Weekend TV : Bush Administration Officials Will Discuss Developments in Panama and East Germany

Television’s plethora of public-affairs programs will largely be looking abroad this weekend--to the exodus besetting East Germany and the failed coup in Panama.

Secretary of State James Baker III will give the Bush Administration’s assessment of both situations during an appearance on “Meet the Press” Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (4) (36) (39).

Other viewpoints will be expressed on CNN’s “Newsmaker,” which looks at the Panama story at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. today with Sen. David Boren (D-Okla.), former Panamanian Ambassador to the United States Juna Sosa and Sen. Connie Mack (R-Fla.), and at the flood of East Germans heading west at 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, with Juergen Rubfus, West German Ambassador to the United States; Rep Toby Roth (R-Wis.) and Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.).

The unsuccessful coup in Panama is also the subject of three other programs: “Face the Nation,” which will feature Defense Secretary Richard Cheney, Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at 10 a.m. Sunday (2); “This Week With David Brinkley” at 11:30 a.m. Sunday (7)(3)(10)(42), with National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft, and “Channel 4 News Conference” at 6 a.m. Sunday. The guests on the latter show will be retired U.S. Army Col. Chico Store, who was commander of military forces at the U.S. Embassy in Panama, and Panamanian attorney and economist Edmundo Valentin Fernandez.