KMBC Channel 9 - Sunday, Nuclear Sunday: Kansas City Reacts (Part 1, 1983)

Here's Part 1 of a live, news discussion special called Sunday, Nuclear Sunday: Kansas City Reacts which aired on ABC affiliate KMBC Channel 9 in Kansas City, MO. (KMBC had been owned by Metromedia from 1961 to 1982 - the year before that company assumed control of WFLD Channel 32.)

This discussion program, aired right after the ABC telefilm The Day After, was hosted by Larry Moore (formerly of WLS Channel 7), incorporated a studio audience which had seen The Day After and consists of assorted members of the City Council, students, commentator Walt Bodine and other area residents; and featured panels with Stanford University biologist Dr. Paul Ehrlich (author of the 1968 book "The Population Bomb"), Young Americans for Freedom president Robert Dolan, and author and ecology specialist Dr. John O'Brien from KU (University of Kansas) at the station's Lawrence (KS) studios; and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regional director Patrick Breheny, Oak Ridge Labs nuclear physicist Carsten Haaland, Physicians for Social Responsibility spokesperson Dr. Jennifer Leaning and Dr. Sidney Williams of Doctors for Disease Preparedness at their Kansas City studios, plus a taped message from Joseph Cardinal Bernadin, Archbishop of Chicago. During the program, two candlelight peace vigils were held - one outside the Lawrence studios and another at the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, with Scott Feldman on hand in Lawrence and Gary Gunter in Kansas City to give updates; also appearing in this part is KMBC reporter Micheal Mahoney. At various points in this program, Mr. Moore gives out the phone number for viewers to call.

The first person to speak after Mr. Moore's introductions is Mr. Erlich, followed by Mr. Haaland and a back-and-forth between the two. Next is a report from Micheal Mahoney about plans for evacuation from the Kansas City area in the event of a nuclear attack. A small snippet of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is played during the course of this report, and disaster research expert Margaret Miles is interviewed.

I thought this was an interesting local counterpoint to the ABC News Viewpoint special, "The Nuclear Dilemma" which in most markets aired immediately following the movie. On KMBC, the special was delayed by a half-hour so that Sunday, Nuclear Sunday could air first.

Note: The "theme music" heard at various points during this special is the 1976 instrumental "Alpha" by Vangelis.

(For you tech geeks, look for the RCA TK-46 camera with Q-TV VPS-100 teleprompter system placed above the camera lens, next to the studio audience, during the opening titles.)

This aired on local Kansas City TV on Sunday, November 20th 1983 during the 9:25pm to 10:10pm timeframe.

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