Donahue - "AIDS" - WBBM-TV (Complete Broadcast, 11/17/1982) 📺

Here's a complete broadcast of Donahue on WBBM Channel 2, looking at the AIDS epidemic early on in its devastation within the gay community, and summing up what was known up to then.
His guests are screenwriter and Gay Men's Health Crisis co-founder Larry Kramer; Philip Lanzaratta, who'd been diagnosed as having Kaposi's Sarcoma, a cancer associated with AIDS; and Dan William, M.D., an internist at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City (now part of the Mount Sinai Hospital system), who diagnoses AIDS patients.
Includes:
Station ID / promo for "Incest: The Last Family Secret" at 10pm
Phil sets up this edition and what will be tackled, and how much if any is known at this point; he introduces his guests; the number of AIDS cases to date and breakdown by region are shown on the screen.
Commercials for:
Cheerios (kids in treehouse)
Jell-O Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
WCLR 102 FM - "Movin' Easy" (voiceover by Robert W. Morgan?)
Birds Eye Sweet Green Peas and Vegetables
In Segment 2, questions from the audience include original symptoms of AIDS, how 30 cases in Chicago as of this show are broken down geographically, a caller from Chicago indignant and asking for spotlight on "more disgusting diseases" among the community, whether the numbers of the time are enough to warrant research, and CDC response to AIDS vs. Legionnaire's Disease.
Commercials for:
ON TV (heralding new 24 hour schedule)
Poppin Fresh's Thanksgiving pies
McDade's - sales on Sunbeam electric blanket and Code a Phone
Long version promo for WBBM 10 O'Clock News Special Report on "Incest: The Last Family Secret" reported by Carol Krause
PSA for Little Brothers of the Poor (services for the elderly)
In Segment 3, Phil encapsulates this edition's subject, describing AIDS, then takes audience questions on whether it's caused by a virus, whether it's a "gay thing" (leading to a list of AIDS sex profiles on the screen), the issue of IV drugs, what the Chicago gay community is doing about it, and a caller worried about cancer being "communicable" (leading to showing of contact info for National Gay Task Force Hotline).
Commercials for:
Aunt Jemima French Toast
Alpo BeefBite Treats
Calgon - "Ancient Chinese Secret" (seen individually here: • Calgon - "Ancient Chin... )
Jewel Food Stores - "If It's Important to You, It's Important to Jewel"
Promo for November 22nd People magazine issue (Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall on cover)
For Segment 4, audience questions include how Dr. William knows if a patient he's examining has AIDS, whether it's confined to larger states or cities (31 states had reported cases at this point), gay activist Peter Kessler imploring people to think of it as a disease not a gay one, a woman who accuses the guests of "making it important," and another who brings up the issue of federal funding.
Commercials for:
Shower Dew In-Shower Moisturizing Lotion
McDade's - sale on Hoover Concept 1 Power Drive cleaner
Tennessee Pride "Whole Hog" Country Sausage
Montgomery Ward sale on Bausch + Lomb soft contact lenses
Segment 5 starts with contact info for GMHC shown on screen, then more audience questions
Commercials for:
Feen-a-Mint Laxative Gum and Pills
Spectrum Pay TV
GrandMa's Real Chocolate Chip Home Style Cookies
The Holidays at Stratford Square
Promo for November 20th-26th TV Guide issue (Three's Company cast on cover)
Slide graphic for sending for transcripts, followed by another showing on screen of contact info for National Gay Task Force Hotline; Phil gives info as ending credits shown:
Executive Producer - Richard Mincer
Senior Producer - Patricia McMillen
(also not shown)
Producer - Darlene Hayes
Producer - Gail Steinberg
Director - Ron Weiner
Promo for Barnaby Jones for 4:00pm (voiceover by Bob Carrington)
Continuation of ending credits:
Produced by Multimedia Program Productions, Inc.
Commercials for:
Home Pride Butter Top Wheat Bread
Zayre $250,000 Gift Certificate Sweepstakes
Marshall Field's - sales on Cuisinart (recording ends before ad does)
This aired on local Chicago TV on Wednesday, November 17th 1982 during the 9:00am to 10:00am timeframe.
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The MCCTv (FuzzyMemoriesTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose primary mission is the preservation and display of off-air, 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: [e-mail] 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 DVD, please e-mail [e-mail] Thank you for your help!