Ms. Savitch anchors for the last time. Posthumously, Savitch became the subject of two biographies and a television film, Almost Golden: The Jessica Savitch Story, as well as television documentaries. There are no guardrails and it was raining heavily at the time. 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 drove into a canal in a rural section of Bucks County, Pa., and overturned. If she and Fischbein had been arguing, say, about that very intervention, he could have been distracted and Savitch may have directly contributed to her own demise, Such a happy first post in the new year . [7], As a result of her KYW work, Savitch became a local celebrity in Philadelphia and was sometimes mobbed walking down the street. By Niruta Rai April 25, 2023. She later worked at KHOU-TV in Houston and KYW-TV in Philadelphia before joining NBC in 1977. Tortured Talent. The rise and tragic end of Anchor Woman - Medium A local resident found the wreck at about 11:30 that night. Impressed with her performance, NBC offered her a three-year contract starting in September 1977 as a Washington, D.C. correspondent and anchor. Personally, any celebrity that has a strong connection with a vehicle, even if its only through death, is worthy of inclusion. The settlement established the principle of equality of salary and longevity for women in television news, Arthur G. Raynes, a Philadelphia attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Miss Savitchs estate. She held a variety of posts at NBC, including those of general assignment reporter, Senate correspondent, and principal writer-reporter for Saturday editions of "NBC Nightly News." The car went off the bridge, Kennedy escaped the car and left the scene, and didnt report the crash until the car, with Kopechnes body inside, was discovered next morning. She was a native of Kennett Square, near Philadelphia, and grew up in Margate N.J. She graduated from Ithaca College and went to work at WCBS Radio in New York in 1969. 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. They aged well. 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." College tuition was practically unaffordable because our widowed mother still had two more children at home to raise and educate. its akin to the James Deans Porsche, the Kennedy SS100X Lincoln and Jayne Mansfields Electra 225. Resentment from coworkers hurt, and led to her eventually being pulled off the Senate beat. The bodies of Ms. Savitch and Fischbein and Ms. Savitch's Siberian Husky, Chewy, were found in a car mired in the bottom of a canal near Philadelphia. Cant remember the last time I saw one. 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. She Could Have Been Diane Sawyer | Dame Magazine It was posted two days ago but was temporarily withdrawn for revision. In episode 2 of season 2 of Only Murders in the Building, the fictional character Oliver Putnam states that he had an affair with Savitch in the eighties and she left him for Ed Bradley. In this photo shes roughly 35. 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. I enjoyed the article. Dad brought home a 1979 green woody wagon back in 1983 equipped with the 305 4bbl Chevy V8 and loads of equipment and we loved that car. That October night in 1983 was foggy and Fischbein, known as a careful driver, was confused about which way to go after leaving the restaurant. Thankfully, our attitudes toward substance abuse are becoming more and more enlightened over time. 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. Reuven Frank, president of NBC News, described Ms. Savitch as 'a vigorous and conscientious reporter and a commanding presence on television.'. 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. Compared to the man, the ad was full of taste. Good thing GM doesnt make Oldsmobiles anymore . Both she and Mr. Fishbein died ''within one minute to a very few minutes'' after plunging into the canal, he said. I remember Jessica Savage. . On the long-form TODAY show piece, which aired almost exactly thirty . 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. WCBS refused to hire her as a reporter because she had no professional experience. 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. She also hosted PBS's public affairs program Frontline from its January 1983 debut until her death as a passenger in an automobile accident later that year.[1]. Makes you wonder what went on in that car before it went into the canal. She soon began to anchor noon news broadcasts as well, and eventually became part of a popular team of three anchors with Mort Crim and Vince Leonard on the 11:00pm news. Fischbein's body was still strapped behind the wheel, with Savitch and her dog in the back seat. The dashboard is that of a Cutlass, not the full size wagon shown above. Tom Brokaw, the anchor of ''The NBC Nightly News,'' said: ''She was a dedicated, hard-working broadcaster who felt very strongly that women should have a more active role in the profession.'' Jessica Beth Savitch Bio, Age, Family, Husband, NBC, Career and Death