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(Taken from the New York Times, November 17th 1977)
Serling Resigns FBS Chief Stands Down Amidst Funding Bill Controvery
Rod Serling announced yesterday at a Press Conference in New York his intention to resign as Director-General of the Federal Broadcasting Service. This comes on the heels of the recent Buchanan-Hayes Bill put forward in Congress to drastically reduce the FBS’ funding and remit. Serling refused to comment directly but when mentioned by reporters, he called the Bill part of a “changing atmosphere” in government to public broadcasting. The Bill is believed to be part of President Reagan’s electoral pledge to reduce Federal spending and remove “excessive government influence” from certain areas of society, in light of the recent economic downturn.
Serling became Director-General of the FBS at its inception in 1970, following almost two decades of critical acclaim as a writer, director and producer in commercial television. Much as today, the Service was highly controversial at the time, receiving criticism from Republicans and Democrats in Congress alike, along with state governors, free speech groups and the private media. In his seven years as its Head, Serling became the FBS’ face, being famously dubbed the Kennedy Administration’s “Goebbels” by Governor Wallace. Despite these protests and fears of federal propaganda and liberal bias from some, Serling oversaw the creation of several award-winning programmes such as the ground- breaking documentary serial Americaand gritty drama 42nd Street.
Following a failed bipartisan bid to sink the FBS in 1973 under the 1st Amendment, State Governors led first by Wallace in 1975 attempted to challenge the right of Federal television and stations to be placed within their state borders. However the Supreme Court also ruled this to be legal due to the civilian nature of the stations. Serling mentioned the Buchanan-Hayes Bill in relation to these past challenges to the FBS legitimacy as “yet another political distraction” to his job as a broadcaster, which added “unnecessary strains” to both himself and his family.
Malcolm Griswold, head of the Federal Broadcasting Trust in charge of financial and content regulation for the FBS, as well as helping to appoint the Service’s Director-General regretted Serling’s decision to leave, calling him “an asset to the Broadcasting Service” and a “giant in American Television”. Griswold and the Trust Executive have yet to announce a successor to Serling and it is doubtful given the present political climate to attract many high profiles television executives.
Sources close to the President suggest if successful the remaining elements of the Service not targeted in the Bill, such as the national network of local radio and television stations, will be sold off to the private sector. A spokesman told reporters the President was “disappointed” to here of Serling’s resignation.