PUBLIC TV'S C.I.A. SHOW

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200970014-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: July 19, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200970014-8
ARTICLE APPEAR .D
/ON PAGE---
y r r
-
.>ne of-this'season.'s. most popular: public television:
r
NATION
19-26 .JULY 1980
.I~ fcc ~~' , w+ti ti7 v a ? v i l
crucial sum) for Free: to Choose as well as for
forum for controversial programs.
But did it? If a program on the energy crisis were funded
by the Mobil Oil Corporation or the Ekxon Corporation,
the conflict of interest would be. obvious,, but the ethical
problems raised by foundation sponsorship of public televi-,
sion are less clear-cut. The general public regards founda-
tions, for the most part, as charitable-organizations func
tioning on behalf of some ill-defined public- interest, and the.
foundation world has worked hard to foster. this image. ; .;
But it is precisely this benign public view of foundations:
that has made them increasingly attractive- "neutral" spon
sons for controversial public television shows.. Corp orations
and institutions whose images are tarnished now seek such-
"neutral"."- intermediaries to convey : their views. is
The Smith Richardson Foundation of Greensboro, North
Carolina, is one such ideological. middleman.. This non
profit foundation, which provided seed money (a, small but..
seemed public television had - provided an independent
by foundations rather than corporations; once again, it supported it
Choose,;wntten by and
programs was. Free: to
given about
noncommer
Choose (the
$105,000 fo
amined topic
policy; $50,C
ing station,
American fc
Gift, a series
because KEI
funds. In ner
most difficu
for preprodt
1 man, -among whose previous activities was advis In additio
tngthe=Pinochet Government m Chile The show examines of .$47,500
almost everyfacet of the . free enterprise system except the public static
source ofthe_fundinQ_for.lVlihon:Friedman'sseries debut on grew out of;
public TV:'As far as the average viewer of Free to Choose of the Real.
could.tell from the credits, the money was provided mainly .,The new r
being prepa
brochure
tions ought-
letter reveals
volved in all
ter to look ahead "and examine what role the C.I.A. might:
play. when confronted with a crisis in the future." : _.
Drafts of the story and teleplays are being reviewed by;
"consultants," according to the promotion brochure, who
include- William Colby,. former director of the C.I.A.;;
Samuel Halpern,. former C.I.A.; executive assistant to the!
deputy director for plans; John Maury, former C.I.A.chief:
of Soviet operations, legislative counsel for Cong~ressionaI;STAT
'relations ` and Assistant. Secretary. of- Defense, and Cord'
Meyer, former chief of the C.I.A- covert action staff, chief
of. the London station and assistant to the deputy director.'
.Despite the fact that Smith-.Richards
6nFoundation`
money and other grants have not been enough to produce'
the program as yet,. the initial biases of the project and of a
key . underwriter indicate some of the problems raised .by
Smith Richardson as a donor of such money for public TV
programs. The more one knows about the foundation the
more disturbing these problems become.
.In 1935,.the Smith Richardson'Foundation was incor
porated in North Carolina under the name of the Richard
son Foundation. ' It was established by' the late H. Smith
Richardson, The son of the founder of.the Vick,Chemical
Company. The company's name was changed to Richard-:
son-Merrell Inc.. in 1960 and the -foundation, which is in-
COATINIT D
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00806R000200970014-8
-'?Central.- Intelligence Agency and the.Defense Department
for many-years.- Its funding'of programs*- dealing with for-.
eignpolicyG or. domestic--spending:: raises. serious ques
tions about what- should. constitute a conflict of interest
Of equal importance' is ":'the viewers'-.right -to know. the
ideological, leanings of the underwriters of such programs;]
so that rney-caa wetter assess their objectivity; =j
Raising money for public programs is as uncertain as pan -
runs for gold- Advertising isn't permitted on the system,
which is partially funded by the Government. Producers of
controversial programs have* a particularly difficult task
.because underwriters are reluctant to support them..'
One reliable andlucrative?source of funds, however, has.
been the Smith Richardson Foundation. With assets of ap
'proximately-$60 `million,'. the: foundation has, since 1975,4
;grams. of similar conservative hue,. has had close ties' to the.