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cocky enough to think that if I could have done it in '72, or '76, I've forgotten which, at the time Arthur Taylor asked me not to do it (I guess I'm talking about '76), I was cocky enough to think I could have a commission or a group whose mission was to get the legislation through. I had John Pastore's support for it, I had already talked with him. He was still in the Senate, and I think there was enough carry over that we could have gotten it through.

In terms of its effect on the entire Communications Act, what exactly was the legislation that you were proposing?

Just to take out the equal time requirement, and substitute fairness; that you couldn't ignore the other parties, but you didn't have to measure it, minute-by-minute. It got ridiculous. In the campaign of '52, there was a farmer in Missouri, or perhaps New Jersey, I'm not sure, who said he was a bona fide candidate for president. This is in the primary. [Robert A.] Taft was a candidate, and Eisenhower was a candidate. I think they were the leading candidates on the Republican side. It came to my office and I finally made the decision, when the man made the application. We had had Bob Taft on, and we had had -- I guess just Taft -- on a discussion program, and hadn't invited this farmer. He demanded time, under the Section #315. It was a close call. I took the position in the company that we would deny him time on the basis that he wasn't a significant candidate, he was just in the State of Missouri -- or the State of New Jersey, I've forgotten which.

He went to the FCC, and the FCC backed him up.

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