WNEW News (Lou Steele), Sermonette, Sign-off, 1/20/85

From the early morning hours of January 20th, 1985, here's part of a WNEW channel 5 News Headlines segment, read by Lou Steele. Lou (AKA "The Creep" for Creature Feature fans) sounds a little worse for wear, for whatever reason. When he reads the weather for that day's Super Bowl XIX, the weather card is mistakenly put up on-screen. The sermonette features a Kipling passage read by actress Jessica James (perhaps best known as Eddie's mom in "Diner"), followed by the Star-Spangled Banner film package, with lots of local scenes from the tri-state area. No rights held or implied. (If you'd like this removed for copyright reasons, please contact me rather than notifying KZbin, I will gladly take it down from this channel.) This is on compilation 13 at oldtvads.blogspot.com...

[@dillysgirl4ever]

This is the coolest sign off I’ve ever seen. I really love the scenes of the various towns in the tri-state area first with fun music, then the National Anthem, then back to the fun music. That’s awesome!!

[@sambradley2975]

I guess old Lou was either tired, or was hitting back a few. 😆🍸

[@michaelwilliams2865]

I just wish I had all of this back again. Such a simpler life back then

[@luisreyes1963]

We all miss the Late News, Sermonette & Star-Spangled Banner at the end of the broadcast day, but TV stations would rather run infomercials 24/7 & rake in the cash.

[@marc108]

Wow I miss everything...

[@pauljr.harrington1905]

Jessica James died in 1990, and President Reagan had been sworn in for his second term on this day. Also, this station is now WNYW and these call letters live on for a radio station.

[@ericsamuelson5656]

I'm in tears over the funky musicpeice

[@MrSamer83]

Lol…good thing the anchorman did not have to make a camera appearance while reading the news…he must’ve looked and sounded exhausted. Back then again many were asleep at the time this was on the air before sign off so I guess it didn’t really matter…

[@sambradley2975]

The most stirring rendition of the National Anthem that I ever ever heard. 1st time I heard it was in the '70s. I remember they had a slide of American history ending with the man on the Moon (since it was made in 1969), it was beautiful.

[@sambradley2975]

He sounded like Will Ferrell doing a Harry Carey impression.

[@x60hz]

He reminds me of actor James Gregory

[@sambradley2975]

He sounds drunk. I always thought so, his delivery sounded slurry.

[@sambradley2975]

That sounds just like the sign off they used in 1980 & before

[@wmbrown6]

More like 1983. A 1982 sign-off (with Chuck Caron reading the news update) had Ed Ladd handling the script.

[@sambradley2975]

Ronald Reagan was reinaugurated as the 40th President on that day, but since it was a Sunday, it was repeated in the dome of the Capitol because of the snow storm & the harsh weather, the Inaugural parade was cancelled.

[@DanZero77]

Ol' Lou's in the throes of death here for sure (or at least sounds like it, he didn't pass until 2001) This is however, the first time I saw this particular WNEW "Good Night" slide, updated for the 40 Years of Fine Tuning promo in 1984-1985!

[@johnnysama]

First time I've seen that "Good Night" slide. I wonder if a sign-on from this era exists?

[@JMFabiano]

Or really, any WNEW signon...there is one WNYW sign-on out there. I'd imagine the spiel and video (seen at the end here) would be the same.

[@sambradley2975]

He also sounds like William F. Buckley jr.

[@sambradley2975]

@@johnnysama I remember the "Good Night " slide going back to the 1970s, it was the same slide used in 1980 & before. It's sad the Networks don't sign off like they used to, they throw on an infomercial & that's it, you don't even know when the broadcast begins or end.

[@sambradley2975]

The National Anthem they played goes back to 1969,(50 years ago ), they used to have an awesome slide show of our country's history which of, course, ended with man on the Moon.

[@reinnegroni8462]

Go to 8:21 on Shore Road where the n23 bus (before "nice" took over MTA Long Island Bus a.k.a. "MSBA" Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority) goes there. WNEW TV took shots at Port Washington, New York, it used to be a nice area, but expensive & people aren't that so nice to say nowadays. Heading to Shore Road & George Street. Stupid geese always cross the direction over there.

[@Boricua3lions1985]

@7:31 NEW YORK COSMOS!!!!!!!!!

[@richardburkard9839]

The most secular TV "sermonette" I've seen here. But at least the Kansas City Kings won.... shortly before leaving town.

[@wmbrown6]

Until 1982-83, their sermonettes were called "Call to Prayer," a title dating back to 1950's DuMont-WABD days.

[@harrychestwigg]

can anybody ID that song at 5:46?

[@kengeorgejones6855]

Very nice signoff. The sermonette could have been nice if the music hadn't drowned her out.

[@gidzmobug2323]

Sounds like Rudyard Kipling's "If".

[@donovanhoxtell4374]

6:22

[@tapthatt2012]

Rare

[@sambradley2975]

Has Lou been drinking? 😆🍸

[@wmbrown6]

Did the person at the control board who switched from the 'Sports' to the 'Weather' slide when Lou read the pending Super Bowl weather forecast, have a few?

[@jamiewillkner8742]

Was this news broadcast prerecorded?

[@gidzmobug2323]

I think so.

[@vln2012]

I thought the booth was live at the point t

[@sambradley2975]

Was Lou Steele British?

[@MelAshieraDianneCabahugL-rb1ev]

Judy Bamford Advisory❤❤❤

[@sambradley2975]

It's sad that only Fox News still plays the National Anthem in the morning. 😢

[@richcook2007]

I wish they had this today with the same disinterested voice. News is too busy pushing an agenda.

[@michaelwilliams2865]

Rich, I wish news was still like this today. Slideshow and faceless voices. It made it seem much more calm then waking up at 5AM, putting the TV on and watching all commotion breaking out, gridlock traffic so early in the morning and dramatic horrible news reporters. It makes you just want to shut it off, call in sick and go back to bed.