30 years ago today: The New York City Blackout

[Jul]

It took place on 7/13/77 at 9:36 PM EDT and last for 25 hours. For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Blackout_of_1977 . What do you remember about that day and night and the day after when the blackout continued and how the NYC radio stations handled this major crisis during a dark period in the city's history?

 

[DToTheJ]

To relive the moments, I advise checking out both of Lino's threads with airchecks of that day.

Incidentally - and I heard the montage twice, unless I misheard- I think the '77 blackout was one major event omitted from the "1977" segment of the CBS FM montage... Maybe they thought just the '65 blackout was enough...

 

[Tibbs4]

My gosh, THAT was 30 years ago??? I feel like an Oldie for sure now. Thanks for the reminder. I guess it's appropriate
with the radio events of the past 25 hours....

 

[saponipoet]

I'm in California, and I realized today is the anniversary of the Blackout of 1977. What a crazy summer that was. Star Wars premiered, Son of Sam lurked, and the blackout mercifully saved me from a blind date my sister had set up for me.

I was on Broadway and E. 77th street at a small restaurant called The Only Child. My sister had arranged a blind date for me with a "dreamy" guy from her job. My sister was a runway model for a furrier, while I waited tables at a restaurant on 58th and Lexington. I thought for sure she spent her days around the most gorgeous men, tall well groomed, and mature. For two weeks I pestered her for more info. about Matt, but as the days drew closer he was reduced to "cute and interesting". I was suspicious.

On Friday July 13 1977, my sister and I sat at the bar waiting for our table. When Matt came in I realized I was in for a long painful evening. He looked like a kid with a curfew! I glared at my sister as she cheerfully introduced us. As soon as I stretched out my hand to shake his, the whole city went dark, giving me the opportunity to slip away! I was able to duck out on what might have been the worst blind date ever. That was just the start of an epic 25 hours. My sister and I were 80 blocks away from home.

 

[oaktree]

I remember both blackouts, vividly. Listening to Dan Ingram on WABC just after 5:20 p.m. when the 4 Seasons song playing started to wobble a lot. Dan started to make fun of it in the middle of the song, then the jingle would fire and drag and then...silence.

The next day, just as the station came back on, I remember the same record starting up where it left off ... and Ingram apparently spent the night there and the first thing he said was, "That was the 4 Seasons on WABC...(jingle) Dan Ingram...(Jingle) W A B C. Where ya been?"

The second time, in '77, I was living in Memphis listening to the Mets and Cardinals game on KMOX when you heard this really loud crowd noise start to swell...and Mike Shannon of the Cardinals broadcast team said, "The lights just went out at Shea...the lights...all of them...are now out at Shea Stadium." That was all I remember, as I think the feed went back to KMOX for updates on the power outage.