavin who transferred to of public affairs issues. Los Angeles where he will continue to engage in film production. A native of San Francisco, Coughlan began his broadcasting career during the * * * Second World War as one of the original members of Armed Forces Radio. After serving throughout the Pacific, he was COMING EVENTS: discharged in 1945 and joined Oakland's KROW as a radio announcer. Sept 14 CLAY T. WHITEHEAD - Director of the White House Telecommunica- Coughlan joined KGO-TV in 1958 after tions Police Office leaving KCBS Radio and became the sta- tion's General Sales Manager the following Sept 21 THE CRITICS REVIEW - A critic's year, a post he held until 1968. eye-view of the Fall Season The new General Manager is a past presi- Ocl 19 WILLIE BROWN LUNCHEON denI of the Milline Club of San Francisco and the San Francisco Chapter of NATAS. ocL 26 ALAN CRANSTON Nov 2 DON DURGIN - President of NBC GET ACQUAINTED MEMBERSHIP Nov 15 NICHOLAS JOHNSON - FCC PARTY HELD ON AUGUST 16TH Commissioner Background for the Membership Committee's Dec 4 HOWARD COSELL, "DANDY" DON beer bust was provided by the Coalyard on MEREDITH & FRANK GIFFORD Union Street on Wednesday, August 16th. (An Encore Performance) There was free food, free beer, great people and Mar 21 SAN FRANCISCO ANNUAL EMMY AWARDS stimulating conversation -- many new faces, some Academy members, somc not. Reservations for all Academy activities One of a series should be made through the San Francisco of periodic "get acqua- Office of NATAS - Telephone: 392-8002. inted" get-togethers, the event actually precedes the Academy's fall membership drive which will begin this month. '49ER KICK—OFF LUNCHEON A SWINGING SUCCESS: MANAGEMENT VUES By Roger Rice Everyone who is anyone could be seen at the '49er Kick-Off Luncheon on August 29th Ballroom of the Hilton Hotel. I have been asked to make comments "From in the Grand General Manager Management" as the first Sponsored by The Greater San Francisco column every month. who will do this Chamber of Commerce, NATAS and the Profes- sional Football Writers of America, the As a viable independent, our program phi- huge event was MC'd by Gordy Soltau, the losophy is counter programming which means ex-'49er and placekicker.