Julian Goodman

Executive
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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

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About
About this interview

In his nearly three-and-a-half hour Archive interview, television executive Julian Goodman (1922-2012) discusses his years as president of NBC (from 1966 to 1974). In addition, he talks about his start at NBC News, when he was a news writer for David Brinkley in 1945. Goodman recalls producing the coverage of important news events including President John F. Kennedy's assassination and funeral, the moon landing, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Vietnam War. He also describes his rise within NBC management, eventually serving as President and then Chairman of the network. Michael Rosen conducted the interview in Jupiter, FL on December 12, 1998.

"I've made in speeches a reference to the fact that as each new day begins, the pages of a newspaper are totally blank. The screen on television is blank. And all day long, there are people fighting to change and shape and arrange to their benefit, what goes on there. It is the purpose and the challenge of the newsperson responsible to make sure that what goes on is fair and not just what others want us to say."

People Talking About ...
Julian Goodman
Highlights
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination and his opinion on TV's best shot ever
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of Lee Harvey Oswald's death - TV's first live murder
Julian Goodman on the second Kennedy-Nixon debate in Washington, D.C.
Julian Goodman on meeting a young Jim Henson at WRC NBC in Washington, D.C.
Julian Goodman on working on the first episode of Today
Full Interview

Chapter 1
On his early childhood in Kentucky; on hobbies; on thinking he'd be a newspaper-man
On working for his local newspaper; on how the Depression affected his family; on his college years
On serving in World War II; on moving to Washington, D.C. and his first exposure to broadcasting; on working for a subsidiary of the War Protection Bureau and writing precis

Chapter 2
On becoming a radio news writer for WRC, NBC in Washington, D.C.; on his first supervisor at NBC, David Brinkley; on meeting a young Jim Henson at the station; on writing for radio
On the NBC News Bureau in Washington, D.C.; on NBC being challenged by CBS News and Edward R. Murrow; on a rivalry between New York and Washington; on Pat Weaver
On attending George Washington University; on working the 1948 political convention in Philadelphia and radio's dominance over television
On becoming manager of news and special events for NBC Radio in D.C.; on watching Meet the Press when it debuted

Chapter 3
On covering the 1952 Presidential Convention and CBS dominating the coverage; on equipment used
On producing the public affairs shows Window on Washington and Comment; on NBC studios in the mid 1950s; on his duties as a news producer/director
On McCarthyism and the Hollywood Blacklist; on broadcasting Congressional Committee Hearings on radio
On Edward R. Murrow's See it Now episode on Senator McCarthy; on the debut of The Huntley-Brinkley Report; on the expansion of television news; on working on the first episode of Today

Chapter 4
On the first Presidential News Conference in 1955; on Robert Kintner joining NBC; on NBC being the first network to broadcast in color
On becoming Director of News and Public Affairs; on working with David Sarnoff; on documentary filmmaker Irving Gitlin joining NBC
On television news documentaries
On producing the second of the Kennedy-Nixon debates

Chapter 5
On observing the first Kennedy-Nixon debate in Chicago and prepping to produce the second debate; on the second debate in Washington, D.C.
On becoming VP of NBC News in 1961; on Instant News Specials
On NBC's electronic news service; on covering Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis; on expanding NBC Nightly News to 30 minutes
On on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination; on CBS' Walter Cronkite announcing JFK's death, and on NBC's announcement of the same

Chapter 6
On coverage of JFK's assassination and Lee Harvey Oswald's death; on the 1964 California primary and the '64 Republican convention
On becoming President of NBC
On NBC interrupting a 1968 Jets football game to broadcast "Heidi"; on the death of NBC's Bill McAndrew and Reuven Frank becoming President of NBC News
On news coverage of the 1968 Democratic Convention; on NBC news coverage of the Vietnam War

Chapter 7
On NBC's coverage of the moon landing; on becoming Chairman of NBC; on leaving NBC in 1979 and serving on the boards of several companies, including Gannett and Gulf Oil
On the most important decisions he made at NBC - pairing Huntley and Brinkley, and getting the AFL contract for NBC; on significant events on television; on news integrity; on 24 hour news networks
On the future of networks and ratings; on his thoughts on colleagues from throughout the years
Shows

Heidi

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Julian Goodman on NBC interrupting a 1968 Jets football game to broadcast "Heidi"

Huntley-Brinkley Report, The

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Julian Goodman on the debut of The Huntley-Brinkley Report and the expansion of television news

Meet the Press

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Julian Goodman on watching Meet the Press when it debuted

NBC News

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Julian Goodman on meeting his first supervisor at NBC News (radio), David Brinkley; on writing for NBC News (radio)
Julian Goodman on Instant News Specials for NBC News

NBC Nightly News

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Julian Goodman on expanding NBC Nightly News to 30 minutes

See It Now

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Julian Goodman on Edward R. Murrow's See it Now episode, "Senator McCarthy"

See It Now: "A Report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy"

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Julian Goodman on Edward R. Murrow's See it Now episode, "Senator McCarthy"

Today

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Julian Goodman on working on the first episode of Today

Twenty One

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Julian Goodman on Charles Van Doren's appearance on the public affairs show Comment
Topics

Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Julian Goodman on Walter Cronkite dominating coverage of the 1952 Presidential Convention; on the primitive state of TV at the time
Julian Goodman on the first Presidential News Conference in 1955 and NBC News covering Eisenhower

Harry S. Truman

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Julian Goodman on NBC News during the 1948 Convention
Julian Goodman on working the 1948 political convention in Philadelphia, PA and radio's dominance over television

Historic Events and Social Change

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Julian Goodman on serving in World War II for a short time and contracting pneumonia
Julian Goodman on NBC news coverage of the Vietnam War
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of Lee Harvey Oswald's death - TV's first live murder
Julian Goodman on the significance of space coverage
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of the moon landing

Hollywood Blacklist

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Julian Goodman on the Hollywood Blacklist and McCarthyism and Herbert Hoover telling him a Communist was working on one of his shows
Julian Goodman on Edward R. Murrow's See it Now episode, "Senator McCarthy"

Industry Crossroads

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Julian Goodman on Charles Van Doren's appearance on the public affairs show Comment
Julian Goodman on the Hollywood Blacklist and McCarthyism and J. Edgar Hoover telling him a Communist was working on one of his shows, and on HUAC
Julian Goodman on Edward R. Murrow's See it Now episode, "Senator McCarthy"

JFK Assassination and Funeral

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Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of Lee Harvey Oswald's death - TV's first live murder

John F. Kennedy

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Julian Goodman on producing the second of The Great Debates
Julian Goodman on observing the first Kennedy-Nixon debate in Chicago and prepping to produce the second debate
Julian Goodman on the second Kennedy-Nixon debate in Washington, D.C.
Julian Goodman on covering Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination
Julian Goodman on the significance of the Great Debates

Memorable Moments on Television

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Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of Lee Harvey Oswald's death - TV's first live murder
Julian Goodman on news coverage of the 1968 Democratic Convention

Moon Landing

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Julian Goodman on the significance of space coverage
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of the moon landing

Quiz Show Scandals

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Julian Goodman on Charles Van Doren's appearance on the public affairs show Comment

Sports

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Julian Goodman on NBC interrupting a Jets football game to broadcast "Heidi"
Julian Goodman on getting the AFL contract for NBC

Technological Innovation

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Julian Goodman on NBC being the first network to broadcast in color

Television and the Presidency

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Julian Goodman on NBC News during the 1948 Convention
Julian Goodman on working the 1948 political convention in Philadelphia, PA and radio's dominance over television
Julian Goodman on Walter Cronkite dominating coverage of the 1952 Presidential Convention; on the primitive state of TV at the time
Julian Goodman on the first Presidential News Conference in 1955 and NBC News covering Eisenhower
Julian Goodman on producing the second of The Great Debates
Julian Goodman on observing the first Kennedy-Nixon debate in Chicago and prepping to produce the second debate
Julian Goodman on the second Kennedy-Nixon debate in Washington, D.C.
Julian Goodman on covering Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination
Julian Goodman on the significance of the Great Debates

Vietnam War

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Julian Goodman on NBC news coverage of the Vietnam War

War

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Julian Goodman on serving in World War II for a short time and contracting pneumonia
Julian Goodman on NBC news coverage of the Vietnam War

We Cried

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Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination

World War II

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Julian Goodman on serving in World War II for a short time and contracting pneumonia
Professions

Executives

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Julian Goodman on becoming manager of news and special events for NBC Radio in D.C.; on why he liked being a manager and Executive

Television Executive

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Julian Goodman on becoming VP of NBC News in 1961
Julian Goodman on serving as Sr. Executive Vice President and then President of NBC
Julian Goodman on how he became Chairman of NBC
Genres

News and Documentary

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Julian Goodman on working the 1948 political convention in Philadelphia, PA and radio's dominance over television
Julian Goodman on David Brinkley and Brinkley's early radio broadcasts
Julian Goodman on Walter Cronkite dominating coverage of the 1952 Presidential Convention; on the primitive state of TV at the time; on HUAC
Julian Goodman on the expansion of television news in the mid 1950s
Julian Goodman on Edward R. Murrow's See it Now episode, "Senator McCarthy"
Julian Goodman on the first Presidential News Conference in 1955
Julian Goodman on television news documentaries
Julian Goodman on producing the second of The Great Debates
Julian Goodman on the first and second Kennedy-Nixon debates
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination
Julian Goodman on NBC news coverage of the Vietnam War
Julian Goodman on news coverage of the 1968 Democratic Convention
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of Lee Harvey Oswald's death - TV's first live murder
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of the moon landing
People

Spiro T. Agnew

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Julian Goodman on the '64 Republican convention

Roone Arledge

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Julian Goodman on Roone Arledge

David Brinkley

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Julian Goodman on his first supervisor at NBC, David Brinkley
Julian Goodman on David Brinkley editing his copy and Brinkley's early radio broadcasts
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination
Julian Goodman on CBS' Walter Cronkite announcing JFK's death, and NBC's announcement
Julian Goodman on the '64 Republican convention
Julian Goodman on Eisenhower's speech during the nomination of Barry Goldwater at the '64 Republican convention
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of the moon landing
Julian Goodman on one of the most important decisions he made at NBC - pairing Huntley and Brinkley

John Chancellor

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Julian Goodman on the '64 Republican convention

Anthony Conrad

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Julian Goodman on Anthony Conrad succeeding Robert Sarnoff at NBC

Walter Cronkite

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Julian Goodman on Walter Cronkite dominating coverage of the 1952 Presidential Convention
Julian Goodman on CBS' Walter Cronkite announcing JFK's death, and NBC's announcement
Julian Goodman on news coverage of the moon landing

Charles Van Doren

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Julian Goodman on Charles Van Doren's appearance on the public affairs show Comment

Bob Doyle

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Julian Goodman on Bob Doyle

Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Julian Goodman on the first Presidential News Conference in 1955
Julian Goodman on Eisenhower's speech during the nomination of Barry Goldwater at the '64 Republican convention

Reuven Frank

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Julian Goodman on the death of NBC News Executive Bill McAndrew and Reuven Frank becoming President of NBC News

Jim Henson

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Julian Goodman on meeting a young Jim Henson at WRC NBC in Washington, D.C.

Herbert Hoover

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Julian Goodman on the Hollywood Blacklist and McCarthyism and Herbert Hoover telling him a Communist was working on one of his shows

Chet Huntley

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Julian Goodman on Eisenhower's speech during the nomination of Barry Goldwater at the '64 Republican convention
Julian Goodman on one of the most important decisions he made at NBC - pairing Huntley and Brinkley

Lucy Jarvis

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Julian Goodman on Lucy Jarvis' TV documentaries

John F. Kennedy

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Julian Goodman on JFK appearing on the public affairs show Window on Washington
Julian Goodman on producing the second of The Great Debates
Julian Goodman on observing the first Kennedy-Nixon debate in Chicago and prepping to produce the second debate; on the second debate
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of JFK's assassination
Julian Goodman on NBC's coverage of Lee Harvey Oswald's death - TV's first live murder
Julian Goodman on NBC news coverage of the Vietnam War

Robert E. Kintner

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Julian Goodman on Robert Kintner joining NBC
Julian Goodman on Robert Kintner's roles as VP and President of NBC; on his management style and focus on news
Julian Goodman on discussions with Robert Kintner at NBC
Julian Goodman on Robert Kintner getting fired and Goodman getting his job as President of NBC

Paul L. Klein

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Julian Goodman on Paul Klein

Joseph McCarthy

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Julian Goodman on Edward R. Murrow's See it Now episode, "Senator McCarthy"
Julian Goodman on the significance of the McCarthy hearings

Edward R. Murrow

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Julian Goodman on NBC being challenged by CBS News and Edward R. Murrow
Julian Goodman on Edward R. Murrow's See it Now episode, "Senator McCarthy"

Richard M. Nixon

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Julian Goodman on producing the second of The Great Debates
Julian Goodman on observing the first Kennedy-Nixon debate in Chicago and prepping to produce the second debate; on the second debate
Julian Goodman on changes Nixon made in the second of The Great Debates
Julian Goodman on Nixon refusing makeup for the first of The Great Debates
Julian Goodman on the '64 Republican convention

David Sarnoff

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Julian Goodman on working with David Sarnoff

Herbert S. Schlosser

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Julian Goodman on how he became Chairman of NBC and Herb Schlosser became President

Fred Silverman

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Julian Goodman on Fred Silverman

Harry S. Truman

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Julian Goodman on Governor Dewey's arrival at the 1948 political convention in Philadelphia, PA
Julian Goodman on convincing Harry Truman to do broadcasts from the Rose Garden

Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver

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Julian Goodman on Pat Weaver as President of NBC
Julian Goodman on working on the first episode of Today

Ted Yates

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Julian Goodman on Ted Yates

All Interviews

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