MACNEIL/LEHRER NEWSHOUR, THE {INTERVIEW WITH MIKHAIL GORBACHEV; UNDER SCRUTINY: ROBERT GATES NOMINATION} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of nightly news analysis programs. Hosted by Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, this program features an interview with Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev at the end of a four-day summit for Western leaders in London. Jon Snow of Independent Television News conducts the interview with Gorbachev that covers several topics, including the Soviet leader's accomplishments during the economic summit; whether the Soviet right-wing or the radical wing is a greater threat to perestroika; whether a non-Communist Soviet president will ever be elected; and actions that could have been executed differently in establishing reforms. The segment entitled "American Invasion" examines the impact of U.S. citizens and businesses on Soviet culture; such influences include religious groups eager to convert Soviets, and the influx of American films, fast food, and popular businesses. Footage includes clips of a performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and comments by Bill Marriott, president of the Marriott Corporation; Ludmilla Vasieleva, Soviet sociologist and researcher at Moscow's Film Art Institute; Elizabeth Susskind, American manager of a Soviet Estee Lauder shop; and Soviet shoppers Galya Dushechkina and Galina Vasieleva. In the segment "Under Scrutiny," MacNeil leads a discussion panel on the Iran-Contra affair and the nomination of Robert Gates to the position of CIA director. Panelists include Bruce Van Voorst, senior correspondent for Time magazine; and Nina Totenberg, legal affairs correspondent for National Public Radio. Topics discussed include the way that investigations into the Iran-Contra affair may affect Pres. George Bush's nomination of Gates; the impact on Bush if Gates's nomination must be withdrawn; whether Gates is the current "target" of the investigations; and the way that Alan Fiers's confession reflects on Gates. As the program concludes, Lehrer leads a discussion with news analysts David Gergen of U.S. News and World Report and Mark Shields of the Washington Post on their insights into the Gates story; the recent Senate pay increase; and the decision of House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-Mo.) not to run for president. Included are clips from the Senate floor debate with Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.); Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.); Sen. Bennett Johnston (D-La.), Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), and Sen. Tim Wirth (D-Colo.). The opening news summary segment covers several stories, including the fighting between the Kurds and Iraqis; Baghdad's admission to the construction of a "supergun," with clips of State Dept. spokesman Richard Boucher; Secretary of State James Baker's peace talks in Syria; and the first official disclosure by the South African government indicating that it had been funding rallies by the Inkatha Freedom Party, the main rival of Nelson Mandela's African National Congress, with clips of Mandela and Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Inkatha Freedom Party Chief. This program contains minor technical problems. This represents the best copy of this program currently available to the Museum.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: July 19, 1991 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:57:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:29183
- GENRE: News
- SUBJECT HEADING: U S S R - Officials - Talk/Interviews; Summit meetings; Glasnost; Perestroika; She Made It Collection (Nina Totenberg); Soviet Union - Social conditions 1970-; Iran-Contra Affair, 1985-1990; South Africa, Republic of - Civil rights
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1983-1995
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Lester M. Crystal … Executive Producer
- Linda Winslow … Deputy Executive Producer
- Dan Werner … Associate Executive Producer
- Michael D. Mosettig … Senior Producer
- Peggy Robinson … Senior Producer
- Jeff Scott Goldman … Producer
- Susan Mills … Managing Producer
- Gregg Ramshaw … Managing Producer
- Patti Parson … Managing Producer
- Lewis Silverman … Managing Producer
- Tony Marshall … Director
- David Deutsch … Director
- Jim Lehrer … Host
- Robert MacNeil … Host
- Jon Snow … Correspondent
- Charles Krause … Correspondent
- Dawn Mendez … Reporter
- Stuart Schear … Reporter
- April A. Oliver … Reporter
- Shannon Bradley … Reporter
- Vera Frankel … Reporter, Voice only
- Kevin Dunn … Reporter, Voice only
- Nina Totenberg … Guest
- Van Voorst, Bruce … Guest
- David Gergen … Guest
- Mark Shields … Guest
- James Baker
- Richard Boucher
- George Bush
- Mangosuthu Buthelezi
- Robert Byrd
- Galya Dushechkina
- Alan Fiers
- Robert Gates
- Richard Gephardt
- Mikhail Gorbachev
- Charles Grassley
- Bennett Johnston
- Nelson Mandela
- Bill Marriott
- Elizabeth Susskind
- Galina Vasieleva
- Ludmilla Vasieleva
- Paul Wellstone
- Tim Wirth