On May 5, a week from Tuesday, the special Congressional committees investigating the Iran-contra affair will begin public, televised hearings.

"These could be live, televised hearings."

Senator Joseph McCarthy exploited the fear of communism and conducted televised hearings.

At a 10-hour televised congressional hearing here in late August, those differences were on display.

Despite lengthy, televised hearings and intense press scrutiny, Oliver North received a fair trial in the Iran-contra case.

Doing this violated the letter of the pledge, although Obama maintains that negotiations in several congressional committees were open, televised hearings.

Since last April the commissioners, led by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, have held public, televised hearings around the country in which victims speak of their suffering.

Nod to Minority Groups Another line of reasoning holds that Judge Bork's highly legalistic approach to issues came over badly at his televised hearings.

Mesereau cross-examined prosecution witnesses in a three-week, televised preliminary hearing.

The subsequent televised hearings exposed no Communist infiltrators, and made plain to millions the viciousness of McCarthy as he cast about for victims.