Defending The Fifth Estate
In last week's blog, I wrote about the 80th anniversary of the Communications Act of 1934 and the establishment of the Federal Communications Commission. This week's blog is about a pioneer of our business who fought vigorously for broadcasting's First Amendment rights.
Frank Stanton was and still is one of our broadcasting heroes. Hired in 1935 by CBS President William S. Paley, Stanton started in the research department but by 1945 was named President of CBS with Paley becoming Chairman and CEO. As network television began to produce more news programming, the subject matter started to cover more controversial topics. CBS News' lead correspondent at that time was Edward R. Murrow, who had been a war correspondent for CBS Radio during World War II. Murrow had a program on CBS Television called "See It Now". In 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy began holding hearings in Congress to identify and blacklist those people who he deemed to be communist and a threat to the U.S. After World War II, Eastern Europe fell under Soviet domination; in 1949, China fell to communism. McCarthy saw this movement overseas as permeating into American society. Comedienne Lucille Ball was identified as a communist only because a close relative was registered as one back in New York State.
On March 9, 1954, See It Now devoted its entire hour with footage of Senator McCarthy in hearings in which McCarthy intimidated the news media and entertainment industry in his hunt to take down people he deemed communists. In essence, the program exposed McCarthy to the nation as he really was through his own words and deeds, as a person creating fear and oppression. Until that time, the media had been reluctant to challenge McCarthy. But not Murrow and certainly not Frank Stanton. At the end of the broadcast, McCarthy was allowed time to respond but his response was judged as not very effective. But CBS and Murrow had already triggered McCarthy's downfall.
Stanton was known as a very able and competent witness in congressional hearings in his career. A well- educated man with a doctorate from Ohio State University, he was detailed oriented and always prepared. During one hearing, McCarthy reminded Stanton that the government could revoke the licenses of those stations owned by CBS, a direct threat if CBS didn't back down. But Stanton held his ground with McCarthy and the revocation didn't happen.
The end of McCarthyism in the U.S. was a major milestone for broadcast news media. And the Network's broadcast in March 1954 is still today considered one of the most important in the history of television.
Nobody defended The Fifth Estate better than Frank Stanton. See you next time.
