Televised War

A Viet Nam rebuttal for PBS

The battle over how to interpret the Viet Nam War seems to be almost as intractable as the conflict itself. Last year PBS aired a 13-hour series, Viet Nam: A Television History. Despite wide critical praise, the series was at tacked by some conservatives who thought it indulged the Communist side.

The National Endowment for the Humanities, which provided $1.3 million to the $4.6 million series, received 300 letters alleging distortion. So when Accuracy in Media, a group dedicated to liberal bias, suggested a rebuttal show, NEH Chairman William Bennett awarded a start-up grant of $30,000, despite disagreement among his top aides. Explained Bennett: "It seemed only reasonable to answer some of the questions raised." According to A.I.M. Chairman Reed Irvine, the reply, to be offered to PBS stations, will show up "errors and omissions" in the series' coverage of Vietnamese history and the life of Ho Chi Minh. Series Reporter Stanley Karnow acknowledges that minor changes were made for a rebroadcast next month but insists, "We did a fair and balanced job."