Like A TIME Capsule...

[hamlet2003]

I have to say that one of the best parts about listening to these old episodes is hearing the news and commercials from a time gone by. I particularly find it interesting when the newspots that come before some of the episodes talk about the developing [b:40a459c08d]Watergate scandal[/b:40a459c08d]. It's interesting to hear the story unfold since we already know how it will turn out. I've heard some people suggest that it would be nice to have unadulterated recordings, free of commercial spots and newsbreaks but I think that is part of their charm. Any thoughts?

[brian1984_2001]

I agree. In case you didn't notice from an earlier post, I have a bad habit of giving history lectures. (I am certified to teach most social studies in Ohio). I love the study of history.

Listening to those Fulton Lewis commentaries in the 1974 season was an unexpected treat for me. I was a nut for reading everything available on Watergate. But to hear analysis conducted at the time says so much more about the country at that time. I also enjoy the 1975 New York City budget crisis that is on a lot of those recordings. Remember "Ford to city: DROP DEAD!"?

I would also advise all of you out there who are from the Kansas City area that the early 1974 recordings often have extensive coverage of a wicked teachers' strike in Kansas City that year. Good local stuff.

[Lagavulin]

That's one of the things that i've enjoyed about going through the episodes in order from day one - the news coverage. Being Canadian, the whole Watergate thing didn't mean much, but there was that sense, at the time in my young mind, that it was something big.

At the time in Canada, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was giving the finger to separatists, twirling pirouettes behind Queen Elizabeth, canoeing wearing a coon skin cap, and dating, among other celebrities, Barbara Striesand (his wife knew, I'm sure...) In Canada we applauded and adored him.

Poor Nixon... Poor Clinton... Should have been Canadian! hahahahahaha

cheers
Miles

[hamlet2003]

Miles, when you originally listened to CBSRMT, were you listening to a Canadian station or a station from the states? Just curious.

[Lagavulin]

There was a station that came on the air in 1980 in the metro area near me (I lived in a rural area near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). That station carried CBSRMT. To be quite honest, I don't really remember any of the commercials, but I'm certain that we had different commercials here. There is Federal legislation in Canada that prohibits advertising alcohol and tobacco so I'm certain we didn't have the Budweiser commercials. I suspect that we had local advertising during those spots.

cheers
Miles

[vgarci]

Gents,
I'm late in joining this discussion but I think the news bits are incredible! I wish we had all of the episodes with complete news and commentary because it gives me a great time-reference. I've noted the inflation rates, Kansas teacher's strike (if memory serves, they were rebelling against a meager 10% annual increase in wages), Watergate and the stonewalling that happened, Patty Hearst and the SLA (the bank robbery and the FBI's reaction were classic but I didn't remember that two men had been injured), and the energy crisis, to name a few. Incredible history lessons!

[Lagavulin]

I giggled at the 10% teacher pay hike proposals. I've sat as a bargainer at negotiations tables many times and served on the provincial executive of the union and I'm not sure we've had much more than 10% cumulative in my entire teaching career (13 years now).

Then again, my mortgage rates have never been beyond the 3-5% range... i think i'm right in saying that mortgage rates back then were in the teens... smile.gif

cheers
Miles

[dnagle]

I think the commercials are great. Especially the "Bud Song" ('when you say Bud-weiser, you've said it all!'). These older ads are refreshingly free of the 'image advertising' (read: sex) and the in-your-face mentality we have today. It's like watching the Brady Bunch and remembering how we really were pretty naive in those days, and it wasn't so bad. (Go back even further to OTR and almost all advertising was 'informational' - here's how effective this vacuum cleaner is at cleaning carpets). I was surprised to recall the anti-smoking (particularly second-hand) ads from the '70's, but then I guess that's why the activists had to stay at it for 30 years - it took that long to get the message across. My favorites are the local ads, local banks, grocery stores etc. and public service spots. Haven't listened to any shows with news from the era but that will be quite interesting.

[brian1984_2001]

Supposedly out there is an episode that has coverage of the release of the hostages from Iran. That would be interesting to hear.

I remember nightly news coverage of Watergate. When I asked my dad "What is Watergate?" he responded "a hotel".

Miles, former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (did I spell that right) was in Toledo a couple months ago to speak. He reminds me of Reagan with his ability to communicate and of Clinton with his ability to empathize. He is a great Canadian.

[Lagavulin]

hehe - Mulroney is probably the most hated Prime Minister in Canadian history... and just as his popularity was at an all time low, he retired while in office leaving the country in the hands of his party who elected amongst themselves a new party leader who automatically became Prime Minister. Kim Campbell was the first female Prime Minister of Canada, immediately called an election and, because the voters could not express their dissatisfaction with Mulroney, they took it out on the party. The Progressive Conservatives were virtually obliterated and have spent the last 15 years trying unsuccessfully to recover.

But if he's being a good ambassador abroad, let him stay there and continue :wink:

hehe... there's your 21st century Canadian Politics lesson for the day

cheers
Miles

[vgarci]

Brian,
I can remember my dad watching countless hours of Watergate hearings. I was so bored I couldn't stand it. This little event in my life reminds me of a great episode of the sitcom, "Taxi", in which Jim Ignatowski (the braindead stoner) did everything he could as perfectly as he could so that he could achieve his goal. It turns out his goal was to purchase an amazing wall of televisions capable of viewing shows from all over the world. When Alex, the lead character in the show, becomes a bit interested after initial disappointment, Jim says something like, "You know, the great thing about television is that if anything important is happening anywhere in the world....night or day....you can always change the channel."

[brian1984_2001]

My parents were really into Watergate. They were both avid Nixon supporters right up until the end. My mom had worked on his 1960 campaign and they both were local volunteers in 1968.

Being eight years old at the time, I was bored to tears by what was happening. But we watched the news as we ate dinner. So after hearing the word "Watergate" 10 billion times, I finally asked what it was. I have to believe my dad's response was his way of saying how important he thought it was.

[hamlet2003]

My only real memory of Watergate as a kid was that the hearings meant that all my favorite TV shows got preempted and I had to go find other things to do. THis of course, was back before cable when there were only 3 channels and maybe a UHF station.

[Lagavulin]

Brian -

there's a great little book i picked up in a bargain bin here at a local book store called "A Nixon Man" - about a young boy whose father is a great Nixon supporter and their lives during the Watergate scandal.

Cahill, Michael, "A Nixon Man", New York: St. Martins Griffin, 1998. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312244886/qid=1059001127/sr=1-4/ref=sr_1_4/103-4857886-6523860?v=glance&s=books)

One of those 'coming of age' stories with some marvelous bits of narrative. I really enjoyed the book - sounds like it might be a little mirror of your own experience!

smile.gif

cheers
Miles

[vgarci]

For those who might be interested, PBS plans to broadcast a program on Wednesday of this week which centers on President Nixon's involvement in Watergate.