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be ll nt ee eel \ ABC, tv affiliates ignore Bennett threat James V. Bennett, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, has de- clared war on The Untouchables. Stung by what he alleged were “unfound implications reflecting on the integrity of the officers of the bureau” in the Jan. 5 segment dealing with the transfer of gangster Al Ca- pone from Atlanta federal peniten- tiary to Alcatraz, Mr. Bennett asked ABC-TV to postpone the second part. Upon the network’s refusal, Mr. Ben- nett sent telegrams to 10 ABC-affili- ated tv stations (all whose licenses are up for renewal) asking them not to carry the second part. If they did, he said, the Bureau of Prisons would acacia, oppose their license renewals. The wires went to WFGA-TV Jacksonville, WLOF-TV Orlando. WPST-TV Miami, and WEAT-TV _ West Palm Beach, all Florida, and to ABC-owned stations WABC-TV New York, KGO-TV San Francisco, WBKB (TV) Chicago, KABC-TV Los Angeles, WX YZ-TV Detroit and KQV Pittsburgh. Mr. Bennett muffed the last one; KQV is owned by ABC but it’s a radio station. All stations announced they would carry the program, despite Mr. Ben- nett’s threats, What aroused Mr. Bennett, and apparently prison guards everywhere, were scenes which indicated that guards transporting Capone by train from Georgia to San Francisco Bay had their hands out for bribes. In responding to Mr. Bennett's first telegram, ABC General Counsel Omar F. Elder Jr. said that he didn’t - believe the tv audience regards the unfavorable portrayal of one or two individual guards as representative of others. Mr. Elder said the net- work must “respectfully” decline the request. Mr. Bennett had said he wanted the second part postponed until he could confer with the Attor-- ney General and with the FCC. BROADCASTING MAGAZINE FASHINGTON, D.C. JANUARY 16, 1961 page-62 NOT AEEORPED ....... UP JAN 31196)” . bet a ate od “Los sets ee EL ane