No Network coverage of Challenger launch 1/28/86

[Jul]

I found a home-taped copy of a couple hours of the CBS coverage, but from later in the afternoon (although it did catch the press conference and Regan's speech).

You should get that up on You Tube for everyone to see.

 

[ixnay]

Mr. Fybush, shuttle launches *were* routine by 1/28/86, I admit, but still, I never understood why the Big 3 didn't have mandatory coverage of Challenger in all time zones, since "one of us" was going to go up that day.

ixnay

 

[JeeperOne]

Hi everyone:

The Price Is Right was pre-empted for the Challenger launch/tragedy in 1986. They pre-empted every soap opera and game show that was on all 3 networks at that time. It extended its coverage into the afternoon as well pre-empting some of the shows that was going to air during the afternoon in reruns.

I was watching TPIR that fateful day (I was in my Senior Year in High School at the time, but home sick or something like that. I forget now) and the show got as far as the final break before announcing the winner of the showcases (Which turned out to be some woman who's name I can't even think of that Dan Rather announced as their coverage was wrapping up) when CBS broke in with the announcement. They had coverage till about 5:00 PM EST that day at which time they dropped everyone. Local affiliates out West were forced to carry TPIR (If they didn't do so already) and/or fend for themselves

Also, it was common place for the networks at that time during the 1980's to show every space shuttle launch, pre-empting mostly The Price Is Right and other shows that aired 10:00 AM Central Time.

For awhile yes. But the launches soon became so routine that the networks eventually felt covering them wall-to wall was no longer neccessary (This was mostly because of the impact that CNN was having as THE 24/7 cable news operation at the time).

As such, the OTA networks monitored the launches and did stories for the evening news, but that was the extent of it until the Challenger tragedy.

Just my $.02 worth (Going by my usually-accurate photographic memory that is)

Cheers