ABC News Weekend Report - WLS Channel 7 (Complete Broadcast, 12/15/1979) 📺

Here's an expanded edition of the ABC News Weekend Report anchored by Ted Koppel from Washington and aired over WLS Channel 7. (This was more than three months before a nightly program Mr. Koppel was hosting about the Iran hostage crisis became Nightline.)

Includes:

[note: this immediately followed the local WLS-TV newscast, which can be viewed separately here:    • WLS Channel 7 - Eyewitness News (Complete ...  ]

Newscast open (voiceover by Bill Owen), followed by items:

Day 42 of the Iran hostage crisis, and Shah, his wife and entourage leave U.S. for Panama; after some technical glitches over David Garcia report, George Strait reports on Washington reaction; comments from news secretary Jody Powell

Barry Serafin, in Tehran, reports on Iranian reaction to this news

David's report finally comes up about Shah's latest place of exile, on island of Contadora [note: starting at about 5:24, roughly 12 seconds of Garcia's' report, as well as roughly 29 seconds of the Shah's comments, starting at about 5:54, had to be excised from this video to prevent YouTube blocking]

Shah spokesman maintains Ayatollah Khomeini no longer has any excuse to keep holding American hostages

Commercials for:
Michelob beer - "Weekends were made for Michelob"
Alcoa aluminum - "We Can't Wait For Tomorrow - Alcoa Can't Wait"

John Scali reports on Carter drive to harden Iran policy if regime doesn't let up; comments from Secretary of State Cyrus Vance

Barrie Dunsmore reports on U.S. belief that Iran will take this latest development on Shah positively

Commercials for:
Extra-Strength Sinutab
Mazda GLC
Visa
Canada Dry Club Soda and Tonic Water

Charles Murphy reports on how Shah was spirited out of U.S.; interviews with area residents

Bill Greenwood on Shah's journey since he was deposed in February

Commercials for:
Max Factor Maxi-Lash 24 Hour Mascara
McDonald's breakfasts
Black & Decker Incredible Bench Top (with Bob Lilly)
English Heath toffee - "Where Do You Hide To Have It?"

Pierre Salinger, at The Hague, reports on World Court decision on Iran, reached after 16 days of deliberation; Tim O'Brien on Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti's role in their verdict

In other news:

In Turkey, radical leftists claim responsibility for slaying of four Americans

U.S. intends to lift sanctions against Rhodesia in spite of UN boycott of country

Oil refinery in Taylor, MI, rocked by several explosions; about 8,000 evacuated from their homes

Heavy rains cause flooding in Pacific Northwest

In Davie, FL, hot air balloon grazes power line, setting balloon on fire and causing three men and a woman to plummet to their deaths

Commercials for:
Butterball Turkey (with actress Mary Jo Catlett of "Diff''rent Strokes" fame as one of the "pilgrims")
Paul Masson wine (with Orson Welles)

Bernard Shaw, reporting from Tehran, on current goings-on at U.S. Embassy

Ted closes program with encapsulation of day's events and preview of next day's Issues and Answers

Promos for Mork & Mindy and "An American Christmas Carol" (voiceover by Ernie Anderson)

Commercials for:
Aviance - by Prince Matchabelli
Magnavox Christmas Specials
Perrier (voiceover by Orson Welles)

Station ID / PSA for Chicago Lung Association

"Swirling Stars" open for Saturday Night Movie, followed by first few seconds of "Topaz" [1969] before recording ends

This aired on local Chicago TV on Saturday, December 15th 1979 during the 10:15pm to 10:46pm 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: [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 digital, please e-mail [email protected] Thank you for your help!