Y2K TV Newsmedia Home Run: ABC, NBC & CBS All Have Evening News Reports!

Just watched a channel-surfing first: Peter Jennings (ABC), Tom Brokaw (NBC) and Dan Rather (CBS) ALL had Y2K reports on tonight.

Health Care behind, Russia in trouble, Senate warnings, CIA testifies ...

Wow!

Off to look for transcripts.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 24, 1999

Answers

You go, girl! ~ our link bloodhound ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), February 24, 1999.

NBC News coverage tonight transcript:

Tom Brokaw: ....The facts about the computer glitch that will strike tens of millions of computers around the world. Today the CIA reported to Congress about the potential dangers worldwide of the Year 2000 computer bug and at the top of that list concern about Russia. Will it be ready when the New Year arrives or does its huge arsenal of nuclear weapons pose a risk to the United States and the rest of the world? NBC's Dana Lewis reporting from Moscow tonight INDEPTH.

Dana Lewis: This is what the US fears most in Russia - 6,000 nuclear missiles. The concern. Could the Y2K computer glitch cause a launch? Worse case scenario. As the clock counts down the 2,000 early warning screens in the Russians Strategic Command could go blank or even tell them they're under attack. Russia relates with its own missiles. A Y2K nightmare caused by a computer mirage. Today in Washington the CIA told Congress it's not likely.

CIA: We do not see a problem in terms of Russian or Chinese missiles automatically being launched or nuclear weapons in any way detonating because of computer systems that might come from Y2K.

Dana Lewis: Just to be sure Pentagon officials have visited their counterparts in Moscow. They proposed a joint early warning sight in Colorado so that on New Year's Eve when the computer clocks turnover Russian commanders would sit across from Americans to reassure each side that everything is okay at ground zero. But from transportation to air traffic control to massive gas pipelines Russia now admits it has other Y2k problems which could have disastrous consequences for Russia and the world. Russian sources tell NBS News there are 7 million computers in government and only 20% are ready for the Year 2000.

Yardeni: At first the attitude of the Russians was we'll fix it when the problem occurs - fix on failure.

Dan Lewis: They maybe too late. This is the main control center for electric power in Russia. It still feeds power to all of the former republics of the Soviet Union. Tens of thousands of computers here have to be fixed. But it will be September before anyone can start. If the repairs can't be done in four months when the clocks turnover the power grid could fail. Even nuclear power plants could be put into emergency shut-down Russian experts admit without the computers.

Russian spokesperson: The system is as uncontrollable as a car. And it could fall off a cliff.

Dana Lewis: Russia says it needs 2 or 3 billion dollars to fix or replace all of its computers. But outside estimates put the number at ten times that. Either way the Russian government has budgeted zero money to launch a pre-emptive strike on Y2K. Russians repeatedly downplay the potential problem. But even the train system could shutdown. 28,000 trains a day are controlled by computers which still need to be de-bugged. Andre ?????, a signalman on freight trains. He's so worried about what the computers won't do he plans to take New Years Day off. Dana Lewis NBC News Moscow.

Tom Brokaw: Tomorrow more of our special look at Contdown 2000 and what the government wants you to do to get ready for that Year 2000 computer bug.

-- Anon (anon@abc.com), February 24, 1999.

(CBS) CBS Evening News with Dan Rather

http://www.cbs.com/ navbar/news.html

[No transcript, but under SciTech is the story that ran tonight] ...

Y2K Has Hospitals Ailing

 Health Care Industry Is Most Vulnerable
 Hospitals Scramble To Fix Problems

Albany, New York Wednesday, February 24, 1999-08:22 PMET -- (CBS) The Senates most alarming conclusion in a report on the year 2000 bug is that it is health care - not electricity and not the finance industry - is most vulnerable to Y2K computer glitches.

The report warns that computer failure could even cause the shutdown of operating rooms, CBS News Correspondent Wyatt Andrews reports.

I dont think its automatic were going to get widespread death as a result of this, but there could be some feathery moments, Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, said.

Health care faces a higher risk than other industries, because it is so dependent on computer technology. In most hospitals everything from the x-ray machine to the computer that files insurance claims either has date-sensitive software in its system or shares the information with a computer that does.

That worries medical professionals. Some of these machines cant be made Y2K compliant, said Arthur Gross, of the Albany Medical Center in Upstate New York.

At his hospital, Gross says guarding against Y2K trouble is a $90 million project. The hospital is replacing everything from EKG machines to desktop computers, because every link in the computer chain has to work.

If the data that is passed through these systems is not Y2K compliant it could contaminate other systems.

But what about the rural or inner city hospitals that dont have (90 million? I think potentially, potentially, there could be some risk to patients hospitalized in those settings, Gross added.

The makers of medical machines admit there is a problem but insist they are solving it as quickly as possible.

I can not sit here and represent that everything is fixed,  Alan Magazine of the Health Industry Managers Association told CBS News. What I can represent is that companies the do have calendar functions in their products are working very hard to fix them.

Facing the potential of massive liability with just 10 months to go, the industry is now spending hundred of millions of dollars on Y2k fixes. The diagnosis is serious, and the rush is on to avoid an emergency.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 24, 1999.

(ABC) World News Tonight with Peter Jennings

http://abcnews.go.com/onair/ worldnewstonight/WorldNewsTonightIndex.html

ABC News Shows Transcript Index (No transcripts available)

http:// www.abcnews.go.com/onair/transcripts/

Complete transcript listing currently unavailable, please come back in a few days.

Story only ...

WIRE:Feb. 24, 2:14 p.m. ET
Russia, others face major Y2K problems, CIA says

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/AP19990224_250.html

AP News Service

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Russian missiles, Chinese power systems and Mideast shipping could all face breakdowns because many foreign countries are failing to face up to the seriousness of the Year 2000 computer problem, the CIA told Congress on Wednesday. ...

[Same story on a lot of posts today -- follow the link].

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 24, 1999.

I forgot to say thank you Diane.

You are so quick and always come up with the good stuff. I have found your posts invaluable. If you left this forum there would be a HUGE void.

-- Anon (anon@abc.com), February 24, 1999.

Diane,

Good work...as usual. I saw ABC World News Tonight. They talked about the report about to be released by Senator Bennett's special committee.

At one point, the story on ABC said that 80% or 90% of all doctor offices in the U.S. have had no work done to them to make these offices compliant. It was also reported that electricity and phone service shouldn't be a problem in the U.S. in 2000, although smaller towns/rural areas could have problems, since these areas have less money to fix their Y2K problems...

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 24, 1999.

Anon (anon@abc.com),

Thank you! How did you "get" that transcript?

(See Anons transcript above ...)

And thanks, Kevin.

(NBC) NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw

http:// www.msnbc.com/news/NIGHTLYTB_front.asp

Join their e-mail list for news updates, and among things ... Special reports: The NBC Nightly News Web site's archive of special reports takes you beyond what you see on TV

http:// www.msnbc.com/chat/lists/nightly.asp

CIA downplays Russia Y2K risks (Story)

http://www.msnbc.com/ news/243895.asp

Cool map!

How the CIA sees Y2K: The agency's assessment of preparedness in 19 nations around the world

Click on a country for the CIA's assessment of global preparedness for Y2K.

http://www.msnbc.com/modules/Y2KInternational/ map_nestframe.asp

The CIA thinks Russia and China are at serious risk when the clock strikes midnight Dec. 31, 1999.

But worldwide interruptions in government services and imports and exports plus gas shortages are expected.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 24, 1999.

Diane,

I taped it on my micro cassette recorder and clicked away on my keyboard as fast as I could when played back. It's been quite a few years since I did transcribing from tapes. Thought those days were over. Only thing when I had tapes to transcribe from work there were no background noises, i.e. children playing or dogs barking!!!!

-- Anon (anon@abc.com), February 24, 1999.

Diane: I have finally decided to do it. I am going to just save a Word file that has the words "Thank You Diane". Becasue of your efforts it will be a lot easier for me to ketchup tomorrow. :)

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), February 25, 1999.

Chuckles Rob. Can I sleep now?

Thanks Anon. I had to re-type the Health care thing above. It wouldn't cut 'n paste. Was hoping you might have found a transcript link I'd like to have.

Team work, works!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 25, 1999.

I forgot to mention something else about Y2K coverage on World News Tonight. Senator Dodd said that on January 1, 2000, he doesn't want to be on an airplane, in an elevator, or in need of medical attention.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 25, 1999.

Diane,

You should get some sleep. You've worked hard and done good. Night! Night! Sleep tight and mind those Y2K bugs don't bite.

Kevin,

Thanks for the ABC coverage. Hmmmm! I wonder where Dodd does plan on being at the end of the year into the New Year?????????

-- Anon (anon@abc.com), February 25, 1999.