ABC News: 'Iran Hostage Crisis 1979 (ABC News Report From 12/3/1979)'

Source:ABC News- James E. Carter (Democrat, Georgia) President of the United States (1977-81)

"30 days into the hostage crisis, U.S. tries to get the shah out of America." 

Source:ABC News

The 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis made ABC News. Similar to how Monday Night Football and perhaps Monday Night Baseball and all of their great college football coverage starting in the 1970s, made ABC Sports. 

Frank Reynolds, Peter Jennings, Ted Koppel, even though they were all very good at their jobs pre-1979, became national network stars for ABC and not just ABC News, because of their great coverage of this story. The Iranian Hostage Crisis, which I believe at least believe was the unofficial start of the so-called War on Terror. They had special reports on this story every night at least early on the story. That show later becomes Nightline with Ted Koppel. Which with him is one of the best news shows of all-time. Too bad it was only a half-hour. 

I don't think you can blame ABC News for Jimmy Carter losing reelection in 1980. But the fact that they dedicated so much of their coverage and resources to a story about American hostages being held hostage halfway around the world by Islamic Theocratic terrorists certainly didn't help President Carter. Because millions of Americans watched ABC News every night to get the latest news on that story especially if one of their relatives was being held hostage. And they were right cover that story as tightly and closely as they did. Because it was almost as if America was at war with Iran to free our people from there and to bring them home. And you had the relatives of these hostages constantly worried about the health and safety of their relatives that were being held. 

You can also see this post at The Daily Press, on Blogger.