It wouldn't hurt to try. It sounds like there may only be a couple of copys.
It wouldn't hurt to try. It sounds like there may only be a couple of copys.
I sent the request by email directly to the FCC's liaison officers, requesting "Copy of the video of anchorwoman, Christine Chubbuck, which aired on WXLT in Sarasota, Florida on July 15, 1974." I almost quoted Marilyn Fletcher.
I am certain that Christine wanted her death footage to been seen. As I recall, the Washington Post article even said she wanted the video of her suicide re-played on the national newscasts.
If she wanted her death to be private, she would have done it in a hotel room or some such thing. She went to all the trouble and risk to shoot herself on TV - obviously she wanted the footage to be watched, during and after the fact.
The journalist is still alive (though she's 68 years old now), but she is still an active journalist. Lisa, I will PM with you with the contact info I have on her.
Wow... maybe we'll get to see it after all !!!
Keep on it you guys! Great work so far!
I came across this thread while searching the Internet. Thanks to everybody who is working hard to find the footage. I wish I could contribute more than just a post of support, but I don’t really know what I can do as I don’t have any news contacts in FL, etc. It is unfortunate that the FCC came back and said that it doesn’t have the footage. The fact that the letter says that "less than two hours" were spent processing the request doesn't give me hope that they tried too hard. I am nonetheless fascinated by the whole case and really want to see the footage like everybody else. This whole story is so fascinating – I keep trying to picture it in my head how it looked. I really wonder if those people who say they saw it really did see it. I also wonder if it is on one of those "Banned from TV" videos. Man do I hope that someday the footage is released. Here is a select bit of information I can provide:
I came across this web site: http://www.nndb.com/people/340/000159860/
It is odd and I am probably just misunderstanding it, but it lists a “suicide attempt” and a “drug overdose” in 1970 in Christine Chubbuck’s profile. I must be misunderstanding, as I haven’t seen that information in any other articles/sites about her. However, I thought I would at least mention it.
I also found this post allegedly by Christine's brother, Gregory, but it's probably fake: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chubbuck/message/23
There's a lot of other interesting posts here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chubbuck/messages/17
Also, the person who wrote the in-depth article everybody is referring to is Sally Quinn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Quinn. I am not sure how to contact her. I found her section of the Washington Post web site: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/sally_quinn/, but I do not see any contact info. Maybe someone would like to do some searching around, though. Somebody really should get in touch with her. From the level of depth of the article, it sounds like she saw the footage.
I also found a 1999 Google Groups post. I can’t make out a lot of what it says due to the HTML, but it it mentions something about a suicide attempt, too, although the links it provides don’t seem to work anymore. Maybe somebody can check it out. http://groups.google.com/group/alt.f...8e4744cb6108b8
Also, here is a post from 2008 about Christine (from http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chubbuck/message/200)
Hi Tonya,
John M. Griffin, the segment producer of Christine's segment on "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" on E! Entertainment Television last year, wants to eventually make a documentary or film on Christine; since the E! segment was only 5 seconds of Christine (found on YouTube) in this 15 minute segment. John still has the original videotape of the only known tape of Christine, 3 months before she died (seen on YouTube); and other facts about Christine, after researching Christine's former schoolmates at a private girls' school in Shaker Heights, Ohio (outside of Cleveland), people in her hometown in Hudson, Ohio (outside of Akron); and from WXLT-TV, Channel 40 in Sarasota, Florida.
Christine's chocolate poodle was named Perspicacity (per-spi-cac-ity), meaning 'keen vision' and 'discernment.'
Christine drove a yellow VW bug.
Christine wanted to get married and have kids. The year or so before her death, Christine had one ovary removed medically. The doctor told her if she wanted to have kids, to do it in a year or so; because she wouldn't be able to have children after that. Christine had a crush on Gorgeous George (George Peter Ryan), a sportscaster; but her co-worker, Andrea Kirby, at Channel 40, WXLT-TV (an ABC affiliate) in Sarasota, Florida, was dating George instead. Christine was crestfallen after George wasn't interested in dating her. Originally, George pursued Christine; but Christine wasn't interested. When Christine *was* interested in George, George changed his mind. Soon after, Andrea got a better job offer in Baltimore, Maryland; which saddened (depressed) Christine, because Andrea was her closest friend at work.
So, yes; Christine *did* want a man in her life; for marriage, children; and companionship.
The Chubbuck family was granted an injunction, for the footage of Christine to never be shown publicly. The Chubbuck family had the copy of the videotape (2-inch tape; the size of a manhole cover in 1974) in safe storage.
(Ms.) Kim Wood.
Info (address, etc.) for the Sarasota Records Department: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chubbuck/message/168
Also, I found phone number listings for two different Gregory Chubbucks in Florida, one of which is in Sarasota. Gregory, of course, is the name of her brother. Not about to list them and I wouldn’t recommend anyone else does as he surely endured plenty when it happened, but hey, it’s something…
I wish I had more to offer. Anyway, keep up the work of trying to find the video!
Last edited by Looch; 02-07-2009 at 10:20 PM.
Senior Death Hag
This sounds like an interesting guy, and it does sound like he saw the tape. But believe me, old folks can use google. My dad is 78 and he uses it every day.Originally Posted by Lisamarie
Just drink lots of Kool-Aid, and take one of these blue pills three times a day.
Christine wanted people to be interested in her death. That is why she made sure that she died in such a unique, original, and highly publicized way. These people talk about respect, but they don't respect Christine's last wishes at all.
She was a death hag, she wanted us to see the footage!
LOL I think that's actually true. I read that she had a macabre sense of humor, as well as an absurd sense of humor.
I respect the sentiments that were responded to you. As much of a hard core death hag as I am, I respect folks rights to privacy. If I had no such sense of decorum, I'd have shared with the forum the photos of my late nephew as he was lingering between life & death and the photos of his mangled Miata. My opinion in this instance, is let it go. Whatever & why Christine chose to end her life should mean nothing to those of us who never knew her.Well, if anyone cares, I tried emailing that guy who has the Chubbuck footage of her just giving a report. This is the response I got:
I believe the only reason people are interested in Christine is because of how she ended her life, not lived it. Her family and friends (including me) want her to simply rest in peace. Please respect that
What is it with these people!?
(That doesn't mean that I wouldn't watch it, should her swan song ever be made available to the public.....any more than I could not watch the Budd Dwyer video.....numerous times.)
What guy?
I get excited everytime this thread pops up again. One day it's gonna pop up and the video will be there.....*fingers crossed, biting lip*
I just went on YouTube just to check out any Christine Chubbuck info and ended up coming across a whole bunch of those tribute and funeral videos for young people who've died suddently...it's so depressing. Then I of course have to Google their name and find out what happened to them...sighs....sorry, it's off topic...but you guys should check that out sometime. Not sure if there's a thread here about these videos already or not, but it is interesting if not very sad!!
I have an old college friend who works for the FCC. I'll email her and see what she thinks. Chances are it won't help, but I suppose it can't hurt...
I would agree....except, it's so obvious Christine wanted her death "out there". If I were to choose to end my life ON TV, ON PURPOSE, by all means, use the footage.
This is... messed up. I've never heard anything of this story before. Fascinating and sad. I just read her Wikipedia page. She was my age. She seemed very troubled. Based on her mother's quote, it seems like things had been that way since childhood.
Do keep us posted. Thank you very much.
If I went to all the trouble to off myself live on TV, I'd be so pissed if someone squashed it. I'd be haunting someones ass.
Our dear Christine WAS a death hag! I just know it!
Renowned Death Hag
Well, if anyone cares, I tried emailing that guy who has the Chubbuck footage of her just giving a report. This is the response I got:
I believe the only reason people are interested in Christine is because of how she ended her life, not lived it. Her family and friends (including me) want her to simply rest in peace. Please respect that
What is it with these people!?
Dennis,
I agree with every single word. If the family doesn't want it shown, even though we're all death hags here and would love to see the footage...it's best to just forget about it and let go.
"Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's Heaven on Earth" - Mark Twain
I know I saw a female news anchor shoot herself in the head live during a newscast somewhere years ago. It was on one of those 'Banned in America' or 'Faces of Death' type movies !!! I wish I could remember what the hell movie it was on. It sucks getting old.... ugh !!!
think Dexter!! So far I have had no luck in my search..I have talked to former coworkers and producer who was there and also her brothers agent and nothing !!!
Renowned Death Hag
Did she have Blonde hair in the video?
Administrator
there is footage somewhere on the net if you look for it, I think it's at a gore site
Renowned Death Hag
There's no footage anywhere. Every major gore site has used all their sources and contacts to find footage and have tried and failed. It simply does not exist in the way we wish it to.
Administrator
I have seen it somewhere on the net cause I can remember her saying in keeping with the tradition of...yada yada yada, unless it was on a movie i saw faces of death or something I am sure it's out there somewhere.
Renowned Death Hag
Every major gore site has been looking for years for evidence of it's existence and have come up blank every time.
Death Hag of Legend
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
I wish I could see this footage, I bet its as good as the Bud Dwyer
[quote=pksgigi;702186]there is footage somewhere on the net if you look for it, I think it's at a gore site[/quote
We have ALL looked for it to no avail. If you have any ideas you'd better get searching. Whomever comes up with it will be showered with love from all us hags. It's our hag holy grail!
Okay, I heard back from my friend at the FCC...and she was unable to even get a look at the footage. Apparently, (and this is speculation on hers and my part) someone much higher up is acquainted with the Chubbuck family, and it is damn near impossible to get a copy of the footage without permission.
Her expert opinion is that unless someone in the family okays it, that footage will never be seen in public. Sorry.
Interestingly enough, the FOIA logs from 2006 when Marilyn Fletcher requested the Christine Chubbuck video do not indicate any denials by the FCC.
However, another member here has requested the logs detailing the FCC's response to the FOIA request I submitted earlier, and the FCC has not exactly been forthcoming in providing them.
Marilyn Fletcher was on the staff of NBC at the time. Perhaps one has to be a member of the news media before the FCC takes requests seriously, though that is not supposed to be a requirement.
Renowned Death Hag
As far as I remember a denial is only logged when it's specifically a denial and not just an inability to accede to a request. Therefore in this case the FCC don't have the footage.
There have been reports that the video was on the early Internet in the 1990s. Do you have any recollection of the website? Or the newsgroup?Probably gone by now, but one might be able to contact its former administrators.
My opinion is that if the video had been published on Faces of Death, it would be common on the Internet now, since those videos have a wide circulation and multiple individuals would have uploaded a digital copy. Since that hasn't happened, I doubt it was on Faces of Death.
Anecdotes, available reports, and intuitive sense strongly indicate that reporters and producers associated or in contact with the station in the 1970s have copies of the tape, but it seems to be some giant secret they are forbidden to talk about.
SOMEONE had to have been recording the news that morning, no? IDK.. if it's found it's found. Like everyone else I would like to see it, but I don't think it's gonna happen until someone breaks into the video storage room and steals it! haha
Renowned Death Hag
lol her show only had approx 500 viewers.
Well.. maybe not then. lol
okay who do I have to sleep with to see this damn tape.....
Death Hag of Legend
This was 1974 I dont think vcrs were affordable and common then.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
reel to reel, I'm sure.
I think so, yes. But who was she? Do you remember it?
OK... lets try to figure out who the other reporter was that shot herself on tape. I know she was a blonde,and it was on one of those real death videos. She was sitting there reading the news, and just up and pulled the gun out, and shot herself. I think she put the gun to her left temple, pulled the trigger, and bang. The people around her went apeshit, and ran towards her screaming and yelling. Who the hell was she??? Maybe, that happened in another country??? Oh Gawd..... I just don't know!!!
Senior Death Hag
I found an Australian news anchor and one from MI, but neither was blonde or committed suicide on air, or shot herself. Hmmmm...
Death Hag of Legend
I found a Texan news anchor. It was at 5:00 this evening. Weird.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
LMAO @ Ich!!! Man, that is strange. he he
Death Hag of Legend
I didnt say it didnt exist I said they were uncommon then. Also I doubt that footage is from a tape that someone recorded off a tvset 37 years ago.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
Damn.... I got all excited thinking that was .... "IT".
Death Hag of Legend
Ha!Damn.... I got all excited thinking that was .... "IT".
I say we do a Mission Impossible style break in and retrieve the tape.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
I'm in!!! *Dex loads her 9 mm and grabs night vision goggles*
Great clip !!! I highly doubt we'll ever see the actual footage. Her family has went to great lengths to keep it from being released. In a way I think they are going against what she stood for though. I think she wanted it to be seen by as many people as possible. I think she was clearly trying to get a point across. She was sticking violence in peoples face because, she felt it was wrong to focus on blood and guts. Kind of like a.... "is this what you want....do you really want to see this kind of thing"??? type thing. Kind of punishing people for wanting to see violence... in the most extreme way. Kind of.... here you go...are you happy now??? type thing. Boy, did she give it to them!!!
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