Vanderbilt Television News Archive

ABC Evening News for 1971-12-23

This program is 27 minutes long

• Introduction Harry Reasoner (New York City); Howard K. Smith (Washington, DC)

  #13939

  05:00:40 pm — 05:01:40 pm

• (Commercial: Sanka Coffee.)

  #13940

  05:01:40 pm — 05:01:50 pm

• Hoffa / Parole

  #13941

  05:01:50 pm — 05:04:00 pm

  (Studio) President `Nixon grants ex-teamsters' union president executive clemency. Hoffa freed from prison.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

  (DC) Justice Department releases news; sentence commuted, not pardoned. Hoffa must not manage a labor union before 1980. [1967 Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, film shown.] Hoffa jailed for mail fraud, jury tampering; career outlined. Attorney General Robert Kennedy clash with Hoffa noted. President Nixon's motive for clemency pondered.
  REPORTER: Sam Donaldson

• (Commercial: Sanka Coffee; Jell-O Gelatin.)

  #13942

  05:04:00 pm — 05:05:10 pm

• Vietnam War / POW's / Boa Hope / Casualties

  #13943

  05:05:10 pm — 05:08:30 pm

  (Studio) United States bombers hit North Vietnam radar base near Hanoi Bombings said to have caused prisoners of war mail delay.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

  (State Department) United States foreign policy stance reviewed; VNization. heads list. Secretary of State Rogers blunt about role of United States air power. [ROGERS - says air support to be contd.] USSR -US relations mentioned but Vietnam war main topic. [ROGERS - says North Vietnam inhumane in treatment of POW's.]
  REPORTER: Ted Koppel

  (Studio) Actor Bob Hope makes bid to visit Hanoi, in effort to negotiate POW release, via charity contributions. State Department skeptical. Casualties reported.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

• Pakistan

  #13944

  05:08:30 pm — 05:08:50 pm

  (Studio) Sheik Mujibur Rahman freed from prison put under house arrest; to confer with President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Mujibur made President of Bangladesh.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

• Bangladesh

  #13945

  05:08:50 pm — 05:10:20 pm

  (Studio) Exiled Bangladesh leaders return to Dacca.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

  (Dacca, Bangladesh) Emotions run high; new nation becomes reality. Socialistic secular government in prospect. Sheik Mujibur Rahman still in West Pakistani custody.
  REPORTER: Ron Miller

• Pakistani Soldiers / Surrender

  #13946

  05:10:20 pm — 05:12:40 pm

  (Studio) 90,000 Pakistani soldiers surrender to Indian troops; 5000 already in prisoners of war camps in India.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

  (Dacca, Bangladesh) Surrender ceremonies shown. Bitterness well concealed. Permission to keep arms granted for a while as protection against guerrillas. [Indian OFR. - assures adherence to Geneva conv. rules of 1949.] Traditional ceremony suspected for television benefit. Troops seem relieved.
  REPORTER: Peter Jennings

• (Commercial: Tang Drink; Gravy Train Dog Food.)

  #13947

  05:12:40 pm — 05:14:00 pm

• Price Commission / Insurance Rates

  #13948

  05:14:00 pm — 05:14:10 pm

  (Studio) Commission trims Blue Cross,Blue Shield rate increase for federal workers.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• Postal Rates

  #13949

  05:14:10 pm — 05:14:20 pm

  (Studio) Cost of Living Council exempts postal rates from price control. Mail rate hike announced.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• Niagara, Wisconsin

  #13950

  05:14:20 pm — 05:17:20 pm

  (Studio) Town faces crisis as paper mill closure threatened.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

  (Niagara, WI) Town profiled. On Menominee River good place for paper mill. Kimberly Clark mill now threatened; hope for sale of mill; citizens push sale effort. [Plant manager William BEERMAN - praises community spirit.] [Union ofr. Robert KRAUSE - speaks of goal unity.] Town meeting filmed. [Village pres. Charles KUDER - stresses citizens' responsibility.]
  REPORTER: Jim Kincaid

• (Commercial: Polident Denture Cleaner; Edge Shaving Gel; General Motors Corp.)

  #13951

  05:17:20 pm — 05:19:20 pm

• Campaign `72 / McGovern / McCloskey / Primaries

  #13952

  05:19:20 pm — 05:22:10 pm

  (Studio) Senator George McGovern proposes welfare overhaul. Representative Paul McCloskey enters New Hampshire primary. Report on primaries follows. [1960 films of late John F. Kennedy, shown.] Numerous primaries cited. New Hampshire primary on Mar. 7; Senator Edmund Muskie favorite. Florida do-or-die primary for Senator Henry Jackson. Alabama Governor George Wallace may enter Florida primary as Democrat Wisconsin may be big 1 for Senators Hubert Humphrey and George McGovern. Bitter battle at Democratic National Convention predicted.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

• (Commercial: "Alias Smith and Jones"; Old Spice Shaving Prdts.)

  #13953

  05:22:10 pm — 05:23:10 pm

• Cancer Research

  #13954

  05:23:10 pm — 05:23:30 pm

  (Studio) President Nixon signs $1.6 billion bill for cancer research.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• Basketball

  #13955

  05:23:30 pm — 05:25:40 pm

  (Studio) Los Angeles Lakers win 27th straight game.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

  (Baltimore, Maryland) Lakers win over Baltimore Bullets; sets record for professional sports. [Coach Bill SHARMAN - calls team super.] [Player Wilt CHAMBERLAIN - hopes for continued success.]
  REPORTER: Stephen Geer

• (Commercial: Allstate Auto Insurance.)

  #13956

  05:25:40 pm — 05:26:30 pm

• Commentary (Logic of Christmas)

  #13957

  05:26:30 pm — 05:28:40 pm

  (Studio) Commentator repeats theological observations on Christmas.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

• Good Night

  #665298

  05:28:40 pm — 05:28:40 pm