. '~
Reagan
LOS ANGELES (AP) - President
Reagan challenged television yester-
day to dwell for at least a week on good
news, namely "the magnitude of volun-
tary activity" in the nation. But the
networds refused to bite on what Dan
Rather called a worn play "to try to
convince the public that problems are
not problems."
In a speech to a U.S. Olympic Com-
mitee fund-raising luncheon, the
president suggested that television
news shows set aside April 17-23, or
"National Volunteer Week," to test the
theory that "good news isn't good for
the ratings."
"Then, if the ratings go down, they
can go back to bad news," Reagan said.
The president, whose speech text
drew network criticism even before he
mounted the podium, softened his
remarks somewhat on delivery.
For example, instead of a direct
asks
'It's a very old, and I would have thought
discredited technique. . .used to try to
convince the public that problems are not
problems.'
The Michigan Daily-Friday March 4, 1983--Page 5
T.V. for good news
- Dan Rather,
CBS news anchorman
tscaster Howard Cosell." ABC will
broadcast the 1984 Olympic Games ,in
Los Angeles.
The preparedtaddress continued:
"Now I realize there is a theory thatE
good news isn't good for the ratings, but
I only wish Dan Rather of CBS, Tom
Brokaw of NBC and Ted Koppel of ABC
and others in the media would focus a
bit more on some of the truly adinirable
things being done by the American
people."
But Reagan didn't name names in his
delivery. Deputy press secretary Larr
Speakes said the prsident decided t9
delete them because "he did not thiA
it was appropriate."
That decision was made after advan-
ce news accounts of the speech had
drawn refusals from all three major
commercail networks.
"challenge" to the networks, he
changed his phrasing to say they
"maybe" should focus on good news for
a week. And he deleted an assertion
that Americans were unaware of "the
magnitude of voluntary activity going
on in this country" because of
television's penchant for the negative.
He also dropped a reference to an-
chormen, by name, of ABC, CBS, and
NBC.
In addition Reagan departed from his
revised text with this ad-lib: "I think
it's great that bad news is considered
worthy of being news, and the good
news is so common that it doesn't get
any attention."
In his original text, Reagan noted
that "the Olympic effort has the sup-
port of people like ABC sportscaster
Jim McKay, ABC News President
Roone Arledge and, yes, ABC Spor-
Gang wants Stones dead
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE-
c---r--
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Hell's
Angels have an "open contract" again-
st Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones
and have tried at least twice to kill the
British rock group, a former member of
the outlaw motorcycle gang said
yesterday.
A witness identified only as "Butch"
told the Senate Judiciary Committee
that the vendetta dates back to the
slaying of a spectator at a Stones' con-
cert in Altamont, Calif., in 1969 that was
captured in the concert film "Gimme
Shelter."
AUTHORITIES AT the time said the'
gun-toting spectator was stabbed to
death in a scuffle with Hell's Angels
hired to provide security at the concert,
attended by 300,000 people.
"Butch," Whose name was not
revealed under the federal witness
protection program, said the Angels
were still angry because they feel the
Rolling Stones "did not back them" in
the subsequent furor and prosecution of
the gang member.
"There's always been an open con-
tract on the band," said "Butch," a
convicted murderer who testified from
behind a screen.
* *
AP Photo
Matthew Zabik (front) and Swiatoslav Kaczmar of MSU's Pesticide Resear-
ch Center yesterday revealed the results of a study showing high levels of
dioxin in fish taken from Michigan rivers.
Dangerous chemical
' ..:} "
r
Good friends will ep you study angles
when all you can think about is curves.
M
found in state's
fish
EAST LANSING - State officials said
yesterday they are surprised by a
Michigan State University study
showing fish with high dioxin levels in
key Michigan rivers, but will study it
before issuing any human health war-
nings.
Preliminary data released by MSU
researchers showed evidence of the
dangerous carcinogen dioxin in tests of
about half of 90 fish taken from Lower
Peninsula rivers.
"IT'S A SURPRISE if these numbers
are real," said John Hesse of the State
Department of Pubic Health, noting the
sample was very small.
Dr. Harold E. B. Humphrey of the
health department's environmental
division said the report will be reviewed
by his office, other state agencies and
Gov. James Blanchard's staff before
any decision is made to issue health
warnings to Michigan residents who eat
fish.
The two scientists said they were sur-
prised by the results of the four-year
project by graduate student Swiatoslav
Kacsmar of MSU's pesticides research
program because previous studies have
detected the dangerous chemical
mainly in the Tittabawassee River
downstream from Dow Chemical Co.'s
Midland plant.
DOW HAS continually maintained
that discharges from its plant are not
the sole source of dioxin. Dioxin levels
near Dow were comparable to those in
other industrial rivers.
"There is no reason to believe
Michigan is unique," said Matthew
Zabik, associate director of Michigan
State University's Pesticide Research
Center.
He said dioxin might be present in
soil near industrial areas, too, although
"it would be harder to detect."
Zabik said, "It's more widespread
than we originally thought."
He said the specific dioxin detected
was 2,3,7,8-TCDD, the most toxic of 111
varieties of the chemical.
Dioxin is a suspected cause of cancer
and a deadly poison in small doses to
animals, although its effect on humans
is still uncertain.
Zabik and Kaczmar said Michigan
residents should not worry about the
levels of dioxin found in the fish.
"We don't have any fear at the levels
we're finding," Zabik said.
Both said the research would not keep
them from eating fish caught in those
rivers.
"THERE'S NO basis for shutting
down a part of a river based on one
sample," said Kaczmar, who must
defend his yetunpublished research
before an academic panel on March 11.
Contaminated fish were found in the
St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Muskegon,
Grand, Huron, St. Clair, Pine, Tit-
tabawassee, and Saginaw Rivers. No
dioxin was detected in samples from
several more recreational northern
rivers, including the Au Sable.
The state officials said fish consum-
ption warnings due to PCB and other
chemical contanimation already exist
for the Great Lakes and many of the
rivers where dioxin was found.
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