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Show territory, Miss Hill is trying to devise ways in which television might deal regularly with cultural subjects, offering the kind of feature coverage that can be found in major print publications. And, in what is perhaps her most intriguing ambition, she is looking for a format in which independent documentarians could be given a network showcase. ALTHOUGH THE TIME period would doubtlessly not be in prime time, the mere suggestion for such a series represents a netdramatic break with the works' opposition to outsiders. long-standin- g by John J. O'Connor New York Times Writer While bystanders speculate NEW YORK about major personnel changes on all three network editions of the evening news, the more significant alteration are being made in other areas of electronic journalism Yes, it's possible that Harry Reasoner may leave ABC to join CBS for a role in a CBS Report magazine format. And it's possible, as already announced, that John Chancellor will be withdrawn from anchor position on the NBC nightly news to become something of a commentator-at-large- . But, then again, the scheduled June move of Fred Silverman from ABC programming chief to NBC network president, may postpone or even cancel that Chancellor scenario. The business of "waiting for Freddy" was brought most of NBC to a state of incipient paralysis. MEANWHILE, IMPORTANT moves have been made and are still being made in the amorphous category of news specials and documentaries, a category that, in recent years, had been coping with the distressing reality of less air time and increasingly stale formats. Over at CBS News. Howard Stringer, executive producer of "CBS Reports," has lost Bill Movers, who has returned to more frequent appearances on public television,' but has gained Marlene Sanders, the former documen-tarie-yo- n executive producer of "Close-up- " ABC News. Stringer, whose credits include "The Fire Next Door" and "The CIA's Secret Army," both with Movers as correspondent, is firmly in favor of exploring new TV technologies and developing new programming forms. LIVING AND working in this country for the past 10 years or so Stringer is a native of Wales and began his career in Britain. This is a bit of information that normally would be quite extraneous but, as it happens, the new chief of documentaries at NBC News is Nigel Ryan, who also comes from British television by way of Granada TV's first rate "World in Action" series. Ryan's recent "Spying for L'ncle Sam," a project that began as a broad survey of CIA activities. But, with Ryan's approval, ended up as a profile of only one former agent and his wife. The result, produced by Robert Rogers, was intensely personal, revealing and more likely to stick in a viewer's craw than would a standrard TV survey. FOR THE MOMENT, though, the most active news game in town is being played at ABC, where Roone Arledge, currently head of both sports and news, seems to possess an unlimited supply of money chips. Now No in prime time entertainment ratings. ABC is obviously determined to become No in the prestige field fo news and documentgies The effort began, before Arledge t(Hk over with the widely heralded acquisition of Barbara Walters for the evening news W:th his ascendancy, the competition began to mutter darkly about Arled-ie'lack .. experience in journalism and his fondnes for "entertainment values." as evidenced in hi- sports productions Both concerns may eventually prove jus tified, but mi far a! VaM the Arledge i:ca record provides Imle comfort to hi-- , entice The ABC Ever.m.: Now - t:.: ir. ..i 1 j H S J; E " - v J - s m 1 .i process of transformation, is considerably more lively, attractive and professionally information than it was a year ago. The news organization as a whole has become more competitive, aggressively challenging both CBS and NBC on the coverage of such events as the historic Sadat visit to Israel. FOR HOWEVER LONG it may last, a pronounced adventuresome spirit can be detected on just about all levels of ABC News, including Special Events, under the direction of Jeff Grailnick, and documentaries, overseen by Pamela Hill. Grailnick, whose working experience includes CBS News and the campaign of George McGovern, insists that Arledge can get news time from the network on short notice whenever needed. Offering proof, he contends that in the past five months, ABC has carried more 11:30 p.m. "instant specials" than in all of the preceding year. More recent examples covered publication of the H.R. Haldeman book on Watergate, and a summary of the progress of President Carter's trip to South America. Stressing his access to all new and sometimes expensive technologies, Grailnick recalled using noon news reports to cover breaking stories by live satellite transmissions from abroad. Miss Hill readily concedes that she is inexperienced in administration, but adds that her chief assistants provide more than adequate compensation in that area. Her experience has been mainly in research and production. Both at NBC News and ABC, where one of her more successful "Close-up- " documentaries drew attention to dangerously flammable materials being used in, among other things, babies' cribs. Putting together a list of a dozen documentaries for the next 12 months, Miss Hill is also clearly preoccupied with finding and using new formats. Her first effort, for instance, scheduled for this month, will use no formal narration in a study of juvenile justice. THE FILM SIMPLY records the comments of the juvenile offenders. This technique is hardly new. It has been used for years on public television by Frederick Wiseman and by such "independents" as Alan and Susan "The Police Raymond in their award-winninTapes" (in fact, the Raymonds are also currently involved in a project on juvenile justice). But the form is rare for commercial television, which tends to settle in to generally successful but rigid formats Being experimental or taking chances is not encouraged. Miss Hill, however, says that now. with Arledge's "willingness to listen." he has an opportunity to try something different. AMONG OTHER THINGS, she has hired as a producer Marcel Ophuls, the French filmmaker whose credits include the lone and nattering documentary, "The Sorrow and the Pity " Ophuls had been on the payroll of CBS News, but after arniut a year of being unable to penetrate established procedures, he quietly departed His being put into rewarding use at ABC would be a distinct coup for Miss Hill Going W'yond traditional document. irv now-bein- -- -- y0 The business of just how to handle news on commi ratings leader ABC) a bit balmy, what with all the broadcast and when. The problem is serious busih Cartmn is artistry of The Tribune 's Dennis Green. But Miss Hill sees "exciting possibilities" in either acquiring or commissioning works from the Raymonds, or Jon Alpert, or TV TV or others who have already left their mark on public television. The content could even be international. She mentions as one possibility a documentary on skiing and being pushed to the limits in sports by Werner Herzog, the German filmmaker. FOR THE TIME being at ABC News, anything would seem possible. If there is any cause for concern, it might be that too much seems possible. Arledge. evidently armed with fat budgets, is acquiring personnel and ideas at a dizzying rate Sander Vanocur, for instance, former television critic of the Washington Post and. tx'fore that, newsperson in public television and at NBC, was |
