KABC Channel 7 [Los Angeles, CA] - Eyewitness News at 5pm (1st 34 Minutes, 5/21/1979)

Here's the preview and first 34-odd minutes of a broadcast of Eyewitness News at 5pm from KABC Channel 7 in Los Angeles, CA, anchored by Jerry Dunphy and Harold Greene.
Includes:
Station ID / promo for "Haunts of the Very Rich" (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
Jerry and Harold preview coming newscast, along with other stories (voiceover by Mike Laurence?)
Commercials for:
Sparkling Champale
PSA Smile Service to Las Vegas
Station ID / That's Hollywood promo (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
News opening (voiceover by Mike Laurence?), followed by items:
- 12th day of odd-even gas rationing, with Barney Morris looking at lines at differing gas stations
- L.A. city and state officials call press conference to say more gas may be available, and enforcing gas plan regulations
- Larry Carroll tosses to John North on how odd-even has affected Riverside; deputy district attorney Kenneth Pike is interviewed
- Laurel Canyon gas station in Studio City closed due to vandalism
- East Coast beginning to be adversely affected by long lines at gas stations
- Congressional hearing to determine if oil companies are holding back supplies to drive up prices (Shell Oil's James H. DeNike testifies at hearing)
- Gov. Jerry Brown says President Carter is speaking in "forked tongue" over gas situation
- Fred Anderson at LA International Airport on how travelers are making plans amidst gas shortage; PSA Public Relations' Kathy Donnelly is interviewed
- Harold previews coming special report from Jerry on old Pacific Electric rail system
Commercials for:
"Haunts of the Very Rich" promo (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)
New-Skin Clear Liquid Bandage
Magic Mountain
Pet-All flea and tick collar
- Larry tosses to Mark Coogan at L.A. school board meeting on cutting back on bus use
- Feud escalates between Gov. Brown and Lt. Gov. Mike Curb over forced busing
- Cocaine bust in L.A. area, netting 26 ½ pounds with $6 million; Seth Dannehauer (sp?), 35, of Santa Monica, and Stephen Bellamy, 37, of Venice, are arrested
- Verdict reached in trial of Dan White who murdered S.F. Mayor Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk
- Larry tosses to Bob Banfield on trial of Dr. William Waddill in Santa Ana
- Florida Supreme Court refuses to stay executions of John Spenkelink and Willie Darden (both would meet "Ol' Sparky" on May 23rd)
Commercials for:
Old Spice after shave lotion
Westinghouse Open Office system
Crocker Bank
Alpha Beta - Lower Food Prices (Alan Hamel interviews Linda Harmon)
Dr. George Fischbeck weather report
Commercials for:
Tyson Rock Cornish Game Hen
Mazola Margarine ("What You Call Corn")
5th Annual San Diego Jazz Festival (at San Diego Stadium, June 8th and 9th)
Mighty Dog Beef for Dogs
- Environmentalists suing over L.A. Dept. of Water and Power siphoning water from Mono Lake; David Gaines speaks about damage done
- Leo McElroy moderates debate between City Council candidates Barbara Klein and Hal Bernson for coming runoff election
Commercials for:
Carl's Jr. burgers
Racing at Los Alamitos
Datsun Dealers of Southern California
Pan Am - Daily 747's to New York
Sports with Ed Arnold:
- Dodgers opening 3-game series against Padres in San Diego
- Angels prepping to play Brewers in Milwaukee; followed by baseball scores thus far
- Bill Fitch stepping down as head coach of Cleveland Cavaliers (recording cuts out midway through this story)
This aired on local Los Angeles TV on Monday, May 21st 1979 during the 4:58pm to 5:34pm (Pacific) timeframe.
About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:
The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: [e-mail] Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives - the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please e-mail [e-mail] Thank you for your help!

[@SummerlinRealtor]

From the desert to sea to all of Southern California good evening…I grew up with Jerry and everyone else on channel 7 living in LA! It’s great to see this again!

[@spencerkarterlive7378]

20:28 The widower of Suzanne Somers. Also, KABC 7 keep using the cube Circle 7 microphone flags until 1995. The anchors at ABC 7 still wear the Circle 7 lapel pins today.

[@rowkaz3510]

0:17 looks like Rob Burgandy.

[@JeffK787]

Good ole' Harold Greene

[@chocolatemuffin21]

Never gets old 🎙️

[@bobsebring2819]

I really miss Jerry Dumphy and Dr. George. They were some of the best newscasters ever. Thank you so much for uploading this. I grew up in LA and this brings back a flood of memories.

[@wmbrown6]

During the '70's, at least three ABC O&O's had weathermen who had a "schtick." Dr. George at KABC was one. Then there was John Coleman at WLS in Chicago; and, up to 1976, Tex Antoine at WABC in New York. (Very little of his work at WABC survives in any form, let alone tape. And certainly if that infamous moment that led to his suspension ever turned up, it'd've been on here by now.) All three are considered TV news legends. Pete Giddings' schtick at KGO in San Francisco, I think, had something to do with his wardrobe on the air.

[@jeffbowen2608]

@@wmbrown6Giddings was my grandma’s favorite weathercaster.

[@bobgoldstone1643]

I left a message for Dr. George at the station to help me with a science homework question. To my surprise, he called me back and we chatted for a good half hour. I later heard this was a common thing he did for viewers who reached out to him.

[@vidphile1]

GOD i miss jerry dunphy! i went to summer camp with one of his sons way back... oh, and anne martin...

[@genefogarty5395]

Anne Martin?

[@wmbrown6]

@@genefogarty5395 - *Ann* Martin (no 'e' at the end).

[@LindaMerchant-bq2hp]

In the days when newsmen and wome came walking out to the set and cameras long before pcs

[@stratoplayer1988]

I grew up in the LA/Orange County area in the 90s/00s. It’s weird seeing Harold Greene with a mustache.

[@videonut1988]

Pre-KCAL Jerry Dunphy...

[@salty6pence672]

88 cents a gallon in LA. Stay Classy Wales V*&^%%

[@hoss6048]

That TK’s in Riverside had some killer burritos

[@BoomGiggity]

I remember Jerry Dunphy, the white-haired newscaster.

[@wmbrown6]

ABC O&O's had their colorful personalities as lead anchors - Mr. Dunphy here; Van Amburg at KGO-TV San Francisco; Fahey Flynn at WLS-TV Chicago; Bill Bonds at WXYZ-TV Detroit; and Roger Grimsby at WABC-TV New York.

[@dannydougin3925]

Dr. George was great.

[@LindaMerchant-bq2hp]

PSA now is southwest

[@ajaugenti1976]

Wow, that was crazy with the gas prices in this country back in the 70's!

[@square-on-wheels]

Thank you for this.

[@LindaMerchant-bq2hp]

Larry carroll

[@80sMetalHead]

This is GREAT; thanks! More 70’s-80’s Los Angeles newscasts & commercials please!! 🫡👏🏻🫡

[@nicoleberry2750]

@FuzzyMemoriesTV Can you please upload more 70s and 80s Los Angeles Commercials aired on KABC, KNBC-TV and KNXT-TV because they are enjoyable.

[@johnstruzzo7057]

My father-in-law was the reporter doing the air travel story in this newscast. TV journalist Fred Anderson was a remarkable man who would have celebrated a birthday today, so it’s wonderful to see him here. He was with Channel 7 for 28 years representing a significant part of Los Angeles and Eyewitness News history. Sadly, he passed away in 1996 at age 59.He had a joy for life and a love for people and sharing their stories that was infectious . We continue to think of him and miss him very much. Family and friends would love to see more of his work and hear from anyone who remembers him.

[@ronbennett7885]

Imagine the states trying to enforce odd-even today. One saw how that went with mask mandates. At 6:00 sign showing ad for BankAmeriCard, which predates Visa.

[@ericanderson3836]

Dr. George really kept the weather forecast interesting, before technology took over.

[@genefogarty5395]

7:33, now we know where Will Ferrel got his inspiration for Ron Burgundy from.

[@romelovesdan]

That is actually true!

[@genefogarty5395]

@@romelovesdan Is that where he got the look from, for real? The resemblance is uncanny.

[@romelovesdan]

@@genefogarty5395 Yes, More than a coincidence. Ferrel has said so...should be easy to find quotes.

[@wmbrown6]

@@romelovesdan - For the look, yeah. But Ron Hunter (who only got as high as Chicago among TV markets) was also an inspiration. (I noticed he doesn't have a Wiki page.)

[@wmbrown6]

This was 10 days before Scott Vincent - the "voice" of both "Eyewitness News" and "The 4:30 Movie" at sister station WABC Channel 7 in New York City - died of lung cancer, on May 31st 1979, at age 56.

[@spencerkarterlive7378]

The same disease that claimed the life of ABC News icon Peter Jennings in 2005.

[@jimmydean9602]

Still waiting for nuclear lol

[@captainwhackencracker4589]

The guys in the newsroom must have had a dress code. They're all wearing vests. Except for the goofy weatherman, lol. 😂 🦺

[@spencerkarterlive7378]

Dr. George aka Dallas Raines' predecessor

[@prestongaylor1232]

Wow, an interesting look back in history

[@uhdudewhy7980]

I was a zitty 18-year-old in 1979. Later that year Dunphy would do a televised interview of Richard Nixon. It was called the Nixon/Dunphy Interviews and I had the feeling they were trying to copy the success of the Frost/Nixon interviews. In 1991 I saw Barney Morris speak at an AA meeting in Whittier, Ca. He was hilarious.

[@salty6pence672]

Ron Burgundy 100%

[@captainwhackencracker4589]

I came here to say the same thing, lol 😂

[@toddanthony6664]

May 21, 1979 was the White Night Riots in San Francisco.

[@wmbrown6]

Also . . . anyone notice something missing at the open - like, Mr. Dunphy's "From the desert to the sea . . . " opening tag?

[@Sponge420]

Holy crap it's Ron Burgundy

[@DanKirchner5150]

hal bernson's head seems like its ready to separate from his body at any moment

[@TRACECTRACY-ll7fw]

THE REAL NEWS NO LAUGHING PLAYING AROUND LIKE THESE SICK DAYS EVERYONES LAUGHING AT MURDER

[@mikehughes4969]

I'm sorry, but what does Los Angeles have to do with classic Chicago television?🤔 Nothing, that's what.

[@wmbrown6]

A few Chicago TV personalities did time in Los Angeles. Chuck Henry, for one. (John Schubeck, who anchored at all three L.A. network O&O's, once worked at WGN in the '60's.) And of course, onetime WMAQ features reporter Shelley Long going on to "Cheers" and a string of movies . . . Terry Murphy honing her craft at WLS Channel 7 before going on to "El Lay," and then "Hard Copy" . . .

[@FuzzyMemoriesTV]

FuzzyMemoriesTV: “It’s not just for Chicago anymore!” 😎

[@wmbrown6]

@@FuzzyMemoriesTV - Isn't that a riff on an orange juice ad, or something? In any case, that fits.

[@nicoleberry2750]

@FuzzyMemoriesTV Can you please upload more KABC-TV Los Angeles commercial breaks from the 70s because they are very memorable.