Vanderbilt Television News Archive

ABC Evening News for 1971-12-08

This program is 27 minutes long

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

  #14109

  05:00:40 pm — 05:01:50 pm

• (Commercial: Johnson Floor Wax.)

  #14110

  05:01:50 pm — 05:02:00 pm

• India-Pakistan / War: Bengali Government

  #14111

  05:02:00 pm — 05:04:50 pm

  (Studio) Indian forces advance to within 28 mile of Dacca, E Pakistan. In the West, Pakistan advances in Kashmir.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

  (E. Pakistan) Bengali freedom fighters, confident of victory, set up government new court system, described as fair.
  REPORTER: Howard Tuckner

• India-Pakistan / US

  #14112

  05:04:50 pm — 05:07:20 pm

  (Studio) Senator Hugh Scott upholds administration stand on India-Pakistan conflict, emphasizing neutrality; administration critical of India for frustrating US peacemaking efforts.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

  (White House) Admin. secret negotiations with Pakistan President Yahya Khan followed by United States secret talks with Bangladesh in Calcutta. Mtgs. interrupted by India. Indian Prime Min. Indira Gandhi ruled out peaceful settlement in talks with Nixon.
  REPORTER: Bill Gill

  (Studio) Indian official says war blame is baseless allegation
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• India-Pakistan / United Nations

  #14113

  05:07:20 pm — 05:07:30 pm

  (Studio) United Nations General Assembly votes 104-11 for cease-fire. India refuses to comply. United Nations drops subject to debate Mideast.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• (Commercial: Johnson's Glo-Coat Floor Wax; Rain Barrel Fabric Softener.)

  #14114

  05:07:30 pm — 05:08:40 pm

• Laos-Cambodia / Vietnam War

  #14115

  05:08:40 pm — 05:09:00 pm

  (Studio) North Vietnam fires surface-to-air missiles at United States planes over Laos, hitting

• Vietnam War / POWs / Christmas

  #14116

  05:09:00 pm — 05:11:10 pm

  (Studio) South Vietnam to release Communist POWs during holidays to encourage reciprocal release of United States POWs. North Vietnam to permit Christmas pkgs. to United States POWs.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

  (Franklin Lakes, New Jersey) [POW mother Mrs Edwin MILLER - expresses disillusionment. Mrs. Miller's confidence in President to help POWs is gone.]
  REPORTER: David Snell

• (Commercial. Regard Wood Polish; Edge Shaving Gel.)

  #14117

  05:11:10 pm — 05:12:20 pm

• Supreme Court / Nom. Rehnquist

  #14118

  05:12:20 pm — 05:13:00 pm

  (Studio) Supreme Court nomination William Rehnquist vows support of court school desegregation decision. Says 1952 memo supporting segregation written as summary of Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson's ideas. Senator William Proxmire to vote for Rehnquist saying Rehnquist has changed attitude.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• Campaign `72 / Muskie

  #14119

  05:13:00 pm — 05:15:20 pm

  (Studio) Senator Edmund Muskie to announce candidacy for Democrat President nomination January 4.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

  (DC) Senator John Tunney, friend of Senator Edward Kennedy, endorses Senator Muskie for President [TUNNEY - says Muskie puts human values ahead of power pols.] [MUSKIE - says will try to live up to endorsement.] [TUNNEY - says Kennedy not a candidate.]
  REPORTER: Frank Reynolds

• Pension Incentive / Taxation

  #14120

  05:15:20 pm — 05:15:50 pm

  (Studio) President Nixon proposes tax incentive for retirement savings via pension plan investment exemptions.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• Child Care

  #14121

  05:15:50 pm — 05:16:10 pm

  (Studio) White House press secretary Ronald Ziegler denies President threat to veto child care program.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• (Commercial: Polident Denture Cleaner; English Leather Prdts.; Savings and Loan Assns.)

  #14122

  05:16:10 pm — 05:18:10 pm

• NATO / United States Support

  #14123

  05:18:10 pm — 05:18:40 pm

  (Studio) United States assures NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) of continued troop support in West Europe. Secretary Defense Melvin Laird reassured Belgium meeting of no United States reductions.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

• Mediterranean Navies

  #14124

  05:18:40 pm — 05:22:00 pm

  (Studio) Buildup of Soviet war ships in Mediterranean prompts Secretary Defense Melvin Laird to call for major redeployment of navies.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

  (6th fleet, Mediterranean) United States aircraft carrier America provides air cover for other ships in fleet. [Commander Vice Admiral Gerald MILLER - stresses importance of modernization to keep up with USSR navy which has better propulsion systems.]
  REPORTER: Roger Peterson

• Foreign Aid / United Nations

  #14125

  05:22:00 pm — 05:22:10 pm

  (Studio) House passes foreign aid bill. United States appropriation to United Nations cut.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

• (Commercial: Sominex Sleeping Tablets; Polaroid Cameras.)

  #14126

  05:22:10 pm — 05:23:20 pm

• School Funding

  #14127

  05:23:20 pm — 05:23:30 pm

  (Studio) Kansas City votes against incrd. taxes for schools.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

• Uranium Tailings / Construction

  #14128

  05:23:30 pm — 05:26:10 pm

  (Studio) Use of radioactive sand for land fill featured.
  REPORTER: Harry Reasoner

  (Grand Junction, Colorado) Tailings, waste sand from uranium processing mills, used for hsing. foundations, causes radiation in homes. [Home owner John SULLIVAN - says tailings damage property values, cause health hazard.]
  REPORTER: Jim Kincaid

  (Denver, Colorado) AEC says insufficient evidence for immediate concern. Colorado Department Health disagrees. [Colorado Department Health director, Dr. Roy CLEERE - says radiation levels in some homes exceed safe limits set by Surgeon General of US Public Health Service.]
  REPORTER: Jim Kincaid

  (Grand Junction, Colorado) AEC chairperson James Schlesinger admits Atomic Energy Commission fault in allowing use of tailings in construction; won't take responsibility for removing them.
  REPORTER: Jim Kincaid

• (Commercial: Efferdent Denture Cleaner; Lowrey Organs.)

  #14129

  05:26:10 pm — 05:27:10 pm

• Commentary (Humane Treatment)

  #14130

  05:27:10 pm — 05:28:50 pm

  (Studio) Friends of animals group asks Judge George Hart to declare polar bears an endangered species. Hart refuses, saying people subject to more danger on streets. Man's inhumanity to man said greater than man's inhumanity to beast.
  REPORTER: Howard K. Smith

• Good Night

  #665330

  05:28:50 pm — 05:28:50 pm