NBC Network - Today - WMAQ Channel 5 (First 31 Minutes, 7/17/1978)

Here's the first half-hour of NBC Network's Today show as aired over WMAQ Channel 5, with hosts Tom Brokaw and Jane Pauley, and once-and-future Chicago anchor legend Floyd Kalber with news updates.

Includes:

Animated station ID with promo for Exciting Chicago Games (voiceover by Jim Hill)

Opening, followed by Tom and Jane previewing this edition (initially accompanied by outdoor footage from Madison, WI and station WMTV Channel 15), including (not in this recording) Dr. Art Ulene on X-rays, and film director Henry King interviewed by Gene Shalit

News headlines from Floyd:

- Six murdered in Sirloin Stockade restaurant in Oklahoma City, OK; report by KTVY Channel 4's Mike Rosenthal, comments by police spokesman Tom Mundy

- Bonn economic summit conference to conclude, details covered by Irving R. Levine; summit conference to air at 10:42pm (Eastern time)

- Secretary of State Cyrus Vance to fly to Leeds, England for more Mideast peace talks

- Philadelphia judge orders striking prison workers and other sheriff's department workers back to work, while contract talks for municipal workers in New York, Memphis and Cleveland take turn for worse, and police strike in Sedalia, MO ends after one day

- Al Johnson reports on strike by Louisville, KY firemen

- Fred Briggs files report about Hotel Dreesen in Bonn suburb of Bad Godesberg, and its particular history

Commercials for:

GK Chevrolet (with German, Spanish and Japanese speakers) (ending voiceover by Jim Hill)

Yesteryear Inn in Kankakee

Folger's Crystals

Commonwealth (with president Herb Zoloto offering low-cost home financing loans)

Chicago weather forecast (voiceover by Jim Hill)

Bob Ryan with national weather forecast

Tom with essay on Washington and wasteful government spending

Commercials for:

[15:55] - Porters of Racine - Summer Sale (also seen within this clip - queued up to relevant part:    • WSNS Channel 44 - T.H.E. Saturday Mov...  ) (background music is an orchestral, easy-listening version of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by The Percy Faith Strings - clip again queued up to relevant portion:    • Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds  )

Porcelana medicated fade cream

Martex Luxor towel collection in 100% cotton - on sale at Carson Pirie Scott through August 31st (ending voiceover by Jim Hill)

Rand Bomanite - differing concrete impressions for your home

Another Chicago weather forecast (voiceover by Jim Hill)

Jane speaks with (Frances Tarlton) Sissy Farenthold about Equal Rights Amendment and schooling of women in ways of politics

Tom previews coming half-hour

Promo for CHiPs (voiceover by Donald Rickles?)

Commercial: North Town Dodge - 6600 North Western Avenue

Animated station ID (voiceover by Jim Hill)

NewsCenter5 update with Scott Osborne, including items:

- 17-year-old Earl Murdock (sp?) of West Crystal shot by police officer after burglarizing officer's squad car

- 7th floor room of YMCA hotel in West Wabash damaged in arson fire

PSA for St. Elizabeth Hospital CareUnit on problem drinking (Linda left crippled (paralyzed) after drunk-driving accident where her mother was driving) - "It's too late for Linda..."

- Police searching for two southside babies (Alan Price and Veronica Price) kidnapped by their 16-year-old babysitter (Linda Washington or Pat Washington) as reported by Stephen Ray.

- Union mechanics on strike shutting down service garages at over 280 Chicagoland new car dealerships for 6th day

- Cicero police may walk off job if wage demands not met at coming town hall meeting

Local sports scores, followed by weather forecast and ending (next update for 8:25am)

PSA for Illinois Smiles for Little City (voiceover by Jim Hill)

Commercials for:

Joe Perillo Pontiac - with heavyweight boxer George Mostardini - "Price Fighter"

Promo for new Elia Kazan book "Acts of Love"

Station ID slide (with shot of ships on river) (voiceover by Jim Hill)

First minute of the second half-hour of Today, with another shot from Madison, WI; as recording ends

This aired on local Chicago TV on Monday, July 17th 1978 during the 7:00am to 7:31am timeframe.

This was from a tape donated to the MCCTv as part of The Mike and Britta Fayette Collection.

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: [email protected] 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 DVD, please e-mail [email protected] Thank you for your help!