WBBM Channel 2 - Channel 2 News Special Report - "Blizzard '79: Public Questions, City Answers" (Part 4, 1979)

Here's Part 4 (the last part offered here) of a Channel 2 News Special Report, "Blizzard '79: Public Questions, City Answers," a call-in show hosted by Bill Kurtis and Walter Jacobson on WBBM Channel 2. Note: According to TV listings, this program ran about 70 minutes, so we are missing approximately the last 10 minutes.

Program features Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Chairman James McDonough, Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Francis Degnan, Fire Commissioner Richard Albrecht, and Police Superintendent James O'Grady in the line of fire. Also featuring Bob Wallace. Includes:

Bill Kurtis explaining how he and Walter Jacobson are relaying viewers' questions, complimenting the intelligent and serious questions that came in, and the viewers expressing surprise that the guests "had the guts" to come in to answer such questions. He then reads a "kind of" suggestion from John Biddle (sp?) offering a front-end loader truck and giving his phone number (which Bill, of course, does not read on the air); Degnan suggests Biddle (sp?) call James P. Arnold, the city's purchasing agent, and gives out the phone number for such agency. Walter reads a question from Miss Griffin, asking about why Alderman Wilson Frost's block was plowed at the time of the snowstorm on Saturday night but not the streets next to the block; Degnan insists he's not aware of that, but once again brings out the "arterial streets" argument. Bill reads a question from Bill Reitman (sp?) of Portage Park, asking why the National Guard hasn't been called; Degnan mentions that Guard equipment is being used, but generally the equipment the Guard uses is not what is needed for this blizzard, and that their manpower was not needed.

Back to Bob Wallace at the parking lot at Clark and Halsted, George Falconer (sp?) of the North Side poses a CTA question about people risking life and limb to wait for buses, and McDonough says he sympathizes with their plight and they're seeking to restore service "to normalcy," but in the meantime asks for patience.

Walter asks why he's seen no women helping with snow removal, and Bill says he saw two women on Washington clearing the streets; Degnan says he's seen "hundreds and hundreds of women" shoveling crosswalks and cars, in particular three in front of his own house, shoveling their own cars for the last three days. Bill then asks about why O'Hare fared so badly, and McDonough says this falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Aviation and Commissioner J. Patrick Dunne; he explains how the heavy winds, snow and low temperatures impact planes flying in and out of the area, and that O'Hare was ordered closed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), not by the city.

Again back to Bob who fields a question from an old gentleman about when the city would get around to clearing out all the snow and ice; Degnan responds by wanting to know the weather for the next 2-3 months, after which the old man says "you're doing a good job."

Walter then asks Albrecht how firemen could help with snow removal in-between responding to fires; Albrecht explains the hours in which they do so, and how the streets are more passable after they're finished. Bill then mentions that Governor James Thompson came back from a trip to Florida under public pressure, and says people are asking when the street in front of Degnan's own house would get to be plowed; Degnan says he hadn't been on that street since early December, and wants to see if any potholes formed - and then gives out his address "if anyone is interested." Walter then reads a "beating your wife" type question from the reportorial staff, about whether or not things are "really falling apart"; McDonough, whom Walter calls "ever the statesman," says he tries to put things into perspective, and gives his appraisal of how everybody could learn from this blizzard. Bill then reads a question from Gail Wood (sp?) of Rogers Park who thinks McDonough has sidestepped the question on the lack of heat on the Howard "L"; McDonough says he didn't mean to sidestep, but explained that things malfunction and his main priority is to keep the system functioning. With that, Bill signals for another commercial break.

Commercial: Polk Bros. - Bedding Sale - rolling back prices on Englander mattresses and bedding to what they were 10 years ago - with an offer for the two-volume "Ann Landers Encyclopedia" (free with most major purchases) - Open nightly till 10, Sundays till 6

Commercial: Fruit of the Loom Laundry Detergent - women in four cities (Charlotte, NC; San Diego, CA; Cleveland, OH; and Norwalk, CT) asked to try it - 9 out of 10 say it cleaned as well as or better than regular detergent - "Goes Beyond Cleaning to Caring - We Guarantee It"

Commercial: Saluto Deep Dish Sicilian Style New Party Pizza ("New Zestier Taste") - "That's-a Lotsa Mozzarella" (doesn't the girl in the ad look a bit like a young Lea Thompson, later of Back to the Future and Caroline in the City fame?) (tape cuts off before ad ends)

This aired on local Chicago TV on Thursday, January 18th 1979.

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