O’Connor to be first ‘Horizon’ guest in new studio

<p>Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court (ret.), will be the first guest on <i>Horizon</i> in Channel 8/KAET-TV's new downtown Phoenix studios at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The program will air at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4.</p><p>O'Connor will be interviewed by host Ted Simons and the two will discuss civics education and the Our Courts Web site, civility in government and the O'Connor House Project, merit-based selection versus election of judges, and O'Connor's Arizona heritage, legal and political career.</p><p>O'Connor's appearance is fitting as <i>Horizon</i> was born out of coverage of O'Connor's confirmation hearings in 1981.</p><p>KAET-TV was preparing to launch <i>Horizon</i> when President Ronald Reagan nominated O'Connor to the Supreme Court. KAET encouraged PBS to cover the confirmation hearings, but negotiations stalled and KAET decided to produce its own coverage/ C-SPAN did not yet exist. KAET rented a TV crew that had experience televising Congressional hearings and U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., helped KAET obtain permission to broadcast from the Senate chambers. Eventually, PBS decided to cover the hearings, and the gavel-to-gavel coverage became a co-production of KAET and WETA. Michael Grant, who would soon become Horizon's host, was joined in the coverage by WETA's Paul Duke (<i>Washington Week in Review</i>) and Norm Ornstein.</p><p>Judy Nichols, <a href="mailto:Judith.Nichols@asu.edu"><font color="#0000ff">Judith.Nichols@asu.edu</font></a><br />(480) 727-7895<span style="font-family: Tahoma; color: black; font-size: 9pt" lang="EN"><br />Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law</span></p>