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Christine Chubbuck

Born August 24, 1944(1944-08-24)
Hudson, Ohio, United States
Died July 15, 1974 (aged 29)
Sarasota, Florida, United States
Occupation Television news reporter

Christine Chubbuck[1] (August 24, 1944 – July 15, 1974) was an American television news reporter who committed suicide during a live television broadcast. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends "Live TV" redirects here For the British TV station formerly known by this name see L!VE TV.

Contents

Biography

Born in Hudson, Ohio, Christine Chubbuck attended the Laurel School for Girls in nearby Shaker Heights. new shopping area hudson ohjpg|thumb|right|180px|The "First and Main" shopping district Laurel School is a school for girls from Kindergarten through Grade 12 with a coeducational Early Childhood Center Shaker Heights is a City in the US state of Ohio. As of the 2000 Census, the city population was 29405 and was the tenth-largest city in During her years at Laurel, she started a small tongue-in-cheek group called the "Dateless Wonder Club. " She attended Miami University of Ohio for one year, majoring in theatre arts, then attended Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. Miami University (colloquially and incorrectly referred to as Miami of Ohio for clarification purposes is a Coeducational Public university founded in 1809 Endicott College is a private, co-educational college located on a campus in Beverly, Massachusetts, on the North Shore of Massachusetts Beverly is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. She earned a degree in broadcasting at Boston University in 1965. For the band see Broadcast (band Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and/or Video signals which transmit For similarly-named academic institutions see Education in Boston MA. She worked for WVIZ in Cleveland, Ohio for a year in 1966-67. WVIZ is a public television station in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state She attended a summer workshop in radio and television at New York University in 1967. New York University ( NYU) is a private, Nonsectarian, Coeducational Research University in New York City. Also in 1967, she worked for a few months for public television stations in Pittsburgh and Canton, Ohio. Canton is a city in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Stark County. Chubbuck spent four years as a hospital computer operator in Sarasota and two years with a cable television firm in Sarasota. Immediately before joining WXLT, she worked in the traffic department of WTOG in St. Petersburg, Florida. WTOG, channel 44 is a television station in St Petersburg Florida. St Petersburg (often shortened to St Pete) is a city in Pinellas County Florida, United States. [2][3]

Several years before her death, Chubbuck had moved into the family's summer cottage on Siesta Key, Florida. Siesta Key is a barrier island off the central western coast of Florida in the United States of America. The Washington Post would later report that her painted bedroom and canopied bed looked like a young teenager's. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D After the divorce of Christine's parents, her mother Peg and younger brother Greg came to live in the Florida home. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. When Greg left, her elder brother Timothy moved in. She had a close relationship with her family, describing her mother and Greg as her closest friends.

Chubbuck volunteered at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, giving puppet shows to developmentally disabled children, and occasionally incorporated the homemade puppets into her WXLT-TV talk show. Sarasota Memorial Hospital is an 806-bed regional medical center located in Sarasota County on Florida's Gulf Coast A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a Puppeteer. Developmental disability is a term used to describe life-long disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical or combination of mental and physical impairments WWSB, Channel 40 ( Cable and Virtual channel 7 is the ABC affiliate for Sarasota Florida. A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to

WXLT-TV owner Bob Nelson had initially hired Chubbuck as a reporter, but later gave her a community affairs talk show, "Suncoast Digest," which ran in the morning after the national feed of The PTL Club. PTL (stands for "Praise The Lord" or "People that Love" was the flagship program of the PTL Satellite Network of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker Production Manager Gordon J. Acker described Chubbuck's new show to a local paper: "It will feature local people and local activities. It will give attention, for instance, to the storefront organizations that are concerned with alcoholics, drug users, and other 'lost' segments of the community. " Page five of the article showed a smiling Chubbuck posed with an ABC camera. [4]

Chubbuck took her position seriously, inviting local Sarasota-Bradenton officials to discuss matters of interest to the growing beach community. Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the state of Florida in the United States. Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. After her death, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that Chubbuck had been nominated for a Forestry and Conservation Recognition Award by the Bradenton district office of the Florida Division of Forestry. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune is a daily Newspaper located in Sarasota Florida. She was considered a "strong contender" by Mike Keel, district forester, who had been scheduled to appear as a guest on Ms. Chubbuck's show the morning of her suicide, but had cancelled because of the birth of his son. [5]

Depression

Chubbuck spoke to her family at length about her struggles with depression and suicidal tendencies, though she did not inform them of her specific intent beforehand. Major depressive disorder, also known as major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, clinical depression, or simply depression She had attempted to overdose on medication in 1970, and frequently made reference to the event. She had also been seeing a psychiatrist up until several weeks before her death. Psychiatry is a medical specialty which exists to study, prevent, and treat Mental disorders in Humans Psychiatric Chubbuck's mother chose not to tell station management of her daughter's suicidal tendencies because she feared that she would be fired as a result. [6]

Her focus on her lack of relationships was generally considered to be the impetus for her depression; her mother later summarized that "her suicide was simply because her personal life was not enough". She lamented to co-workers that her 30th birthday was approaching and she was still a virgin who had never been on more than two dates with a man. Her brother Greg later recalled several times she had gone out with a man, before moving to Sarasota, but agreed that she had trouble connecting socially in the beach resort town. He believed that her constant self-deprecation for being "dateless" contributed to her ongoing depression. [7]

She had had her right ovary removed in an operation the year before, and had been told that if she did not become pregnant within a year, it was unlikely she would ever be able to conceive. "Ovaria" redirects here This is also a proposed section and a Synonym of Solanum.

Apparently, she had an unrequited crush on co-worker George Peter Ryan. She baked him a cake for his birthday and sought his romantic attention, only to find out that he was already involved with sports reporter Andrea Kirby. Kirby had been the co-worker closest to Chubbuck, but was offered a new job in Baltimore, which had further depressed Chubbuck.

Chubbuck's lack of a romantic partner was considered a tangent of her desperate need to have close friends, though co-workers said that she tended to be brusque and defensive whenever they made friendly gestures towards her. She was self-deprecating, criticizing herself constantly and rejecting any compliments she was given. Self-deprecation is a form of Humor in which people or Comedians make jokes about themselves their shortcomings or their culture usually without She was fond of word play and puns. A pun (or paronomasia) is a Phrase that deliberately exploits confusion between similar-sounding Words for humorous or Rhetorical [8]

Lead-up

Three weeks before her suicide she had asked the station's news director if she could do a news piece on suicide. After getting her pitch approved she visited the local sheriff's department to discuss with an officer methods of suicide. SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. In the interview, an officer told her that one of the most efficient ways was to use a . 38 caliber revolver with wadcutter target bullets, and to shoot oneself in the back of the head rather than in the temple. A wadcutter is a special-purpose Bullet specially designed for shooting paper targets usually at close range and at subsonic velocities typically under 800 ft/s (244 m/s [2]

A week before her suicide she told Rob Smith, the night news editor, that she had bought a gun and joked about killing herself on air. Smith later told the Washington Post that he had chided her for the comment. [2]

On July 12, 1974, she had an argument with news director Mike Simmons after he cut one of her stories to cover a shoot-out instead. Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Robert Nelson, the station owner, had tried to convince staff to concentrate on "blood and guts".

Suicide

On the morning of July 15, 1974, Chubbuck confused co-workers by claiming that she had to read a newscast to open her program, Suncoast Digest, something she had never done before. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. News broadcasting (also known as newscast or newsbreak) is the Broadcasting of various news events and other Information via That morning's talk show guest waited across the studio while she sat at the news anchor's desk. [2] Her news copy actually contained a speculative report of her impending suicide, wherein she conjectured she would be declared dead eleven hours later. She placed a . 38 revolver in her bag of puppets and put it beneath her desk.

During the first eight minutes of her program, Chubbuck covered three national news stories and then a local restaurant shooting from the day before. The restaurant was the Beef and Bottle Restaurant at the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport on U.S. 41. Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is an airport located in Sarasota Florida and just south of Bradenton Florida. US Route 41 is a north-south United States Highway that runs from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to Miami Florida. [9] The filmreel of the restaurant shooting had jammed and would not run, so Christine shrugged it off and said:

"In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first: an attempted suicide. "

She drew out the revolver and shot herself behind her right ear. [2] Christine fell forward violently and the technical director faded slowly to black. [10] Camerawoman Jean Reed later recalled that she thought it had been an elaborate prank, and it wasn't until she saw Chubbuck's twitching body that she realized it was genuine.

The station quickly ran a standard Public Service tape and then a movie. A public service announcement (PSA or community service announcement (CSA is a non-commercial advertisement broadcast on radio or television ostensibly for the Public Some television viewers had phoned police, while others phoned the station to inquire if the shooting was faked. [11]

Chubbuck was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and was pronounced dead 14 hours later. Upon receiving the news, a WXLT staffer released the information to other stations using Chubbuck's copy, as she had left it for just that purpose. [11]

For a time, WXLT aired reruns of the TV series Gentle Ben in place of Chubbuck's program. A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a Radio or Television broadcast. Gentle Ben is the name of a book of Fiction for children by author Walt Morey, which was later made into a Film and Television series [3]

Aftermath

Chubbuck was cremated. The funeral ceremony was held on the beach where her ashes were scattered into the Gulf of Mexico. The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world Approximately 120 people attended, including local officials who had appeared on her show,[12] and one attendee in a bikini. [13] Three songs by Christine's favorite singer, Roberta Flack, were played. Roberta Flack (born February 10, 1937) is an American Singer-songwriter and Musician who is notable in the areas of Jazz [14]

Presbyterian minister Thomas Beason delivered the eulogy, stating that "We suffer at our sense of loss, we are frightened by her rage, we are guilty in the face of her rejection, we are hurt by her choice of isolation and we are confused by her message. Presbyterianism is a family of Christian denominations within the Reformed branch of Protestant Western Christianity In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs A eulogy is a speech or writing in Praise of a person or thing "[15]

All three national commercial television networks reported her death.

Christine's family brought an injunction against WXLT to prevent the release of the 2" quad videotape of her suicide. An injunction is an Equitable remedy in the form of a Court order, whereby a party is required to do or interact with in certain ways all right or to refrain from 2 inch Quadruplex (also called 2″ Quad, or just quad, for short was the first practical and commercially successful Videotape format The Sarasota Sheriff's Department file lists a copy of the tape seized as evidence and later released it to Christine's family along with her possessions.

For the first time since 1974, Greg Chubbuck spoke publicly about his sister in a 2007 E! Entertainment Television special. [16]

See also

References

  1. ^ (mistakenly reported as "Hubbock" by some sources)
  2. ^ a b c d e Dietz, Jon. Network is a 1976 New Hollywood drama film about a fictional Television network, Union Broadcasting System (UBS and its struggle Robert "Budd" Dwyer ( November 21, 1939 – January 22, 1987) was an American politician who on the morning of January This article provides a list of unusual deaths &ndash unique or extremely rare circumstances &ndash recorded throughout history "On-Air Shot Kills TV Personality", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, July 16, 1974. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  3. ^ a b "Chris Chubbuck Memorial Services Thursday", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, July 14, 1974. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  4. ^ Wesson, Helen. "WXLT-TV Adds A. M. Talk Show", Siesta Key Pelican, August 30, 1973. Events 1363 - Beginning date of the Battle of Lake Poyang; the forces of two Chinese rebel leaders— Chen Youliang and Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar.
  5. ^ "Chris Chubbuck is Posthumous Award Candidate", 'Sarasota Herald-Tribune', July 20, 1974. Events 1304 - Wars of Scottish Independence: Fall of Stirling Castle - King Edward I of England takes the last rebel stronghold Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  6. ^ Kamstock, Dr. Edwin L. , Sarasota County Associate Medical Examiner, Autopsy report #A-74-203, Sarasota County Sheriff's Dept. file, case #74-15120, July 15, 1974. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  7. ^ interview with Greg Chubbuck for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Christine Chubbuck", 'E! Entertainment Television', February 26, 2007. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
  8. ^ "Chubbuck Rites On Beach", The Hudson Hub, July 28, 1974. Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  9. ^ Sarasota County Sheriff's Dept. file, case #74-15120, July 15, 1974. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  10. ^ Rubin, Valerie. Tragic TV Drama Unfolds Before Unbelieving Eyes, Sarasota Herald-Tribune. July 16, 1974. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  11. ^ a b "Florida TV Talk Show Host Dies After Shooting Herself During Broadcast", Associated Press, July 16, 1974. Events 622 - The beginning of the Islamic calendar. 1054 - Three Roman legates fractured relations between the Western and Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  12. ^ "Special Memorial Service Held On Public Beach For TV Personality Christine Chubbuck", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, July 19, 1974. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  13. ^ "Suicide TV Host Gets Beach Funeral", "Associated Press", July 19, 1974. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  14. ^ "Timothy Chubbuck Eulogizes Sister in Beach Service", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, July 18, 1974. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  15. ^ "Chris Chubbuck is Eulogized", Sarasota Herald-Tribune, July 18, 1974. Events 390 BC - Roman - Gaulish Wars Battle of the Allia - a Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.
  16. ^ "Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Christine Chubbuck", 'E! Entertainment Television', which aired February 24-25, March 1, March 3, March 6, 2007 in the evening. Boulevard of Broken Dreams is a documentary series on the E! television network E! Entertainment Television (or simply E!) is an American Cable television and Direct broadcast satellite network

Further reading

External links

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