The Hollywood studios - for years the winners in TV syndication - rolled out big guns, too. Producer Quincy Jones, who was enlisted by Warner Bros. and Jack Valenti, chief lobbyist for the motion-picture industry, met with all the commissioners and had drinks with Barrett. Barrett later sided with Hollywood but said the lobbying didn’t influence him.
On the verge of defeat, the networks called newspapers, and a rash of editorials opposing Hollywood appeared. In true Washington fashion, the FCC last week decided to delay a vote. The real winners? The lobbyists, who can keep the meter running while the battle roars on.
