Christine Chubbuck was a rising television star in Sarasota, Fla. — but she ended her career by making headlines as an on-air suicide in July of 1974! The beautiful brunette had moved to Sarasota after starting out as a news reporter in her native Ohio. She was soon given her own community affairs talk show on ABC affiliate WXLT, with “Suncoast Digest” airing each weekday at 9 in the morning. But nobody at her television station suspected that she’d become the most tragic newswoman in the history of local television!
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Christine had found local fame on the show that featured "local people and local activities" — and she sometimes even brought along her own handmade puppets while hosting the popular program.
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Photo credit: BorderLine Films
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Things appeared normal on the morning of July 15, 1974. Christine (as portrayed here by Rebecca Hall in the 2016 biopic "Christine") had recently prepared a news report on suicide that included a local police officer advising her on the best way for a person to end their life with a gun.
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Photo credit: YouTube
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On that morning’s episode of “Suncoast Digest,” though, Christine surprised the crew by beginning the show from the news anchor’s desk. She covered three national news stories — and then a technical problem interfered with the fourth.
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Photo credit: YouTube
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On that morning’s episode of “Suncoast Digest,” though, Christine surprised the crew by beginning the show from the news anchor’s desk. She covered three national news stories — and then a technical problem interfered with the fourth.
The camera returned to Christine, who said: “In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first — attempted suicide.” That was when she drew a revolver and shot herself in the head!
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Photo credit: YouTube
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The program went to black, with the station then airing a movie while Christine was rushed to the hospital. Shocked coworkers discovered that she'd left behind a news script to cover her suicide by whichever reporter replaced her on the air. She was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital — where she had done volunteer puppet shows for children — and died 14 hours later.
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Photo credit: YouTube
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The program went to black, with the station then airing a movie while Christine was rushed to the hospital. Shocked coworkers discovered that she'd left behind a news script to cover her suicide by whichever reporter replaced her on the air. She was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital — where she had done volunteer puppet shows for children — and died 14 hours later.
She had confided to her family about her own depression and thoughts of suicide — but Christine's mother later said that she had kept that a secret so that Christine's job wouldn't be in jeopardy.
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Photo credit: YouTube
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The program went to black, with the station then airing a movie while Christine was rushed to the hospital. Shocked coworkers discovered that she'd left behind a news script to cover her suicide by whichever reporter replaced her on the air. She was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital — where she had done volunteer puppet shows for children — and died 14 hours later.
She had confided to her family about her own depression and thoughts of suicide — but Christine's mother later said that she had kept that a secret so that Christine's job wouldn't be in jeopardy.
Her mother added that she thought Christine had killed herself over unrequited love, adding: "Her personal life was not enough." At the request of her family, the existing video of Christine's death was destroyed — but she would live on as a Florida news legend.
Christine had found local fame on the show that featured "local people and local activities" — and she sometimes even brought along her own handmade puppets while hosting the popular program.
_
Things appeared normal on the morning of July 15, 1974. Christine (as portrayed here by Rebecca Hall in the 2016 biopic "Christine") had recently prepared a news report on suicide that included a local police officer advising her on the best way for a person to end their life with a gun.
Photo credit: BorderLine Films
_
On that morning’s episode of “Suncoast Digest,” though, Christine surprised the crew by beginning the show from the news anchor’s desk. She covered three national news stories — and then a technical problem interfered with the fourth.
The camera returned to Christine, who said: “In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first — attempted suicide.” That was when she drew a revolver and shot herself in the head!
_
The program went to black, with the station then airing a movie while Christine was rushed to the hospital. Shocked coworkers discovered that she'd left behind a news script to cover her suicide by whichever reporter replaced her on the air. She was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital — where she had done volunteer puppet shows for children — and died 14 hours later.
She had confided to her family about her own depression and thoughts of suicide — but Christine's mother later said that she had kept that a secret so that Christine's job wouldn't be in jeopardy.
Her mother added that she thought Christine had killed herself over unrequited love, adding: "Her personal life was not enough." At the request of her family, the existing video of Christine's death was destroyed — but she would live on as a Florida news legend.
