Television: Equal Sequel

In election season, Lar Daly of Chicago puts on his Uncle Sam suit and runs for office on the America First ticket — any office, from the presidency on down. In 1959, when Firster Daly was a candidate in Chicago’s mayoralty race, he learned that CBS had televised the other Daley, Mayor Richard, as he greeted a Latin American diplomat at the airport. Invoking Section 315 (a) of the Communications Act of 1934, Lar Daly demanded — and got — equal time on television to promote his home-canned candidacy.

Sudden Switch. In 1959, with the Daly-Daley precedent in mind, Congress amended 315 (a), but the FCC’s strict letter-of-the-law enforcement kept broadcasters grumbling. In 1960, Congress passed a joint resolution suspending the equal-time requirements for that year’s presidential candidates.

The networks were thus able to screen the memorable Nixon-Kennedy debates, as well as many other informative political programs. But the waiver was for 1960 only; two years later, after CBS and NBC covered a luncheon held for Nixon and Pat Brown during the California gubernatorial race, the networks were forced by the FCC to give Prohibition Candidate Robert Wyckoff equal time.

Fortnight ago, Congress was close to passing a new resolution suspending the cumbersome rules for presidential campaigners. Then, last week, Senate Democrats suddenly went into reverse and shelved the bill. The Senators’ switch was obviously aimed at helping out Lyndon Johnson, who 1) does not want to debate with Barry Goldwater on TV, and 2) does not want to decline publicly. Thus the Democrats have denied the public the freewheeling campaign coverage it enjoyed in 1960.

Back to Back. This time the networks cried foul. And the Republicans cried chicken. CBS Chief Frank Stanton called it a “disturbing step backward in the progressive effort toward a better-informed public.” NBC’s Robert Sarnoff invited Johnson and Goldwater to appear back to back, or even face to face, on Meet the Press, which is exempt from the equal-time provision since it is a regularly scheduled interview show. Goldwater accepted. At week’s end Johnson had yet to reply.

Johnson’s maneuver may boomerang.

As soon as he officially becomes a candidate, kill-joy Section 315 (a) may well preclude any more presidential press conferences on television until after the election. Unless, of course, Lyndon wants to invite Barry — and Lar —to share the White House spotlight.