THIS STORY IS ABOUT HOWARD BEALE WHO WAS THE NETWORK NEWS ANCHORMAN ON UBS-TV. IT IS 7:14 P.M., MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1975, AND WE ARE WATCHING THE NETWORK NEWS PROGRAMS ON CBS, NBC, ABC AND UBS-TV, THE NETWORK OF OUR STORY. THE AUDIO IS OFF; AND HEAD SHOTS OF WALTER CRONKITE, JOHN CHANCELLOR, HOWARD K. SMITH AND HARRY REASONER, AND OF COURSE, THE ANCHORMAN OF OUR NETRWORK, HOWARD BEALE, SILENTLY FLIT AND FLICKER ACROSS THE FOUR TELEVISION SCREENS, INTERSPERSED WITH THE NEWS OF THE DAY--PRESIDENT FORD'S NEW ENERGY PROGRAM, A HEARING ON PATTY HEARST'S BAIL, TRUCE VIOLATIONS IN BEIRUT, BUSING TROUBLE IN BOSTON..
IN HIS TIME, HOWARD BEALE HAD BEEN A MANDARIN OF TELEVISION, THE GRAND OLD MAN OF NEWS, WITH A HUT RATING OF 16 AND A 28 AUDIENCE SHARE---
IN 1969, HOWEVER, HE FELL TO A 22 SHARE, AND, BY 1972, HE WAS DOWN TO A 15SHARE. IN 1973, HIS WIFE DIED, AND HE WAS LEFT A CHILDLESS WIDOWER WITH AN 8 RATING AND A 12 SHARE. HE BECAME MOROSE AND ISOLATED, BEGAN TO DRINK HEAVILY, AND , ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1975, HE WAS FIRED, EFFECTIVE IN TWO WEEKS. THE NEWS WAS BROKEN TO HIM BY MAX SCHUMACHER----
WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THE NEWS DIVISION AT UBS AND AN OLD FRIEND. THE TWO MEN GOT PROPERLY PISSED---
HOWARD (CLUTCHING THE CORNER MAILBOX TO KEEP FROM FALLING) WHEN WAS THIS?
MAX 1951---
HOWARD I WAS AT CMS WITH ED MURROW IN 1951. DIDN'T YOU JOIN MURROW IN 1951?---
MAX MUST'VE BEEN 1950 THEN. I WAS AT NBC. MORNING NEWS. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER. I WAS A KID, TWENTY-SIX YEARS OLD. ANYWAY, THEY WERE BUILDING THE LOWER LEVEL ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE, AND WE WERE DOING A REMOTE THERE. EXCEPT NOBODY TOLD ME! --
IN HIS TIME, HOWARD BEALE HAD BEEN A MANDARIN OF TELEVISION, THE GRAND OLD MAN OF NEWS, WITH A HUT RATING OF 16 AND A 28 AUDIENCE SHARE---
IN 1969, HOWEVER, HE FELL TO A 22 SHARE, AND, BY 1972, HE WAS DOWN TO A 15SHARE. IN 1973, HIS WIFE DIED, AND HE WAS LEFT A CHILDLESS WIDOWER WITH AN 8 RATING AND A 12 SHARE. HE BECAME MOROSE AND ISOLATED, BEGAN TO DRINK HEAVILY, AND , ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1975, HE WAS FIRED, EFFECTIVE IN TWO WEEKS. THE NEWS WAS BROKEN TO HIM BY MAX SCHUMACHER----
WHO WAS PRESIDENT OF THE NEWS DIVISION AT UBS AND AN OLD FRIEND. THE TWO MEN GOT PROPERLY PISSED---
HOWARD (CLUTCHING THE CORNER MAILBOX TO KEEP FROM FALLING) WHEN WAS THIS?
MAX 1951---
HOWARD I WAS AT CMS WITH ED MURROW IN 1951. DIDN'T YOU JOIN MURROW IN 1951?---
MAX MUST'VE BEEN 1950 THEN. I WAS AT NBC. MORNING NEWS. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER. I WAS A KID, TWENTY-SIX YEARS OLD. ANYWAY, THEY WERE BUILDING THE LOWER LEVEL ON THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE, AND WE WERE DOING A REMOTE THERE. EXCEPT NOBODY TOLD ME! --
