I went upstairs to see General Sarnoff when John West and I were negotiating with Walt Disney and his brother, Roy, on a deal that would allow us to use their films and planned TV projects on television -- a real coup if I could manage it. I soon found I had a bargaining chip I had not anticipated. The Disneys' brand-new recreation theme park in Anaheim, Disneyland, had cost so much to build that they apparently needed money. Wait and Roy finally agreed to do business with us, but one of the stipulations in the deal was that NBC would have to buy 25 percent of Disneyland.

 To me, such a purchase was more of an opportunity than a requirement, but when I told Sarnoff about it, he frowned at the whole idea. "I can't do that," he said. "It would put me in show business."

 I couldn't conceal my exasperation. "General, what business are we in now?" I asked.

 "Communications," he said, bringing the subject to a close as far as he was concerned. I still wonder how much 25 percent of Disneyland, purchased with 1950s dollars, would be worth to NBC today.

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