Quick question about Shuttle Challenger Disaster coverage

[Stanislav]

It is true that KNBC in L.A. covered it -- that is the source of the clip often repeated in tributes with the audio of the KNBC guy (NOT NBC's Tom Brokaw, though they had similar timbre voices) exclaiming, "My god....there's been an explosion."

We had discussed this subject many months ago (see quote from that thread above). What I am trying to recall is -- who was the KNBC newsguy who everyone confuses with Brokaw on that clip? I used to know the name, but somewhere along the way that file got deleted from my mental hard drive. :-\ Thanks.

 

[RicoGregg]

It is true that KNBC in L.A. covered it -- that is the source of the clip often repeated in tributes with the audio of the KNBC guy (NOT NBC's Tom Brokaw, though they had similar timbre voices) exclaiming, "My god....there's been an explosion."

We had discussed this subject many months ago (see quote from that thread above). What I am trying to recall is -- who was the KNBC newsguy who everyone confuses with Brokaw on that clip? I used to know the name, but somewhere along the way that file got deleted from my mental hard drive. :-\ Thanks.

The newsguy you're trying to think of is Kent Shocknek, now with CBS 2.

 

[Stanislav]

Thank you! I was going nuts trying to recall his name.

I didn't realize until I looked him up that he was also the anchor who infamously once ducked under his desk on-air during an earthquake aftershock, earing him the nickname "Kent After-Shocknek."

 

[RicoGregg]

You're welcome.

After the aftershock incident, Shocknek took a lot of criticism for ducking under the desk. But with those big Klieg lights swinging above him, and God knows what else could have happened, what else was he supposed to do? ???

I'd have done the same thing myself.

 

[Stanislav]

Oh, I agree wholeheartedly. But it still makes for a funny video clip.

 

[RicoGregg]

Speaking of Earthquake clips, one of my favorites is the out take of a WC Fields movie scene filmed when the Long Beach Quake of 1933 hits. I don't remember which of The Great Man's films it's from.

There's about four or five people in the scene, including Fields, when everything starts shaking. Everyone suddenly gets up and starts walking calmly off the set, and Fields, with walking stick and top hat in tow, is trying to calm everyone, going "Stay calm, stay calm, no reason to panic." As he says that, his voice is quivering and he's as white as a ghost. He looks like he wants to get the hell out of there quick!

Sorry to wander off-topic, but I couldn't resist.

 

[Stanislav]

Speaking of Earthquake clips, one of my favorites is the out take of a WC Fields movie scene filmed when the Long Beach Quake of 1933 hits. I don't remember which of The Great Man's films it's from.

There's about four or five people in the scene, including Fields, when everything starts shaking. Everyone suddenly gets up and starts walking calmly off the set, and Fields, with walking stick and top hat in tow, is trying to calm everyone, going "Stay calm, stay calm, no reason to panic." As he says that, his voice is quivering and he's as white as a ghost. He looks like he wants to get the hell out of there quick!

Sorry to wander off-topic, but I couldn't resist.

Yah, should be its own topic, but......earthquakes on live (or taped) TV, we also have, of course, the famous 1989 "World Series" quake happening live on ABC. And Johnny Carson was taping a show once when an aftershock hit (leading to the famous ad-lib about receiving notice that the meeting of the "God is Dead" society had been cancelled...)

Not caught on tape, but an earthquake or aftershock once hit during a "Hollywood Squares" session while all the stars were up in their squares. They quickly evacuated -- all except poor Paul Lynde, who got tangled in his microphone cord and started to have a panic attack. Later, in the commissary, someone saw him staring into space and asked if he was OK. "I'm too young to die..." he muttered.