Trial of White House Aides In Ellsberg Break-In Delayed
Date: 20 December 1973
trial of former Pres aide J D Ehrlichman and 2 other White House aides accused in break in at office of D Ellsberg's former psychiatrist Dr L J Fielding is postponed on Dec 19 until Apr 15; defendants rept they will ask for dismissal before then on grounds that they are subjects of discriminatory prosecution; attys for Ehrlichman and G G Liddy tell judge that they will contend that White House aides were being prosecuted for break in similar to those that police officers conduct in process of investigation
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N.B.C. Sues F.C.C. on Fairness Issue; Labeled 'Propagandistic' Position Explained Cased Called Unique
Date: 21 December 1973
By LES BROWN
Les BROWN
NBC, in what is considered test case on right of broadcasters to engage in investigative journalism, goes to ct to appeal decision of FCC that documentary program, entitled Pensions: The Broken Promise, broadcast on Sept 12, '72, is in violation of FCC's fairness doctrine; says it will file petition with Ct of Appeals for Dist of Columbia to rev comm's decision concerning program which upheld complaint by Accuracy in Media that program did not present balanced rept on pension plans; NBC vp and gen mgr C B Dunham says network has chosen to take case to ct because it has implications for future of broadcast journalism to deal in and other forms of investigative reptg; NBC petition asserts that FCC staff which made ruling exceeded bounds of fairness doctrine into areas of news judgment; says staff treated program as pro and con survey of whole pension system when instead it was investigative documentary on problems in field; NBC is being represented in its appeal by F Abrams
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Influential Gaullists Demanding Premier's Removal; Taken Lightly at First
Date: 20 December 1973
By FLORA LEWISSpecial to The New York Times
sudden pol turmoil has developed in France, with open demands from influential Gaullists for removal of Premier P Messmer; complaints among politicians and pol journalists that country is badly governed, misinformed and leaderless are said to be widespread; wkly news magazine Le Point, generally Gaullist and normally pro-Govt, released flood of open complaints in cover story this wk; magazine called for ouster of Messmer, and rest of press, with exception of Gaullist organ La Nation, is calling for Messmer ouster; critics have begun making it more or less clear that they are really aiming at Pres Pompidou; Le Point, in 1 of 3 articles devoted to what it called grave pol, econ and internatl crises, questions who is in command of country; Parisians have viewed situation as French version of Watergate; article discusses discontent in aftermath of disclosure of Govt eavesdropping on new office of satirical opposition wkly Le Canard Enchaine; Pompidou announced on Dec 18 that he would make TV appearance on Dec 19, and Messmer asserts that he expects Pompidou to announce full support for him; private comment about Pompidou in pol circles claims that he works only a couple of hrs a day, that he has lost his advisers, and that he tries to interfere in every detail of every ministry and fails to set policy
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News Summary and Index; The Major Events of the Day International National Metropolitan CORRECTIONS The Other News Quotation of the Day
Date: 21 December 1973
correction notes that EPA, whose chart of mileage of several autos sold in US was published on Dec 1, erred in reptg that Mercedes Benz 280 gets 11.3 miles to gal, when it actually gets 13.6
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Sports News Briefs; Shorter Schusses in Vermont College Football Attendance Up Yugoslavia Beats Greece in Soccer
Date: 20 December 1973
Special to The New York limes
Vt Atty Gen Cheny says on Dec 19 that any refusal by gasoline station operators to sell fuel to 'out of staters' is illegal; says that he has learned of isolated incidents in which skiers from other states were denied gasoline
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New Profit-Reducing Plan Would Keep Oil Incentive; Examples Are Given Other Energy News
Date: 20 December 1973
By EDWIN L. DALE Jr.Special to The New York Times
Edwin DALE
Pres Nixon on Dec 19 proposes excess profits tax on crude oil when price goes above $4.75 per bbl from current $4.25; tax, which would escalate as prices rise and end in 5 yrs, is estimated to get $3-billion to $5-billion in revenues; funds may be used to finance energy research or go as credits to oil cos that prove they reinvested profits
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