FIRST OFF . . .

NBC, citing what it called an “editorial decision,” was the only major network not to air live coverage of President Reagan’s farewell speech to the United Nations on Monday. CBS and ABC, in broadcasts anchored by Dan Rather and Peter Jennings, respectively, aired Reagan’s address live, starting at 8 a.m. PDT, and followed the speech with analyses by correspondents. NBC monitored and taped the speech for its evening newscast and stuck with its regular programming. Instead of Reagan’s speech, viewers watching NBC-owned KNBC-TV in Los Angeles saw Olympics coverage. New York viewers saw the syndicated “Wheel of Fortune.” Citing the currently quiet state of the world, an NBC News spokeswoman said it was “an editorial decision” to tape the speech. “We decided that we could cover it (the speech) completely within the framework of the ‘NBC Nightly News’ ” on Monday evening, she said. NBC’s decision against live coverage of Reagan’s speech came less than two weeks after it reversed its long-standing plans against interrupting its Olympics telecasts for live coverage of the first presidential debate.