Has anyone seen any of the FOX NEWS 5 morning reports on Y2K. I have just heard that they are reporting on it all this week. I haven't caught any, but was wondering if anyone else has.

Also, did anyone see 'Millennium Fears' on channels 60, 66, PAX last night at 9 pm eastern time?

I caught the NBC coverage with Tom Brokaw INDEPTH last night and tried to post the transcript but couldn't get re-connected back to the forum. I posted it a few threads back on the original thread that was started, but shall re-post here as well for those that are interested.

QUOTE...

Tom Brokaw: And the century begins. In cities around the world will the big celebrations suddenly go dark. Is fear of possible chaos from computer failures well founded or is this a lot of overkill. The race is on. The race to be ready for what is now commonly called Y2K, Year 2000. Tonight we begin a series of reports starting with NBC Jim Arbala (forgive the misspelling of Jim's last name) INDEPTH.

Jim Arbala: Vicky Crosby is ready. Self-sufficient in case her worse fears about the Year 2000 come true.

Vicky Crosby: I think that we will be thrown back to 1929 so fast it'll make our heads swell.

Jim Arbala: A respected restaurant owner in her North Florida home town, Crosby, is not an alarmist predicting armagedon. She's a mom responsible for her mother, husband, daughter, and grand-daughter, who now has a house filled with a 5 month supply of food, water, and firewood.

Vicky Crosby: What if I'm not a loony? What if I am right? Is your family going to survive?

Jim Arbala: She's not alone. A December gallop poll says that more than half of America believes that change in millennia and possible computer failures around the world, the so-called Y2K crisis will cause them personal problems. How's the nation preparing? 65% say they'll order bank statements; 31% say they'll withdraw large amounts of cash; 47% say they'll avoid flying; 26% say they'll stockpile food and water; and 17% say they plan on buying a generator or wood-stove for light and heat.

Leahman store owner/representative: Most of these are sold out.

Jim Arbala: ??? Leahman central Ohio hardware store has become Y2K headquarters. Hand-crank radios, wood-stove, butter churns, flour mills, gas refrigerators, water pumps all traditionally stocked here for 45 years as a service to the surrounding Armish community pledged to a simple life without electricity, but who now can't get a basic wood-stove delivered because Y2K doomsayers are literally buying out their store.

Leahman sales person: We are so busy and inundated with Y2K orders.

Leahman owner/representative: It just tears me up to be here all these years. We've given excellent service and now all of a sudden we can't do it anymore.

Jim Arbala: Leahman says some are panicked beyond reason. Ordering products they don't even know how to operate.

Leahman owner/representative: We had one guy that bought a ton of grain. A ton - that's a lot of grain.

Jim Arbala: The advice here is basics; light, heat, food, water. And the caution don't buy anything that will be of no use and could look foolish come March of 2000. And perhaps the best advice is to have some ready cash on hand. Why? Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan, said today there's no chance of a bank collapse. But a survey to be released next month shows that 32% of 900 banks checked are not ready for the Y2K deadline. Another warns that 45% of the people who know computers best, technology professionals, say they plan to withdraw 2 to 6 weeks worth of cash in December, 1999.

????: Some people think that your money is going to be gone forever. It's not. It's going to be inaccessible in some cases. But for most people that's bad enough.

Jim Arbala: And as for Vicky Crosby and her Florida stockpile. She says it's proof she's not crazy, just prepared.

Jim Arabal, NBC News, Kidron, Ohio.

END QUOTE.....

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

Answers

I saw the Millenium Fears on PAX at 9pm last night. Coming from someone who deosn't predict more than 1.5 it was very unsettling. Seemed to me reported in a very unbiased way. I didn't like they way they referenced scriptures especially at the end which leads me to beleive the producers were motivated by religious groups. Not a bad sign but not one I really like to see when it comes to reporting the unknown. As far as science it concerned I'd rather leave it in the hands of the scientists.

-- (AES2010@aol.com), February 24, 1999.

Thanks for the transcript, Anon!

Maybe the P.R. firm working for Koskinen encouraged him to encourage the newsmedia?

Fascinating! All the twists and turns.

Diane

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