Duration: 0:59

Views: 9160

By: fuzzymemories

Description: Here's the coverage from WBBM Channel 2 of "Disco Demolition Night" as aired on Channel 2 News at Six. Featuring anchors Bill Kurtis and Harry Porterfield, a report from John Quinones, Bruce Roberts at Comiskey Park, and on the open weatherman John Coughlin, sportscaster Johnny Morris and "Perspectives" commentator Walter Jacobson. Includes:

Opening with brief shots of Kurtis, Porterfield, Coughlin, Morris, Jacobson, and a full shot of the Channel 2 newsroom (with Thomson TTV-1518 camera at frame right) (voiceover by Ed Roberts?)

Bill starts off the bat with the melee (which he pronounces as ME-LEE - the latter syllable exactly the same as the first name of longtime WBBM personality Lee Phillip) at Comiskey Park the previous night. He also previews the following stories:

- A report from John Drummond on a confrontation at the El Rukns temple involving members of what had been the Black P. Stone Nation Gang

- Brief preview of report of DC-10's being cleared for running by the FAA before this part of recording cuts out

Back to the coverage, Bill describes the events - a promotional event, "Disco Demolition Night," held in-between the first and second game of a doubleheader that went out of control, spearheaded by anti-disco disc jockey Steve Dahl of WLUP-FM - before introducing John Quinones' report, which features clips of the mayhem as it was unfolding, plus interviews with Mr. Dahl (on the 37th floor of the Hancock Building), area resident Jim Sutera, and Deputy Chief of Special Operations Charles Pepp; John notes that it is unclear at this point whether the planned second game would be forfeited, owing to the damage to the field as a result of the event, and that Bruce Roberts would be reporting from the stadium later in the broadcast, before this part of the recording cuts out

Harry then introduces Bruce Roberts' report from Comiskey, which features taped interviews with owner Bill Veeck (who reads a telegram from American League President Lee MacPhail on the umpires' decision to forfeit the second game to the visiting Detroit Tigers) and Sox groundskeeper Roger Bossard (who explains the nightmare of repairing the field after the event), as well as an on-the-scene interview with shortstop Alan Bannister; towards the end of this recording, Bruce mentioned that the Sox had lost the first game 4-1 to Detroit, and the Cubs defeated the Cincinnati Reds 10-8, and he is midway in describing that game when the recording finally cuts out.

This aired on local Chicago TV on Friday, July 13th 1979 during the 6pm to 7pm timeframe.