70 Years of ABC7: Behind the scenes of TV news in 1988

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The movie "Broadcast News" featured frantic scenes of producers and editors behind the scenes, racing to get last minute news stories on the air. It won seven Oscars, including best picture of year in 1988.

VIDEOS: ABC7 celebrates 70 years of local news in the Bay Area

At the time, the movie got mixed reviews from real television news employees, including Pete Wilson, who was then an anchor at ABC7. According to Wilson, some parts of "Broadcast News" were spot on, some were grossly exaggerated and some parts were just plain wrong.

So the ABC7 News team decided to make their own program to show the audience what newsrooms were really like. Wilson hosted the program, which was called "The Making of Channel 7 News."

The show starts early in the morning as decisions are being made about which news stories will get coverage that day. Then the audience is invited to follow reporter Carolyn Tyler as she puts together a story about breaking the cycle of poverty in Oakland.

Tyler interviews Angela Blackwell, founder of the Urban Strategies Council, and visits a childcare center.

Viewers get an unusual look inside the ABC7 newsroom, in the days before cellphones and digital news gathering.

The program was edited and produced by John Turner.

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