LETTER TO MR. LEN ALLEN FROM HERBERT E. HETU

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A002500020017-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 7, 2004
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: October 17, 1977
• Content Type: LETTER

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Mr. Len Allen
Managing Director
Radio Television News
Directors Association
1735 DeSales Street, N.W.
Washington, D.D. 20036
Dear Mr. Alien
Admiral Turner has asked me to thank you for your letter of
October 10th. We very much appreciate your sending along a copy
of your Resolution directing the RTNDA Board to develop guidelines
for journalistic relations with government agencies.
It will interest you to know that we are currently consolidating
and clarifying our own policies concerning CIA relationships with
the news media. We have several internal policies and regulations
concerning such relationships, but feel in light of recent interest
in the issue, it makes sense to consolidate them into a single
policy statement to clarify the many misconceptions and misunder-
standings which now exist. I will be happy to send you that
consolidated statement just as soon as it is finished. It may
help in putting your own guidelines together.
In the meantime, if I can help in any other way please let me
know. Perhaps we could get together to discuss the subject sometime
at your convenience.
Many thanks again for taking the time to write.
Sincerely,
Herbert E. Hfetu
Assistant for Public Affairs
3X , h jDirector of Central Intelligence
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RAr3I f' TELEVISIDN NEWS DIIARECTOPS ,ASSDCIATIO
PRESIDENT
Wayne R. Vriesman, WGN-AM-TV
2501 Bradley Place
Chicago, IL. 60618
VICE PRESIDENT
Ernie J. Schultz, Jr., KTVY-TV
Oklahoma City, OK. 73114
TREASURER
Paul M. Davis, WCIA-1"V
Champaign, I L 61820
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Rob Downey, WKAR
Michigan State Univ.
East Lansing, M1. 48824
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
Dean Mell 11) KHQ-TV
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Len Allen
1735 DeSales St., N. W.
Washington, D. C. 20036
October 10, 1977
Admiral Stanfield Turner
Director, Central Intelligence
Washington, DC 20505
Spokane, 4VA. 09203 Dear Admiral Turner :
Pat Stevens 12), KGUN-TV
Tucson, AZ. 85703
Phil Mueller (3), KSL AM-FM
Salt Lake City, UT. 84111
Walt Hawver (4), KTRK-TV
Houston, TX. 77001
Robert McMullen (5), WFRV-TV
Green Bay, WI. 54305
Robert Wilbanks (B), WHO Radio
Des Moines, IA. 50308
Fred Heckman (7), WIBC
Indianapolis, IN. 46208
Bob Gilmartin (8), WKRC-TV
Cincinnati, OH. 45219
Ed deForest (9), KWKH/KROK
Shreveport, LA. 71120
Chris C. Botsaris (10), WTVF-TV
Nashville, TN. 37219
Hartford, CT. 06103
Fred Young (12), WTAE & TV
Pittsburgh, PA, 15230
Ted Landphair (13), WMAL-AM
Washington, D.C. 20015
Dave Partridge (14), WFBC & TV
Greenville, SC. 29602
Dick Smyth (Canada), CHUM
Toronto, Ontario
DIRECTORS?AT-LARGE
Mike Parker, KFI-AM
Los Angeles, CA. 90054
Tom Petersen, KWWL AM-TV
Waterloo, IA. 50703
Curtis Beckmann, WCCO-AM
.Minneapolis, MN. 55402
Frank Bamako, WHC-AM
Washington, D. C. 20016
PAST PRESIDENT
John Salisbury, KXL AM-FM
Box 22106
Portland, OR. 97222
EX-OFFICIO
David Dary
Univ. of Kansas
Lawrence, KS. 66045
AEJ Radio-TV Division
Ted Powers, WDBJ-TV
President, National Bdcst.
Editorial Association
Roanoke, VA. 24022
The 02nd annual conference of the Radio Television News Directors
Association, meeting in San Francisco, adopted the attached resolution:
which is forwarded for your information and consideration. We would
welcome any comment you care to make.
RTNDA, which now represents more than 1600 broadcast newspersons
throughout the United States, has.long been concerned with protecting
the rights of electronic journalists in every area of their activity.
LA/mh
enc.
cc: The Hon. Clarence M. Kelly
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PRESIDENT RTNDA CANADA
David Knapp, CBC-TV
Montreal, Qua., Canada Approved For Release 2004/05/05 : CIA-RDP80M00165AO02500020017-8
COMMUNICATOR EDITOR
Ray Hiebert
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TEXT OF A RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE 32nd AN UAL CONFERENCE OF THE
RADIO TELEVISION NEWS DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION
September, 1977
We are citizens first, then journalists. As citizens we have some obligations
to co-operate with government agencies. As journalists, our obligations are a
good deal more sensitive, and difficult to define. But definition of those
obligations is needed because of recent revelations involving journalists,
journalism organizations and various governmental agencies, especially those in
the investigation and intelligence fields. Guidelines are needed in advance of
approaches by governmental agencies for our help. The basis on which such help
should be granted, if at all, needs to be studied and debated. The RTNDA Board
is directed to study this area and formulate guidelines for member consideration.
STAT
An RTNDA policy statement in this field may be needed.
Uc. I
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