Texas tower shootings - KLRN live - part 1/3

Charles Whitman atop the University of Texas tower, August 1 1966. I believe this footage to be the FIRST TIME a "breaking news" event of this type was carried live on television. KLRN (now KLRU) tv was next door and pointed a camera out the window.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• austin
• charles
• whitman
• university
• texas
• tower
• shootings
• mass
• murder

[crushherflat999]

Maybe anti depressants and video games made him do it! Oh wait.....

[gatormcluski]

I know man....what a dumbass. 99.9% of these people that leave their comments are freakin' retarded.

[happinesson]

what a terrifying incident!

[altfactor]

@MIKECNW I do recall that ABC, CBS, and NBC showed it live.

But they probably began rebroadcasting KLRN's feed some time after the local coverage began.

I don't think many "educational" TV stations in 1966 had network connections, so what I think happened was that KTBC, the only commercial station in town at the time, fed the KLRN coverage to New York. As KTBC was affiliated with all three networks, they probably sent out three feeds, one to each network.

[altfactor]

@altfactor The networks also had commentary from their anchors (in-studio) as well as picking-up the reporter from KLRN.

I recall Chet Huntley telling NBC viewers that if they were in the Austin area, that they should stay away from the campus for their own protection.

[skyangel1100]

I was 6 year's old when this happened,and i remember being scared out of my mind,i lived in Fort Worth but when your 6 you imagine all kinds if things,and i just knew he was gonna get me.

[altfactor]

@JRF1961 I think KLRN was/is a noncommercial station. Most "educational" stations didn't go full-color until the late 1960's or even the early 1970's.

[JRF1961]

What??? It's 1966 and no local programming in color?? How 3rd world!! When did Channel 9 go 100% color programming??

[12trixster]

thats my 3rd cuzin

[spankywalnuts]

Define Irony I just got a copy of Ranger Rays book for my wife from him on sunday.

[DaceFalar7]

Take 2 happens today!

[SUNMAYDEN518]

autopsy showed he had a brain tumor