Here's another full broadcast of the 11pm edition of Eyewitness News from WBZ Channel 4 in Boston, MA, anchored by Jack Williams and Maurice Lewis (in for Tony Pepper), on the aftermath of the big blizzard of '78.

Includes:

Jack and Maurice previewing newscast

Commercials for:
TWA Round Trip CheckIn (voiceover by Don Criqui)
Skippy peanut butter (with Annette Funicello)

Station ID "We're 4 Boston"

News open, with following items:

State of emergency to remain for at least 24 more hours, Logan Airport closed to commercial traffic until Friday, and Harvard closed for first time in its 342year history

Aerial footage of storm's aftermath shown

Coast Guard rescues 28 stranded crewmen from tanker at Salem Harbor

Army and Federal troops arriving at Logan to aid in rescue, evacuation and cleanup efforts

South Shore hardest hit, damage estimated in millions

Extra police and MP units on duty to arrest looters; hotels, motels and shelters crowded to max

Gas leak from 800,000gallon storage tank from Union Petroleum at Revere East Boston line

Weymouth town selectmen vote to impose 10pm curfew, police to enforce a driving ban beginning at 5am

Scituate, RI hardest hit from storms, at least 2 dead; video of devastation shown, residents speak of ordeal

Army convoys from Fort Devens en route to North Shore

Coast Guard temporarily abandons search for possible survivor of pilot boat Can Do; 4 bodies recovered

Gov. Dukakis and Lt. Gov. O'Neill take helicopter tour of area

Dan Rea reports on arrival of troops at Logan

Thousands on hunt for new food with warmer temps

Advice to check on neighbors, especially elderly and handicapped, Columbia Point housing project without electricity since Monday

Roads still mostly impassable

MBTA still on hunt for snow shovelers and tells commuters to stay home

Federal troops arrive in Rhode Island, followed by scenes up and down Eastern Seaboard

Commercials for:
Cinnamon Life cereal (with Mikey, Bobby and Suzie)
Promo for Evening Magazine

Possible breakthrough in Hillside Strangler case, Ned York is possible suspect; assistant police chief Daryl Gates speaks of developments

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat leaves U.S. after final meeting with President Carter, is on tour of European capitals; Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan visits New York, will work to curtail arms sales to Egypt

Senate starts debate on Panama Canal treaty; Sen. Robert Griffin outlines his opposition

Carter proposes boost to aid for 5 million college students, including 2 million middleincomers

Three East Boston tenements along Marion Street on fire; several families evacuated, no reported injuries

Commercial: Melitta gourmet coffee

Closing stock update

Commercial: TWA Great Cities Sale (with Don Criqui)

Bruce Schwoegler with weather forecast

Another reminder of ban on all driving except emergency vehicles, hospital workers and MBTA employees

Commercials for:
Homemade Soup Starter
Kraft Thousand Island Dressing

Len Berman with sports:

Celtics' 4game winning streak ends, lose to Kansas City, followed by other NBA scores

U.S. Figure Skating championships held in Portland, OR, Linda Fratianne has lead, Priscilla Hill of Lexington in 2nd place

Bruins game in Detroit may be cancelled due to snow; other NHL scores

Len relates his experience of a game called in two cities (Bob Cousy in the other)

Back to news:

Breakins and looting cut down due to increase police presence in Boston, as reported by SarahAnn Shaw

Advice on ways to get around town while driving ban is still in effect including skiing

And with that, the newscast closes

Station ID / First 4 News promo

First 17 seconds of open of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

This aired on local Boston TV on Wednesday, February 8th 1978 during the 11:00pm to 11:30pm timeframe.

This footage was donated to The Museum of Classic Chicago Television as part of The Steve Albert Collection.

About The Museum of Classic Chicago Television:

The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of offair, early home videotape recordings (70s to early 80s, mostly) recorded off of TV (in Chicago or other cities now too); things which would likely be lost if not sought out and preserved digitally. If you have any old 1970s videotapes recorded off of TV please email: [email protected] Even though (mostly) short clips are displayed here, we preserve the entire broadcasts in our archives the complete programs with breaks (or however much is present on the tape), for historical preservation. For information on how to help in our mission, to donate or lend tapes to be converted to digital, please email [email protected] Thank you for your help!