A 1982 TV Guide poll named her the fourth most trusted news anchor in the country, above many of the most established male anchors of the period. this kind of story is NOT what I come to Curbside Classics for. Since last summer, when Connie Chung took her place as the anchor on the Saturday ''Nightly News,'' she had delivered the network's weekday news updates. She was the first female disc jockey in the Pleasantville area. Jessicas trauma and drug abuse kept her from doing the same. And with all due respect, Elizabeth Vargas does NOT seem to suffering similar problems. Shes getting help. I appreciate your work and want to encourage you to continue. Never heard of her I guess her fame was local but death by drunk driver is still common despite the warnings. What a combination. townhouse. A pioneering woman in broadcasting, Savitch was only 30 when, in 1977, fresh fromlocalTV news jobs in Philadelphia and Houston, NBC News hired her to coverCongress. She was made Senate correspondent but she was in over her head. This would clearly indicate the post is a work in progress. Her father is David Savitch, and her mother is Florence nee Goldberger, a navy nurse. He was lighting a cigar! NBC News president Reuven Frank said she served as "an example for many young women looking for a career in television journalism, as a symbol of the gradual disappearance of the obstacles to women in broadcast journalism.". Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. Impressed with her performance, NBC offered her a three-year contract starting in September 1977 as a Washington, D.C. correspondent and anchor. Cant remember the last time I saw one. There are no guardrails and it was raining heavily at the time. Ms. Savitch documented her professional rise and personal problems in her recent autobiography, 'Anchorwoman,' and she was an outspoken advocate of women's professional rights. KYW producer Cliff Abromats stated, She [Savitch] was very good on her feet. Jessica Savitch - Bio, Age, Net Worth, Widow, Nationality, Facts Both she and Mr. Fishbein died ''within one minute to a very few minutes'' after plunging into the canal, he said. Jessica Savitch: The Star Eclipsed - The Washington Post A lawyer said the defendants who will pay the Savitch estate under the settlement are the restaurant, the newspaper, the environmental department and Fischbeins estate. To date, there have been 163 scholarship recipients of almost $700,000. Makes you wonder what went on in that car before it went into the canal. If you want a site tailored only to your specific interests, start your own. Its a bit rough around the edges. An audio line failed, delaying the debate and leaving three KYW reporters, including Savitch, to fill the 27 minutes of air time before the audio could be restored. According to the window sticker mine actually came with a no charge 3.08:1 rear gear or code GU4 as a 2.73 was standard on 231 V6 wagons and sedans came with 2.41 gears. Lynne, I salute your efforts here and look forward to more pieces from you. There used to be people called winos, but I guess theyre all extinct now. Friends say this started a long, dark spiral that ended with her death. [Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.]. It is the story of NBC newswoman Jessica Savitch, who died the night of Oct. 23, 1983, in the rain-swelled canal. Today, the choices are so great and the distribution of content so diverse the messenger is not in the spotlight to be idolized or scrutinized like they were back then. Miss Savitch and Fischbein drowned Oct. 26, 1983. NBC's Jessica Savitch Drowns in Car in Canal - The Washington Post This CC catches me a bit off guard. Prior to joining NBC News, she was a popular local anchorwoman in Philadelphia and before that, while working at a Houston television station, she was the first female news anchor in the South. As to the appropriateness of the article, there are others on stuff like bicycles, trains, buses, etc. Savitch's flawed delivery fueled speculation that she was using drugs, specifically cocaine. . But all was not right in Jessicas world. [16][17] In the early 1970s, while she was working for CBS in New York City, Savitch also had a romantic relationship with CBS News journalist Ed Bradley, who was then a WCBS radio reporter. The article prompted my to look her up and read her quite compelling story. I was walking down the street and saw this wino who was eating grapes. That happened right after the first of the Ted Kennedy comments! Ironically, if the car had stayed upright, they might have easily escaped. Biography Jessica Beth Savitch was born February 1, 1947, in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. On the long-form TODAY show piece, which aired almost exactly thirty . NBC's Jessica Savitch reports on the death of Princess Grace Kelly Miss Savitch was in the back seat and Mr. Fischbein was strapped in a seat harnass at the wheel, Everett said. 'She had overcome many difficulties in her life and now leaves behind many friends and fans all over the country,' said Tom Pettit, executive vice president of NBC. NBC didnt know what to do. There are stories on these pages that have a sadness to them. Biography of Jessica Savitch It *IS* a Car Story ~ a sad one to be sure but also a truthful cautionary tale . I didnt see this personal element in this story. R.I.P. While some of Savitch's colleagues said they had seen evidence of drug use, other friends and associates expressed skepticism that she had a drug problem. This is about Jessica Savitch, not so much about a car. Original humor magazine thats a LOL. It really doesnt have the polish Ive come to expect at CC. In all the articles Ive read, it just refers to an Oldsmobile station wagon and Im not well-versed on the interiors, especially after they have been upside-down and underwater for a few hours. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. [23], Savitch's family and a group of her friends later sued the New York Post (whose insurance covered the leased car Fischbein was driving), Fischbein's estate, Chez Odette, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for damages in Savitch's death. 1 employee dead, 2 injured after 'road incident' at - MSN Her maternal grandmother was of Italian American heritage and was Catholic. Savitch's experiences as a pioneer anchorwoman also helped inspire Will Ferrell to make the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Those of us who grew up with the Kennedys were quietly relieved that Teddy had knocked himself out of the presidential stakes he was nowhere near the politician John and Bobby were. So dont click on the title link and comment then .?.. That should have been determined murder or man slaughter at the very least he killed her and didnt report it what if she could have been saved. He had the two Cutlasses and the Pontiac Bonneville version. Raynes said the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Miss Savitchs mother, two sisters, seven friends and co-workers. After falling approximately fifteen feet and landing upside down in four to five feet of water, the car sank into deep mud that sealed the doors shut. They are different though in that the authors were personally affected by the sad circumstance. ''The mud was knee-deep on the bottom,'' said Mario Lasarro, a member of the Lambertville, N. J., rescue squad that went to the scene on rural River Road. Her incoherent reporting clashes bizarrely with. Pennsylvania Center for the Book - Pennsylvania State University Jessica, Fischbein and Chewy drowned. I wonder if she attempted to to get out of the car through the rear windows, only to discover that they dont roll down. its amazing how much time and energy people will spend complaining about what they dont want to read, isnt it? Usually, they were just issued the light stories. She was my friend at KYW in Philadelphia and my office mate atNBC in Washington. When she was initially unable to obtain a weeknight anchor shift, Savitch attempted to break her KYW contract and take a job offered by CBS in New York. He said that Miss Savitch had suffered a slight head injury, but it did not contribute to her death. Starting Monday she was to become anchor of 'NBC News Digest,' and in January she was to anchor the Sunday editions of 'Nightly News.'. The G body wagons were nice, but always looked very plain without the woodgrain. This week I'll travel from my home in Kentucky to stand at the spot in New Hope, Pa., where NBC News anchor Jessica Savitch (right) died 30 years ago tonight on the rainy fall evening of October 23. Teddy couldnt hold a candle to his brothers John and Robert. You suppose the reader judge by the cover of the book or title of the article? The lawsuit was filed in 1984 against the restaurant, Chez Odette; Fischbeins estate; the Department of Environmental Resources; John Nyari, whose family once owned the restaurant; News America Publishing Co., which publishes the New York Post and had leased the station wagon; and General Motors Corp., which built the vehicle. You could get a diesel, a 3.8 V6 and four different V8s. It had a two piece tailgatethe glass part was held up by gas struts which failed often and caused the glass to hit folks on the head (ow)..ask me how I know and the tailgate which swung down. The car, apparently driven by Fischbein, ran off the road, overturned and plunged into the Delaware canal, where it became lodged in '3 feet of mud and ooze beneath 5 feet of water,' Rosko said. I think of what might have been. 5 newscasters who humiliated themselves on-air | Salon.com This article was taken down because I misidentified the wagon. Unlike the Houston station, this station was unionized, so Savitch was not permitted to do work other than on-camera newsreading and reporting. [11][12] NBC correspondent Linda Ellerbee later said that she had asked network management to intervene, telling them, "You have to do something. I knew the cars are only Nebensache (sideshow) in our lives. Savitch suffered from health problems throughout her life and was hospitalized several times for drug use and suicide attempts. Jessica Savitch & Death of Princess Grace From Car Accident - 1 Yr Before She Would Suffer Same Fate - YouTube AboutPressCopyrightContact usCreatorsAdvertiseDevelopersTermsPrivacyPolicy &. This is the infamous digest of legend. Her father, a clothing store merchant, died when she was 12 years old. Death Cause of Jessica Savitch: Unfortunately, she is not physically present with us today. That pile was handed down to me until I couldnt take it anymore and soon after I found myself signing the papers for a 1981 blue Cutlass wagon with the 231 V6, limited slip differential, A/C, split bench seat with passenger recliner and most other options these had at the time. However, other staff members found Savitch difficult, especially towards the end of her KYW contract when she was planning to leave for NBC. [24] According to the New Hope police chief, a similar death had occurred at the same spot some years before. Investigators said Fischbein, 34, mistakenly drove the car onto the towpath thinking it was an exit. She was also assigned to anchor short NBC News updates (initially called NBC News Update, later called NBC News Capsule and NBC News Digest) that ran approximately one minute and aired between regular prime time programs each evening, drawing a high number of viewers. Not an ad. Jessica Beth Savitch Biography. Istill miss her., NBCs Tom Brokaw: It was such a sad, even tragic ending, to a life that was the classic American success story. Savitch and Fischbein had been dating for a few weeks. Jessica Savitch - Wikipedia I guess were not supposed to call them stew bums any more either ? Lifes struggles are definitely more important than a character line along the side of a car and what someone else might think about it. I think it adds diversity to Curbside Classics. The Savitch family also established The Jessica Savitch Distinguished Journalism Lecture Seriesat Ithaca College. went to the inimitable Sen. Edward M. Ted Kennedy, who was aiming his 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88 sedan across a bridge that wasnt in the direction of the ferry that Kopechne wanted to catch. I found the story interesting. In 1980, she was one of the twelve most popular speakers in the United States. ''It was raining, the weather was bad,'' Mr. Everett said. If it upsets you to read it maybe it was written for you . Commentary: Better, safer workplaces are worth fighting for Jessica had a wide following of admirers, first in Philadelphia and then on the network and just when she seemed to have found personal happiness, the untimely end.. Miss Savitch and Fischbein drowned Oct. 26, 1983. In fact I thought the story reminds me of checking my priorities. Jessica Beth Savitch Bio, Age, Family, Husband, NBC, Career and Death It would be your call when the article would be edited / updated as complete and the collaboration statement removed. Its limo dreams in a station wagon reality. the Ultimate Violation", won a Clarion Award for excellence from Women in Communications, Inc. [26], The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia posthumously inducted Savitch into their Hall of Fame in 2006. [20] The television film was criticized for omitting or downplaying controversial aspects of Savitch's life and career that were discussed at length in Blair's book. And R.I.P Oldsmobile. But it all came to an end on a rainy autumn nightin 1983, when the car Savitch was in plunged into a Bucks County, Pennsylvania canal, killing her and the cars driver, 34-year-old Martin Fischbein, a vice presidentat the New York Post. (Lynne, I hope we see more to come.) CC has very high standards on the automotive details, so that is my only beef with it. (The article title should not change; this might cause a disturbance in the permalink universe). As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Jessica Savitch Wikipedia Republished // WIKI 2 It is a car story! She also had served on its board of trustees. Some of the richest people I know will go out of their way to rent the least expensive cars on trips (especially for day trips outside of NYC)! September 4, 1995 Jessica Savitch lived a much too short and much too unhappy life. The best articles on this site cast stories of cars in a human context, whether that context is an individual life or, as in the best pieces from Paul and Laurence, the larger culture. The car was found about an hour, hour and a half after the accident. Her rocky personal life made headlines too. What would the point be for me to write about Jimmy Dean or Clay Regazzoni? Both biographers also write that Savitch had a problem with cocaine that eventually affected her career. According to Savitch, the school's discriminatory attitudes against women prevented her from getting the experience she wanted on the college-owned radio and television stations, so she sought opportunities in nearby Rochester. Kind of sad, but still nice to know someone else out there remembers Jessica. No beef jerky, no cocktail peanuts, no onions or olives for martinis. Since we are visiting a place where political correctness really was moot, Id like to mention its refreshing to see a womans name on the byline here. [11][15] Savitch, who was in New York at the time, found his body when she returned to the house. Jessica Savitch, the NBC television reporter who became one of the first women to anchor an evening network newscast, was killed late Sunday night after the car she and a companion were in. It sounds like the whole car flipped upside down as it went into the canal. We became friends. Katz a tip, email him, The Jessica Savitch Distinguished Journalism Lecture Series, Technical Audio Producer (Part-Time Contract). She deserved it So hard to believe shes been gone 30 years., Lori Savitch, one of Jessicas twosisters, and the force behind www.jessicasavitch.com: Gender-based discrimination wasnt the only hurdle Jessica faced in pursuit of a broadcast journalism career. She was 36. The interior trim pieces did not last long but I recall the drivetrain as being very durable, which is why Dad liked them. Please, dont get me wrong. I would read more stories on notable figures who died in cars. Savitch joined NBC News in 1977 as a weekend anchor for NBC Nightly News. Jessica Hollifield, who used to reside in Lexington, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly. All the cars I ever had from Olds were decent and reliable, except the last one. They resumed production of the Oldsmobile, but have not manufactured the Pontiac for several years. National Lampoon (magazine), the original humor magazine from 1970 to 1998-wikipedia. [4][12][21], Savitch's friend, WNBC anchor Sue Simmons, said in a 2013 retrospective article marking the 30th anniversary of Savitch's death, "When the books and the movie came out [after her death], they made her out to be this troubled character. ''It looked like they tried to kick the doors open but they couldn't.'' At the height of her fame she was known for Gucci belts, Halston dresses, piles of cocaine, penthouses and pills. The following year she became a general assignment reporter at KHOU- TV, the CBS affiliate in Houston. The powers that be were convinced Jessica was going insane and would kill herself. . Jessica Savitch was a rising star at NBC News and then tragically died in October 1983 at the age of 36. The 1996 feature film Up Close and Personal starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert Redford was very loosely based on her life. Bucks County coroner Thomas Rosko ruled late yesterday that both victims died of drowning.He said it appeared that Miss Savitch had made some attempt to get out of the Oldsmobile station wagon, but that Mr. Fischbein was found strapped into the driver's seat. Recently, legendary Detroit anchor Bill Bonds passed away. I want to be constructive with my comments. This could be a sub-category for Curb Side. In this photo shes roughly 35. Investigators said Fischbein, 34, mistakenly drove the car onto the towpath thinking it was an exit. I had old blue for over 3 years as my daily driver to college and racked up an impossible 151K miles on her (bought with 62k) and traded her for a 2 door Cutlass with bucket seats to better fit a sportier image after college. Thirty-one years ago today, broadcast journalist Jessica Savitch died in a freak drowning accident in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Reuven Frank, president of NBC News, described Ms. Savitch as 'a vigorous and conscientious reporter and a commanding presence on television.'. Not terrible, mind you, it just seems like a couple of more cycles of editing could have buffed out the minor defects before it was published. Because KHOU was non-union, she participated in many aspects of production as well as reporting on camera. The A&E series Biography featured an episode about Savitch, which inspired Will Ferrell to make Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (basing the Ron Burgundy character on Savitch's friend Mort Crim). Did anyone else notice how radically different her appearance was in her final news broadcast versus the other photos? Miss Savitch had suffered a number of personal misfortunes in recent years. When I got to know her, she was very warm, and very dedicated to her job. Shortly before her death in October 1983, Savitch gave a broadcast of NBC News Digest in which her delivery was erratic and she appeared to be under the influence of an illicit substance. [6], For the series entitled Lady Law, Savitch primarily interviewed female law enforcement professionals from other cities. This email address is already subscribed to the selected list(s). It was a parody by National Lampoon. [34], Savitch's life was also examined in several television documentaries. For all the first class tickets and privilege she projected, the Golden Girl of TV news came from an ordinary, if humble background. Walter Everett, the New Hope police chief, said that the couple had driven the wrong way out of the parking lot of a restaurant, Chez Odette, where they had gone for dinner. She was 36. The car fell 10 feet from the canal wall into the water and landed upside down. Her mother, who was a nurse, moved with her three daughters to Margate, N.J. Miss Savitch began her broadcast career with a radio station in Atlantic City at the age of 14, and later became a disc jockey for a rock show in Rochester, N.Y., where she was known as "Honeybee." Thoughts? 31 likes, 3 comments - Adam Tariq Ghani (@adamtghani) on Instagram: "News journalist Jessica Savitch promoting her memoir "Anchorwoman", a year after the suicide ." Adam Tariq Ghani on Instagram: "News journalist Jessica Savitch promoting her memoir "Anchorwoman", a year after the suicide of her second husband. While getting drunk on beer=you have an alcohol problem. Lynne, it does have something to do with cars. JESSICA SAVITCH OF NBC-TV KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT, https://www.nytimes.com/1983/10/25/obituaries/jessica-savitch-of-nbc-tv-killed-in-car-accident.html. The judge approved the settlement. Classic Cars of Infamy. As a side note to a previous posters comments: I moved from Florida to Tennessee and then back to Florida a few years ago. As they drove in rain and fog from the parking lot of a restaurant in New Hope, their car went off a towpath and fell into the Delaware Canal. IncidentallyI found a TV movie of her life based on her book featuring Sela Ward playng Jessica. To send TVNewser senior editor A.J. NBCsAndrea Mitchell: Jessica Savitch was a warm-hearted, caring person and a pioneer in broadcasting who lost her life tragically just as she was soaring to new heights. Despite her lack of broadcast news experience, Savitch was hired by KHOU-TV in Houston as the station's first female reporter. Fischbein was a vice president and assistant general manager for the Post and also served as personnel and circulation director. Add mine to the thanks for this article. were in doubt AND this is a website about cars and their owners. The Philadelphia Daily News reported one lawyer said the New York Post, whose insurance covered the leased station wagon in which Miss Savitch died, paid $7 million of the settlement. Am I the only one who noticed the Burberry trench coat, muddied and soaked on the passenger seat? Under her latest contract, which she signed last summer, Miss Savitch was to anchor "NBC News Digest," for which she was to have reported to work yesterday, and beginning in January, the Sunday editions of "Nightly News.". This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. which no one seems to mind. NBC News Digest with Jessica Savitch (10/21/83) [Final] As we approach the thirtieth anniversary of that day October 23 TVNewser reached out to friends, family, and colleaguesfor their memories of Jessica Savitch, who was just 36 when she died. No drugs and very little alcohol were present in her system at the time of her death. The suit was settled for $8 million, most of which was paid by the Post. I agree with Wolfgang that this is a very somber, sad story. In 1976, she came to the attention of NBC executives while reporting from a presidential campaign debate between President Gerald Ford and Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter held at Philadelphia's Walnut Street Theatre. Thats good enough for me. Whether the car landed upside down or right side up, the thick mud made opening ANY door/tailgate pretty much impossible. Jessica Savitch, 35, an award-winning newswoman with the NBC network since 1977, drowned early yesterday after the car she was riding in plunged into the Delaware Canal in New Hope, Pa., about 35 miles northeast of Philadelphia. Thats very typical of the G-body cars interior trim was not durable in the slightest, and would quickly age/fall off/disintegrate but the car itself was generally sturdy and rugged, and the drivetrain options would last. The overturned vehicle was spotted by a local couple who saw automobile wheels in the canal and called police, the chief said. Her father was of Slavic Jewish heritage and her maternal grandfather was of German and Russian Jewish heritage. Instead he bought the unfortunate 1979 blue Fairmont with butt numbing bench seat, no A/C and few options other than the 200 six and automatic. She also had a sister named Lori Savitch. Required fields are marked *. I dont remember really listening to NBC news much. The last few moments of these folks lives must have been a living hell. ''I loved everything about the radio station,'' Miss Savitch said in her autobiography, ''Anchorwoman,'' published in 1982. She was the eldest daughter of Florence (ne Goldberger), a navy nurse, and David Savitch, who ran a clothing store. Savitch, 36, and her companion, New York Post executive Martin M. Fischbein, 34 . She used the WCBS-TV facilities to make a television audition tape and sent copies to many television stations around the country, seeking an on-air position. Jessica Savitch didnt, or perhaps couldnt; in that era, such a move would have been a career killer. At KYW in Philadelphia, she carved a stylish, hard-hitting niche with flawless looks, tough talk and in depth stories. Jessicas time at NBC was filled with uncertainty, and with the uncertainty came drug use. If there is justification for the whining by some commenters, I think it lies in the fact that the car model was incidental to Savitchs death; i.e., she and her companion would have had the same difficulty opening the doors of an upside-down Mercedes smooshed into a muddy canal bed. With that in mind, I assumed that Death By Station Wagon meant this would be a story about how a woman (albeit a celebrity newscaster) was perhaps bored to death by her life as a station wagon driving drudge. According to Wikipedia, the car flipped over and landed in 4 feet of mud/water. Miss Savitch was born on Feb. 1, 1948, at Kennett Square, Pa. When Savitch arrived at KHOU, she was the only female working in the news department other than one secretary and faced a work environment hostile to females, although some male colleagues did help her learn the basics of her job. As they drove in rain and fog from the parking lot of a restaurant in New Hope, their car went off a towpath and fell into the Delaware Canal.