NBC NEWS ON THE DEFENSIVE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100120004-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: June 18, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/03: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100120004-4
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON Mr. C 07
without precedent in the news
business," declared Grossman.
Grossman also responded to
William Casey Is public ro-
nouncement that e had asked
the Justice Department to o-o
"Ivy Bells." the U.S. intelligence
pjjct revea a tote Russians
by Rona a on, who was a er
tried and convicte ase e-
lieves United a es security was
compromised by the report.
"We are certainly aware of the
dilemma of our government,"
said Grossman. "But when the
NBC News on the defensive
Grossman denies Abbas interview aided terrorism
H OLLYWOOD-These are
troubled times for NBC
News, despite healthy rat-
ings. There's the controversial
appearance once again of terror-
ist Abul Abbas on last night's
"1986." There's also the William
Casey request to the Justice De-
partment to explore whether
NBC should be prosecuted for
the "Today" report by Jim Polk
on the espionage trial of Ronald
Pelton, who was convicted of
selling American intelligence
secrets to the Soviet Union.
In a news conference held be-
fore a gathering of
television critics in
Los Angeles, Lawr-
ence K. Grossman,
NBC News president,
addressed these issues
and more.
Grossman was de-
fensive about giving
terrorist Abul Abbas a
public platform on
last night's edition of
"1986," which re-ex-
amined the Achille
Lauro hijacking. Por-
tions of the interview
with Abbas had been aired pre-
viously on the "NBC Evening
News" and "Today," sparking
enormous controversy.
Grossman said, "NBC is nei-
ther a national intelligence ser-
vice nor a law enforcement agen-
cy. We do not have the authority
or the abilty to arrest fugitives."
He claimed the State Depart-
ment knew where Abbas was at
the time the Justice Department
was seeking information from
NBC as to his whereabouts. (A
condition of the interview was to
keep his location secret.)
"Agreeing not to reveal the
location of an interview is hardly
N1W YUKK DAILY NLWJ
18 June 1986
information is a mat-
ter of public record
and has been widely
reported previously
with no protest from
authorities-as hap-
pened with the Polk
report-then you won-
der what is really be-
hind the press
bashing."
He added. "The in-
formation was re-
last November
on Nightly
News' and we heard
not a word from him (Wi iam
Casey) then."
Gross an also revealed that
NBC News issued a new contract
to "Today" co-host Jane Pauley
(her old contract would have
been up in two years), and also
signed a new long-term deal with
Bryant Gumbel.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/03: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100120004-4