FIRST OFF . . .

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Mark S. Fowler, scheduled to leave the post later this spring, and CBS Chief Executive Officer Laurence Tisch were in agreement Monday that the nation and all media could suffer unless radio and television broadcasters unite against government control. In speeches given to the National Association of Broadcasters in Dallas, Fowler called for full editorial freedom in the next decade for the electronic media. “The more we let government poke around a program director’s office or a newsroom, the more we stand to lose as a democracy,” Fowler said. “My friends, that’s the difference between good old radio and good old Radio Moscow.” Tisch, for his part, said he was “concerned” about coming Congressional hearings regarding television news content, and added: “I believe it is inappropriate for Congress to inquire into the nature and adequacy of our news operation.” The House telecommunications and finance subcommittee has scheduled public hearings on the impact that mergers, acquisitions and changes in corporate management have had on, among other things, the quality of network news and network operations. The Washington hearings are set for the last three days of this month.