July 13th, 1973, Alexander Butterfield, Senior Assistant to President Nixon,

testifying before the Senate Watergate investigation.

Mr. Butterfield, are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the President?

I was aware of listening devices. Yes, sir.

Did you tell us a little bit about how those devices worked, how they were activated, for example?

I don't have the technical knowledge, but I will tell you what I know about how those devices were triggered.

They were installed, of course, for historical purposes to record the president's business,

and they were installed in his two offices, the Oval Office and the EOB office.

Richard Nixon wasn't the only president who recorded his White House conversations.

At least five others did it too.

This is C-SPAN's newest podcast, Presidential Recordings, where you hear history as it happened.

Season one focuses on the presidency of Lyndon Johnson.

You'll hear about the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1964 presidential campaign, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, the March on Selma, and the War in Vietnam.

Not everyone knew they were being recorded.

Certainly Johnson's secretaries knew because they were tasked with transcribing many of those conversations.

In fact, they were the ones who made

sure that the conversations were taped, as Johnson would signal to them through an open door

between his office and theirs. You'll also hear some blunt talk.

Jim? Yes, sir. I want a report of the number of people that signed to Kennedy when he the day died,

the number signed to me now, and if mine are not blessed, I want to bless right quick.

If I can't ever go to the bathroom, I won't go.

I promise you I won't go anywhere.

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