CIA TELEVISION SERIES PROJECT

Created: 10/3/1995

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

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FROM:

Television Series Project

i * During the week ofeptember, Jack Myers and David Houle of Television Production Partners (TPP) met in Los Angeles with representativesh Century Fox Television toossible agreement on the proposed CIA television series. TPPchesc "wetings as positive and productive. TPPh Century Fox Television agreed to begin discussions focusing on the business aspects of their potential relationship. h century Fox Television alsoumber of issues contained in the original ClA-TPP Letter of Agreement that needed to be resolved prior toroduction agreement. TPP has provided CIA with these concerns as well as their recommendations on each point.

aragraph by paragraph comparison of the Agency's original agreement withh Century Fox

Television's concerns, ond TPP's recommendations. The details of this comparison and recommendations for further action are attached. Overall,dentified:

four issues that are primarily business or legal in nature and may be readily resolved following OGC review (transferability, production rights, copyright and distribution rights, CIA reproduction rights);

two issues that CIA may wish to amend to address production concerns fuse of the term "docudrama" and contract renewal provisions);

one significant issue that CIA may wish to useegotiating point (use of the CIA name andnd,

a minimum of six issues that constitute either significant departures from project discussions to date or fundamental areas needing clarification or resolution.

These last issues primarily focus on the extent of fictionaliration. the use of non-CIA material, acknowledgment of cja cooperation, and CIA's script review and approval.

These six or more issues, takenhole, apparentlyhift from the agreed series concept ramatic television series based exclusively on synopses taken from actual CIA files with significant attention given to CIA's cooperation in theore traditional production format in which CIA synopses and other information may or may not be used in conjunction with other fictional material to produce each episode and the importance of CIA's cooperation is diminished. This shift is.not surprising as it is consistent with the obstacles TPP has encountered in their discussions with Steve Tisch and Aaron Spelling. TPP's initial agreement with CIA affords the Agency much greater control than what appears to be the industry norm and the concerns raised represent attempts to bring this agreement back into line with accepted industry practices. It is unlikely that CIA would have agreed to these requirements if they had been presented during the initial discussions.

Given the apparent shift in the focus of this project, the fundamental question now facing the Agency is whether the possible benefits derived from our continued cooperation in this project outweigh the concessions, loss of control, and resources that will be required to support it. The Agency's role, as it appears to be taking shape, seems to be little moreossible source of story material and an occasional technical advisor. ole is consistent with the support provided to the entertainment industry by many other Government agencies and may still merit consideration. It may stilleans to work with the entertainment media toore realistic and fair portrayal of CIA but it is not what was originally agreed to by PAS, the EXCOM, the DDCI and DCI.

Attachments

omparison Between Original ClA-TPP

Letter of Agreement and Concerns Identifiedh Century

FoxlA-TPP Letter of Agreement

h Century Fox Television InternalPP Correspondence to DD/PAS

Original document.

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