Nicholas Johnson interview on NFO News broadcast, February 7, 1977

Phil A.: This is an introduction to one of the newest members of the professional staff of the National Farmers Organization. He is Roger Blank, who spent 28 years with Wilson and Company, one of the world's largest pork processors. Mister Blank brings to the NFO some top level expertise in the way the packing industry operates. He will be working with NFO's negotiators and hog contracts. Phil A.: Mister Blank, since you were with Wilson and Company a long time, can you tell us how you started in? When they broke you in, what all did they have you do? Roger B.: Well, I had an old time provision manager that believed that you ought to know the operations, either know how to do it or I'd be able to explain it to him or anyone else, just what's happened in that particular operation. So each day he gave me a list of questions to go out in the plant and seek the answers, and I had to come back at the end of the day, or the next morning if I didn't have the answer, and give it to him in writing, not just verbally, but as well in writing. And I learned by either doing or observing. And it was a very good training background. I enjoyed it very much and it was very beneficial to me in all departments and operations, from the buying, through the killing and the cutting and the curing, the smoking, processing, slice, bacon, et cetera, smoked meats, and so forth. Even the prime steam lard areas. Phil A.: Well, is there any value to both the hog producer out there on the farm, and to the meat packer, in having a continuing supply contracts with the NFO? Roger B.: Yes. I think it's compatible in spite of what some people might think. I think the ... To me at least, the most or the best key word I can think of is stability. Stability in the source of raw material, the available supply. And having stability in the raw material, the packer has a reasonable amount of stability in the source of raw material he can offer with a reasonable assurance, have a fairly even supply or flow of finished products to the consuming public. And therefore at a level that is commensurate with most of our objectives from the standpoint that the producer, the packer, can benefit with reasonable profits. And yet at the same time the consuming public, which we're all so cognizant of today, is comfortable with it. Phil A.: Can you give us an example to show how this stability of supply benefits a packer? Why does the packer want a steady supply? Roger B.: The overhead at a packing house level is horrendous, and the fixed expenses are so tremendous that he has to get volume through that plant in order to generate enough gross dollars to overcome these expenses. Not to say anything about the high labor costs, you have that in addition. So if he's going to make money, he, the packer, has to a sufficient amount of volume to cover all these expenses before he even begins to make a profit. If he doesn't have the volume coming through there, they might as well forget it in the packing house industry. So they do have to have volume. It's still a volume game. Phil A.: How do you think the NFO can be a necessary link to the modern processor? Roger B.: Oh, I think it's a must. And whether it's NFO, somebody must be, and NFO certainly is taking a lead in this field. And I think it's convincing, and will be more convincing to producers, and even to the packers, if they can show that, or if we, the NFO, can show to the packer that we're dependable and stabilizing our flow and assuring them of flow that will have a mutual benefit, both the producer and the packer. Roger B.: And really I think the consumer will too, because through this stability we'll have more stability in the consumer's costs. With stability we'll cut out the escalation of inflation. Phil A.: That was a conversation with Roger Blank, one of the newest additions to the NFO professional staff. He will be working with NFO negotiators in hog contracts. He spent 28 years with Wilson and Company. Roger Blank noted that packers, because of their tremendous overhead, need steady volume. Stability, he says, helps producers, processors, and consumers. Phil A.: Phil Island for NFO news. And that, for today, is something to think about. Phil A.: Nicholas Johnson is chairman of the National Citizens Committee for broadcasting. He is heard regularly analyzing the media on National Public Radio's award winning news program, All Things Considered. He served seven years on the Federal Communications Commission. He became known to the public as a spokesman for the listener's interest. He was not reappointed by Richard Nixon. Mister Johnson is author of the book, How to Talk Back to Your TV Set. Phil A.: Here's part of our conversation with him beginning with his recent work on the subject of violence on TV. Nicholas J.: Well, you know, there've been studies done for years on the problem. We now have over 500 studies that show that violence on television does make children more violent in their behavior. That crimes that are shown on television will be reenacted by criminals in the street the next day. The problem has been that nothing ever gets done on any of those people. Just go on and bemoaning it and bemoaning it, nothing happens. Nicholas J.: So what the National Citizens Committee for broadcasting has done is to identify the advertisers, Phil, that are sponsoring this violence. We got a commercial firm to monitor all the network shows in prime time, and we got Doctor Gerbner's definition of violence. He's a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who's sort of around the world. He's figured to be the man that knows most about how to define violence. Nicholas J.: And so we did this monitor, and then we just make this list available. Anybody who writes us, we'll be happy to send them a free copy of it. And they can see there the list of the television programs from the least to most violent, and the advertisers of the most violent programs, and also the corporations that do the least sponsorship of violence. If we can just give them that address. Phil A.: Sure. Go ahead. Nicholas J.: Yeah. It's just a 1028 Connecticut Avenue, 1028 Connecticut Avenue in Washington DC. And the Zip code here is 20036. 200 and then a 36. And they can send it to Nick Johnson, or to the NCCB. Phil A.: This question must've come up in your career with the Federal Communications Commission many times. Some people have never become reconciled to the fact that there should be a commission governing that area of freedom of expression. How far would you go with a federal commission in overseeing the content of the programs as to violence? Nicholas J.: Well shucks, if we could do it, Phil, I'd be all in favor of abolishing the whole thing. I mean I'm not in favor of regulation for the sake of regulation. The problem is though that we got a first amendment in this country and it says that, at least in America, we're going to govern ourselves through what the people say, and that everybody has a right to be heard to express themselves. Now it doesn't work that way on radio and TV as you know, can't anybody go out and get a radio or a TV station 'cause they're all gone, and these big corporations brought them all up. And if you want to go into the newspaper business, you can do it. Now you may go bankrupt, but at least you can try. And there are in fact a lot more suburban newspapers and specialty magazines that are coming out and so forth all the time. Nicholas J.: But now if you want to go into the broadcasting business, you not only risk bankruptcy, but you'll go to jail. And now that's a big difference. You see the United States government is selecting these corporations out saying you can operate this station, make these gargantuan profits. And so the government's in it already. And in order to keep it from being a restriction on free speech by the government when they grant these licenses, it's incumbent upon the government to see to it that there's some opportunity for our people to be heard over those stations. And that's what the equal time rule's about, and that's what the fairness doctrine is about. Phil A.: That was Nicholas Johnson, chairman of the National Citizens Committee for broadcasting. In the 1960s and early 70s he was a member of the FCC. You can write to Nicholas Johnson at 1028 Connecticut Avenue, Washington DC, Zip code 20036. Phil A.: Phil Allen for NFO news. And that for today, is something to think about. Phil A.: Glenn Utley of Fort Branch, Indiana has been a member of the national board of the NFO longer than any other board member. He is well known to farm and community gatherings all across the country. At the time of this conversation with him, Glenn is at the NFO home office at Corning, Iowa, and the board has been in session. Phil A.: Phil Allen for NFO news. Phil A.: Well, agriculture is in the news these days. The Jimmy Carter's designated AG secretary is Bob Berglund of Minnesota. Glenn, Mister Berglund has spoken publicly for a grain reserve to be in the hands of farmers. Do you think this would help their bargaining power? Glenn U.: Yes, Phil, this would help bargaining power because this will be put in storage at the farm level, as I understand it, and it can't come out until a certain price, which I don't know what it is yet. But at least it takes that much off of the market so that we can use them, [inaudible] the [inaudible] of it, to bargain with. And I think the thing that we have to look at, Phil, is especially in wheat, that we get all we can exported out of this country because that's what's going to help. Glenn U.: And the reserve of food is important. At the same time, this is going to help the consumer. They always worried about food. And I think they have that right to worry about it because it is something that's serious. And we have to have a reserve of food for this country. And I think it's everybody's obligation to make that reserve up to carry it. Phil A.: Glenn, there's real concern on the part of those who note that we are entering the age of hunger. Do you think that there are signs that special interests would like to control agriculture in this period when demand for food would be intense? Glenn U.: I think, Phil, to really explain that we've got to go back to World War II, and right after World War II. Because that's when we realized, all over the world, the importance of food. The one that has the food wins the battles. And at that same time is when we seen integration get the heaviest, start, really start out was right after World War II. And it has continued more and more right up to this point. Now you can call it integration. You can call it corporate farms, you can call it contracting with corporations, whatever you want to call it. Nevertheless, it's more and more of these big corporations trying to get control of food because they know the importance of it. Glenn U.: Now I think people better begin to realize that if these corporations that have control of our electricity, our automobiles, our gasoline, our oil. We have seen in the last year to two years, what they can do in a way of pricing, how they can control that price, how they control the economy with it. Now you just think if they get control of the most important commodity in this country, and that is food. If they get control of food, what they can do at that point, Phil, as far as I'm concerned, we've lost our freedom in this country. Labor would have no more bargaining power because food would control them. These companies wouldn't care if they struck because labor wouldn't get any food. Phil A.: What advice would you give agriculture? Glenn U.: I say out there to the farmers, clear across this United States, the time is now to organize. And the farmer not only has the right to organize and prices commodity morally, he is wrong if he does not put a just price, the cost of production plus a reasonable profit, on that food because that is the freedom of this country. And if he doesn't price it and stay in business, he is going to be one of the guilty ones of turning this over to the corporation. Phil A.: That was Glenn Utley, ranking member of the NFO national board. He noted that a grain reserve in the possession and control of farmers would aide bargaining power to the extent such a reserve can be isolated from the market. Also, Glenn Utley believes family farmers have a moral obligation to survive. Phil A.: Phil Allen for NFL news. And that for today, is something to think about.