TELEVISION: The Vigil on the Screen

NBC's President Robert E. Kintner called his news staff together on election eve, gave them a rock 'em, roll 'em fight talk. "Men, you may think this election is a contest between Kennedy and Nixon." Coach Kintner thundered, "It's not. It's a race between NBC and CBS."

The networks' approach could not have been more clearly stated. From the conventions to the so-called Great Debates, the 1960 campaign had been televised, teleguided, teleprompted and telethoned as no other had been before; now the networks were out to cover the election with facts, and...

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