Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)]]> Chemical plants -- Waste disposal -- Environmental aspects -- New York (State) -- Niagara Falls]]>
The cries of families ravaged by chemical exposure in their own homes had initially been ignored by lawmakers who were in a position to offer meaningful support. The grassroots struggle of these homeowners and their ultimate victory in winning federal support offers powerful lessons to a nation still troubled by environmental injustice.

Mr. Newberg tracked down the former Niagara Gazette rookie reporter who broke the story in 1978. In a rare interview, Michael Brown recalls his "journalistic obsession" after going door-to-door in the Love Canal neighborhood and establishing a pattern of still births and cancer.

Lois Gibbs, the stay-at-home mom who rose to national prominence in her fight to be heard, tells Mr. Newberg that local broadcast journalists played a major role in getting the word out. “When people are right and people peacefully demonstrate and speak truth to power,” she said, “that’s how democracy works, and then we got what we needed.”

The story ends with President Joe Biden bemoaning the fact that the right of every American to breathe clean air and drink clean water has yet to be fulfilled.

“A Toxic Nightmare: The Awakening” received a New York Emmy Award in the category of Science/Environment. It also won a national Telly Award. In addition, Rich Newberg and co-producer Tom Vetter took first place “Enterprise Reporting” honors from the Journalists Association of New York.

The piece appeared as a featured segment of the Buffalo primetime special, “The Buffalo Story: History Happens Here,” which won a New York Emmy Award for “Public Service.”

Originally aired on WIVB-TV and WNLO-TV / Buffalo, New York.]]>
Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Vetter, Tom (Producer, Editor)]]>
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Walker, Jacquie (Co-producer)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Co-producer)]]> Love Canal: Neighborhood of Fear [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 2] ]]> Turning Anger Into Action [The Story of Love Canal Pt.3]]]> What Have We Learned? [The Story of Love Canal Pt. 4]]]> An Interview with Michael Brown]]> An Interview with Lois Gibbs [Her battle and victory on behalf of Love Canal homeowners]]]> eng]]>
Television Broadcasting of news--New York (State)--Buffalo--History.]]> Television Journalists--New York (State)--Buffalo--History.]]> Social Justice--United States.]]> Black lives matter movement.]]> Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)--History]]> Radioactive waste disposal--New York (State)--West Valley. ]]> Buffalo Bills (Football team)--History.]]> McVeigh, Timothy.]]> Oklahoma City Federal Building Bombing, Oklahoma City, Okla., 1995.]]> John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005.]]> Waterfronts--New York (State)--Buffalo.]]>
The two major segments in the first half of the program deal with the pursuit of racial and environmental justice in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Buffalo’s legendary role in the civil rights movement and the notorious Love Canal disaster are revisited through key archival news and documentary footage.

The second half features Buffalo’s prominence as a television market for news and its ties to many historic developments and events of national and international significance. Examples include the terminus of the Erie Canal, the Buffalo woman shot along with Pope John Paul II during an assassination attempt, and the four consecutive Super Bowl appearances by the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s.

The one hour program highlights efforts by the Buffalo Broadcasters Association (BBA) to preserve the images on early news film and videotape before they deteriorate and are lost forever. It is written and hosted by WIVB-TV’s retired senior correspondent Rich Newberg. He was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the BBA’s Archive Project sixteen years earlier.

Newberg’s fellow producer and editor Tom Vetter also worked at WIVB-TV as a news photographer. Newberg and Vetter created the station’s documentary unit in 1999. Some segments of their New York Emmy Award winning pieces appear in this documentary.

Veteran WIVB anchor Jacquie Walker co-produced the program along with WIVB graphic arts director Kurt Murphy.

“The Buffalo Story: History Happens Here” is more than just a history lesson or a tribute to the local broadcast journalists who provided an extraordinary chronicle of life-changing events. It is a call to action to preserve the news footage that helped define a region and in some cases, a nation.]]>
Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> ]]> Walker, Jacquie (Co-producer)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Co-producer, Graphic Arts Director)]]> Holland, Dan (Contributing Photographer)]]> Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Interviewee, Documentarian)]]> Ziemer, Heidi (Consulting Archivist)]]> Mombrea, John (Digital Archivist)]]> Terranova, Michael (Digital Archivist)]]> Newberg, David (Logo Designer)]]> Dworsky, Molly (Logo Designer)]]> Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of Rich Newberg, Tom Vetter, WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.]]> eng]]> 1970-2020]]>
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France--Normandy]]> World War, 1939-1945--Regimental histories--United States.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Smith, Doug (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)]]> Woodstock Festival]]> Rock music]]> Woodstock (N.Y.)]]> Originally aired on WIVB-TV.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Root, Kim (Photographer, Editor)]]> Summerville, Dan (Photographer, Editor)]]> eng]]> Brown, Byron]]> Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963]]> Talbert, Mary]]> Niagara Movement]]> National Association for the Advancement of Colored People--History--20th century]]> African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> African Americans--Civil rights--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> Originally aired on WIVB-TV.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Hairston, Mylous (Producer, Writer, Reporter)]]> Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> Root, Kim (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> Schlaerth, Joseph (Executive Producer)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)]]> Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)]]> Williams, Lillian (Historical Consultant)]]> Dee, Joe (Contributing Photographer)]]> Ersing, Matt (Contributing Photographer)]]> Hutchinson, Dave (Contributing Photographer)]]> Ivancic, Paul (Contributing Photographer)]]> Newberg, Rich (Researcher)]]> Hairston, Mylous (Researcher)]]> Parrotte, Mark (Researcher)]]> Schlaerth, Joseph (Researcher)]]> eng]]> Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913]]> Nash, J. Edward (Jesse Edward), 1868-1957]]> Michigan Street Baptist Church]]> Underground Railroad--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> Fugitive slaves--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> African Americans--Civil rights--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> Originally aired on WIVB-TV.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Dawkins, Don (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> Musial, Chris (Producer)]]> Hairston, Mylous (Reporter)]]> Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Contributing Photographer)]]> Van Horn, Mike (Graphic Artist)]]> Mombrea, John (Post-production Editor)]]> Baxter, Tim (Post-production Editor)]]> Battilana, Tony (Director)]]> Foster, Joseph D. (Tape Operator)]]> Benzel, Gary (Audio Engineer)]]> Brown, Dave (Chyron Operator)
]]>
eng]]>
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963]]> Talbert, Mary]]> Niagara Movement]]> African Americans--Civil rights--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--History]]> Originally aired on WIVB-TV.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Hairston, Mylous (Producer, Writer, Reporter)]]> Ersing, Rich (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Contributing Photographer, Editor)]]> Schlaerth, Joseph (Producer)]]> Musial, Chris (Executive Producer)]]> Swenson, Scott (Contributing Photographer)]]> Schrodt, Roy (Post-production Editor)]]> Mombrea, John (Post-production Editor)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)]]> Newberg, Rich (Researcher)]]> Hairston, Mylous (Researcher)]]> Ersing, Rich (Researcher)]]> Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Researcher)]]> Schlaerth, Joseph (Researcher)]]> Musial, Chris (Researcher)]]> eng]]> John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005]]> Popes--Biography]]> Catholic Church--History]]> Polish Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo]]> Originally aired on WIVB-TV.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Mombrea Jr., Mike (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> Musial, Chris (Producer)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)]]> Van Horn, Mike (Graphic Artist)]]> Mombrea, John (Digital Editor)]]> Baxter, Tim (Digital Editor, Post-production Editor)]]> Musial, Chris (Executive Producer)]]> Giovenco, Joe (Director)]]> Clemens, Michael (Technical Director)]]> Benzel, Gary (Audio Engineer)]]> Brown, Dave (Chyron Operator)]]> Foster, Joseph D. (Videotape Operator)]]> Masse, Dave (Master Control Operator)]]> Goldschlag, Dave (Contributing Photographer)]]> Ayers, Don (Louth System Operator)]]> eng]]> Holocaust survivors]]> Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Personal narratives]]> World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps.]]> Originally aired on WIVB-TV.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Summerville, Dan (Photographer, Editor)]]> Vandivort, Dave (Director)]]> Mombrea, Mike Sr. (Contributing Photographer)]]> Ader, Joe (Contributing Photographer)]]> Wigginton, Chris (Production Editor)]]> Root, Kim (Production Editor)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)]]> Christian, Roger (Music Coordinator)]]> Barbour, Al (Technical Staff)]]> Case, Hal (Technical Staff)]]> Johnson, Len (Technical Staff)]]> Novelli, John (Technical Staff)]]> Pels, Gordon (Technical Staff)]]> Rowell, Earl (Technical Staff)]]> Rozek, Dan (Technical Staff)]]> Back, Toby (Historical Consultant)]]> Kuperstein, Asaiah (Historical Consultant)]]> Bucholz, Arden (Historical Consultant)]]> eng]]> Waterfronts--New York (State)--Buffalo--Planning]]> Urban renewal--New York (State)--Buffalo]]> Buffalo (N.Y.)--Economic conditions]]> City planning--New York (State)--Buffalo]]> Originally aired on WIVB-TV.]]> Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)]]> Ersing, Rich (Producer, Photographer, Editor)]]> Moretti, Luke (Investigative Reporter)]]> Schlaerth, Joseph (Executive Producer)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)]]> Richert, George (Reporter)]]> Flynn, Lisa (Reporter)]]> Walker, Jacquie (Reporter)]]> Root, Kim (Photographer, Editor)]]> Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Photographer, Editor)]]> Ersing, Matt (Photographer, Editor)]]> Hutchinson, Dave (Contributing Photographer)]]> Swenson, Scott (Contributing Photographer)]]> Dee, Joe (Contributing photographer)]]> Gabalski, Ron (Contributing Photographer)]]> Carroll, John (Contributing Photographer)]]> Ivancic, Paul (Contributing Photographer)]]> Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)]]> Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)]]> Tielman, Tim (Historical Consultant)]]> Blanchard, Tom Jr. (Historical Consultant)]]> Goldman, Mark (Historical Consultant)]]> Tobe, Rich (Historical Consultant)]]> Newberg, Rich (Researcher)]]> Ersing, Rich (Researcher)]]> Moretti, Luke (Researcher)]]> Schlaerth, Joe (Researcher)]]> eng]]>