WLS Channel 7 - Eyewitness News Tonight - "The Day After Reaction" (1983)

Here's the opening segment for Eyewitness News Tonight at 10 on WLS Channel 7 - the major story of the day being the airing of The Day After - an ABC Theater telemovie about the effects of a full-scale nuclear attack on the United States.

Jim Avila visits the home of a viewing "party" for the movie with 11 local residents Mike Healey, Linda Likin, Herschel Feldman, and Katherin Marienau.

Then Jim Gibbons reminds viewers of the Insta-Vote question, "Did THE DAY AFTER change your opinion about the worldwide buildup of nuclear weapons?" and gave two 1-900 numbers to vote either yes or no. (for 50 cents a call) Tally at this point was: Yes - 2892. No - 2670.

Picketers from the "America First Group" march in front of the WLS-TV building at 190 North State, in protest of the film.

Anti-war activists, including Ted Strom, meet at the University of Chicago and discuss the possibility of a nuclear holocaust.

Clip from the ABC Viewpoint special is shown where Ted Koppel asks then Secretary of State George Schultz if he thought the film was an accurate representation of the future.

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, the Archbishop of Chicago, expresses concern about the lack of hope in the movie

Featuring Jack Jones, Jim Gibbons, Jim Rose, Jim Avila, (is that enough Jims?), Alan Krashesky on Weather (!), Opening voiceover by Al Parker.

This aired on local Chicago TV Sunday, November 20th 1983.

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