Breaking Bell | The Decision to Decide | 1
Business Movers
Wondery
4.8 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 26 June 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
After almost a century of controlling the telecommunications industry in the United States, AT&T’s dominance is threatened by new competition. It’s a challenge that “Ma Bell” has weathered before, but this time is different—the political climate has changed, and the powerbrokers in Washington, DC no longer have AT&T’s back.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Want to get more from business movers? |
| 0:02.2 | Subscribe to Wondry Plus for early access to new episodes, |
| 0:05.7 | ad-free listening, and exclusive content you can't find anywhere else. |
| 0:09.6 | Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. |
| 0:14.3 | Wonderly. |
| 0:15.0 | The Wondry! It's November 20th, 1974, at the headquarters of AT&T in New York City. |
| 0:34.9 | John DeButz, the chairman of AT&T, barges into his corner office in a rage. |
| 0:40.1 | The 59-year-old leader of America's largest telecommunications company has just learned |
| 0:44.8 | some disturbing news, and he wants to get to the bottom of it. |
| 0:48.1 | So he picks up the phone and calls one of the most powerful men in the country, Secretary |
| 0:52.5 | of the Treasury, William Simon. |
| 0:54.9 | After a brief hold, he's put through. |
| 0:57.7 | William, Simon. Hey, William, it's John to Butts. |
| 1:00.7 | Hey, John, good to hear from you. How are we doing on the campaign? |
| 1:04.6 | John isn't just the chairman of AT&T. He's also the current chairman of the United States |
| 1:09.3 | Savings Bond campaign. And for the last year, |
| 1:12.0 | John has worked with the federal government to oversee the sale of savings bonds to help generate |
| 1:16.3 | government funds. Well, Bill, I'm happy to report that we've reached our goal. You're kidding me. Two |
| 1:21.9 | months ahead of schedule, John, that's wonderful. President Ford's going to be thrilled. Oh, |
| 1:26.1 | willy? Absolutely. What a tremendous contribution |
| 1:29.3 | you've made to your country. Well, if that's the case, you've got a hell of a way of showing your |
| 1:33.5 | appreciation. I'm sorry, John. What do you mean? Don't play dumb with me. That's the last thing I need |
... |
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