We were just talking about newscasters from our childhood and I immediately though about Roger Grimsby on ABC from NY. He and Bill Beutel told me everything I needed to know in those days. I trusted them and enjoyed the contrast in their deliveries and sense of humor. I just wanted to hear Mr. Grimsby say, "I'm Roger Grimsby, Here Now The News..." one more time. Thank You!
The V/O of the WRFM ad was Jim Branch, who was newscaster there for years. In 1969, he did 5-minute news updates for WABC 77 in the overnight hours - but from what I read, despite working alongside such greats as Bruce Morrow and Charlie Greer, Branch simply considered working there "just a job."
Roger Grimsby and Bill Buetel were my introduction great anchormen. I remember my parents loved to watch this station and I grew up with them. Typical of the 70s, did any of you notice the cigarette smoke coming from behind Bill Buetel's shoulder?
"Good evening, I'm Roger Grimsby, here now the news . . ." NO intro before or since has contained such clout, conveyed such authority, nor made you take notice that, HERE NOW, was the NEWS. Period.
Roger Grimsby and Bill Beutel were my first 2 child heroes when I was 3. The next time I am back in New York, I am going to take a walk over to the studio and have a moment of silence for 2 men who always told me the truth.
1979 returning back to New York from North Carolina with my parents and my baby sister were not the happy times because my mother started to lose her sight and my father made her life he'll but 1979 was a good year sure enough
In response to 'MotorCity1370's' query: WABC did their newscasts from the newsroom from August to November 1979, as their news set was being transitioned (and slightly redesigned) from their old studios as 7 West 66th to the newer 7 Lincoln Square complex - and apparently, it took a long while for the set transfer process to finish. And Grimsby didn't seem all too pleased with that Wall Street protest, either, if his tone of voice and facial expression were of any indication. It did seem that in those days, for younger people (to paraphrase an oft-cited Chuck Jones saying about Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck), WCBS's Jim Jensen was whom they aspired to be, but Grimsby was who they were.
Aired Monday October 29, 1979. My parents dated at the time (they married the next year) when my mom lived in East Keansburg, New Jersey and my dad lived with his sister in Perth Amboy.
God this city was so friggin great in those days, I so long for it. Crazy hippies protesting and getting dragged off like dogs... damn why aren't people willing to fight for their rights like that anymore?? lol I used to love WRFM. Why can't commercials still have disco music? lmfao i love the guy running around in the back ground on stilts. NO NUKES!!
That theme was an edited version of the "Tar Sequence" cue, written by Lalo Schifrin, from the 1967 "Cool Hand Luke" film (which, ironically, played on WNBC-TV during this period; by the early 1990's "CHL" was on WPIX within the final years of "The Eight O'Clock Movie"). At one time all original ABC O&O's EXCEPT Los Angeles' KABC used this particular edit (KABC fashioned their own). B.T.W., ironically, "CHL" appeared occasionally on WXYZ Detroit's "4:30 Movie."
WRFM... I never knew of that station, but my folks used to listen to "beautiful music" on WPAT, Easy 93. It would likely be called "Music of Your Life" nowadays. As far as I understand, WPAT is a Latino station now.
AHA! Frank Gari's company, eh? That's why "EYEWITNESS NEWS" used the instrumental version of ABC's Fall 1979 "Still the One!" jingle {he co-wrote it} at the end of their newscasts through the mid-'80s.
Does anybody remember if it was customary for WABC to do their newscasts from the newsroom at that time, or was this a special occasion? At any rate, Grimsby didn't look too thrilled to be doing it from the newsroom.
@Zickcermacity Someone got bored and was turning the dial? What were our choices then?: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13. I think we had HBO too back then. Ah for the good old days. I also miss the city in the 1970s. It looked "lived in and comfortable" like a worn out shoe...
Ahhh the days when they went to the 'film'... Don't TV 'film' reports look really weird now (2012+)? Those TV film editors must of been FAST... Film's not that easy to slam through....
To think that when they said this looked like to be the last time Billy Martin would manage the Yankees could not have known that Martin would have three more managerial stints with the Yankees, most notably including manager for the infamous 1983 "Pine Tar" game. When Martin was killed by a drunk driver in 1989, it was looking like Martin would be back for a SIXTH stink as Yankees manager in fact.
That was a videotape "miss-cue and re-cue" by the automation or the operator when playing the commercials. It looked like they switched to the back up tape when the Colt 45 spot eventually played.
And the amazing thing is that it accurately foretold the firing of Buck Showalter??? Is that wild or what ??? Who knew that George Steinbrenner took orders from Larry David ??? LOL
The New York City Subways System in 1979 were dirty filthy inside and out graffiti ridden and very noisy we had subway tokens before MetroCard ever came aboard the one thing that changed was the NYC Subway Map from 1979 changed to a different level not like the previous one originated by Massimo Vignekli of a kindfrom to 1972
You gotta remember this was right after Three Mile Island , so it was important , they protesters actually tryed to chain themselves to the Stock exchange entrance, but the buildings downtown are almost cross connected so you enter one building and exit and enter another from an alleyway . I was working a a bank messenger then we were sent out in pairs due to insurance issues. The protesters had mad a human chain around Wall St so we had to get to Broad St thru 42 BWAY
