It's only a movie, but TV's 'Y2K' prompts fears of panic
LYNN ELBER, AP Television Writer
Saturday, November 20, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/11/20/state0504EST0207.DTL

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(11-20) 02:04 PST LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Can a television movie that depicts New Year's Eve as a Y2K nightmare short-circuit confidence in efforts to make America ready for the next millennium?

Some industry leaders fear the answer is yes, despite their multibillion-dollar planning, and they're urging NBC and its affiliates to ensure that viewers understand ``Y2K'' is a fantasy thriller and not a likely scenario.

In Sunday's movie starring Ken Olin as a systems failure analyst, a chunk of the East Coast is hit by power outages, medical equipment malfunctions and a nuclear power plant meltdown is threatened when computers fail to make the transition to 2000.

``We're concerned that if you take the film together with some of the other messages of alarm ricocheting around popular culture that people may get a wrong message,'' said Jim Owen, spokesman for the Edison Electric Institute, a Washington-based group which represents companies that deliver about three-quarters of the nation's electricity.

NBC already plans to air a disclaimer reminding viewers that the program is a work of fiction.

``We are confident the TV viewers are fully capable of distinguishing between news programming and entertainment programming,'' said Rebecca Marks a spokeswoman for the network.

But the Edison Institute asked network affiliates to reconsider airing the movie or to add further disclaimers. A letter from M. William Brier, the institute's vice president for communication, also suggested stations consider broadcasting a news report on local Y2K preparedness efforts.

``We understand the need for creative, exciting programming,'' Brier wrote. ``But we also believe the importance of social responsibility at critical moments like the one we're about to enter.''

The Y2K computer bug is a result of programming shortcuts that used two digits to denote the year. Experts have warned that systems could fail as a result of computers being unable to differentiate between 1900 and 2000.

At least one NBC station will go beyond the network advisory airing before ``Y2K'' and reminding viewers that it is fiction.

WHDH in Boston will broadcast additional cautions throughout the movie, said spokeswoman Ro Dooley. Asked about the electric institute's request for Y2K news stories, Ms. Dooley said, ``our news has been responsibly involved with Y2K coverage. We'll probably do something after the film because it makes sense.''

Other officials have expressed concern, or at least interest, about the film. The National Governors' Association asked for an advance look and the American Bankers Association called NBC to determine if it depicted any runs on banks. (No, the network said.)

Everybody relax, advises ``Y2K'' executive producer David Israel.

``I don't think there's any reason for them to worry. The public knows this is entertainment,'' Israel said. Those subject to millennial fears are beyond his reach, he contended.

``The people who are going to panic, who think the apocalypse is going to occur, are well into this already. They've been stocking goods, getting wood burning furnaces, building domestic caves in Montana for an awful long time,'' he said.

Olin, the former ``thirtysomething'' star, said the goal was to ``make a fun movie, and I think we succeeded.'' Asked if he was taking any special Y2K precautions, Olin replied, ``No, but I don't tend to be much of an alarmist.''

The film could do some good, suggested Frank Martinez, executive director for Los Angeles City's Y2K project.

He said people might be inspired to take reasonable precautions, such as stocking up to a week's supply of food, water and flashlight batteries and compiling paper copies of banking and other important computer records.

``I don't believe, especially a month out, that a TV movie would have a panic-setting effect,'' Martinez said.

Joe Pawelczyk, spokesman for the New York Clearing House Association, which settles domestic electronic transactions for 950 banks on the East Coast and Puerto Rico, said he thinks Americans believe the country is Y2K ready.

``From the perspective of the major corporations and banks in the country, we have turned over just about every rock more than once to see if there's a Y2K problem under it,'' he said, adding: ``I'm not too concerned about the movie.''

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 20, 1999

Answers

BTW, I am the 'handsome mystery man who is going to save the world from impending y2k doom in only a few short hours'. But if one more person insults my handle, I am going to throw a tizzy fit and refuse to do it. It will serve you all of you right. CONSIDER YOURSELVES WARNED! :-)

-- Butt Nugget (catsbutt@umailme.com), November 20, 1999.

Diane,

Has the local Albertsons/Lucky begun to distribute the Video that bardou's local market has begun to hand out??

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@ It's ALL going away in January.com), November 20, 1999.

K. Stevens,

Don't go the Albertsons/Lucky but will make a stop today and see. Prefer Whole Foods... and recently... CostCo.

;-D

Diane

(More shopping... oh joy!)

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), November 20, 1999.

Probably the scariest part of this movie is the government panic before it shows. I don't know many people who are concerned except for the news reporters, who breathlessly announce "the movie the State of California does not want YOU to see!"

Sheesh, the real Y2K hype is coming from the government and the banks. Not even the local media made anything of this until the movie came out. Almost everybody else is still snoozing.

-- Margaret J (janssm@aol.com), November 20, 1999.

Out of curiosity, I went looking for Edison Electric Institute's web page to read up on their Year 2000 statements. I found numerous official web sites...none of them worked. All of them are 'under construction, check back later.' Considering the importance of electricity to our basic, critical infrastructure, one would think an organization responsible for delivering 3/4 of the nations electricity would be more efficient. I believe public information is vital, apparently they do not.

-- Casey DeFranco (caseyd@silcom.com), November 20, 1999.

K. Stevens, it's the Bay Area Chapter of the Red Cross that is giving them out at Lucky/Albertson's stores, and is being sponsored by Pack Bell. I'm sending the one I have to Stan, but if I can get another one, would you like to have it?

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), November 20, 1999.

I finally saw the ad on TV for the movie...I'll be out for dinner at that time on Sunday, and still haven't decided if I'm going to record it. Looks to me like the typical made-for-tv impending disaster thing....

I don't expect the movie to either raise awareness or spark panic. I think there are many so jaded about tv, and in the same instance keeping busy in life "dancing as fast as they can"...that they will not be effected in any way...I'm imagining Gen-Xers rolling their eyes,..and Millenial kids (13-20) saying, "Cool!" Not out of anything twisted,...just that it takes a 767 dropping on one's house these days to get anyone's attention, beyond momentary hand-wringing.

Some thoughts....

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), November 20, 1999.

Or, you could just order the scary video put out by the US Dept. of Commerce titled: "Preparing for the Challenge, Y2K". I ordered my copy in July and just got it a few weeks ago.

A year in the making, the video features such stars as Kosky, Yourdon, Yardeni, and assorted govt' bureau-rats and industry movers and shakers who alternate between painting a bump in the road scenario and hinting of serious disruptions.

Kosky says there's much that can be done before the deadline. (It's Nov., 1999, Kosky.)

You can order your free copy at: 1-800-Y2K-7557. It might get to you by late January, or never.

-- j werner (jwerner15@hotmail.com), November 20, 1999.

Let's remind ourselves of the small number of people who will actually see this film. NBC is only one channel out of lots to choose from, and I understand it's playing against the X-files, so it probably won't get more than a 10% market share.

So even if 10% of the people who see the movie decide to get off their behinds and buy a couple of cases of pork and beans, that would mean that an additional 1% of U.S. Citizens might get prepared to support themselves for a week. So the grand total of semi-prepared citizends would rise to 2% (Those of us who started a while back make up the other 1%)

This really is depressing....

-- Berry Picker (BerryPicking@yahoo.com), November 20, 1999.

MYSTERY MAN----

YOU ARE FUNNY!!! THANKS FOR THE TUNE---NEEDED SOME JAGGER VOCALS

-- DB (dciinc@aol.com), November 20, 1999.

>building domestic caves in Montana...

Geez, why didn't I think of that. I guess I am not a bonafide Y2K kook after all... ;-)

-- cgbg jr (cgbgjr@webtv.net), November 20, 1999.

"Probably the scariest part of this movie is the government panic before it shows."

Yes, the way they are acting only creates more doubts about readiness. Some cities are trying to ban the showing of the movie, and many stations will be running so many disclaimers that it will be hard to see the movie! I think that only makes it more obvious that the problem is very real, and hopefully some will realize it should be ignored no longer. Thought it was funny that the White House asked NBC to yank the Clinton commercial yesterday afternoon, and in total defiance of their wishes, they aired it again last night! (YES! I got it on tape)

-- Hawk (flyin@high.again), November 20, 1999.

bardou,

Thanks for your generous offer...but what I really need is information about who put out the "Get on the big white bus" instructions...was it a FEMA brochure, Red Cross, local emergency type organization?

I just checked...only 20 Federal workdays left...Gawd, time is getting short!!

-- K. Stevens (kstevens@ It's ALL going away in January.com), November 20, 1999.

It's in the Red Cross brochure that was included in the packet video. The brochure title is "Y2K What You Should Know" the publication number is: PRP00996 (9/99) I made a trip back to Lucky/Albertson's and they gave out all of the video packets. However, the clerk gave me hers so if your still interested, I'll send it.

P.S. "Get on the big white bus" are my words...it's just a phrase that I use when people talk about shelters, etc. But essentially that's what they are saying if your told to leave your home.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), November 20, 1999.

K,

Speaking of SF ... Weren't you the one who brought up the 'people in motion, people in motion' lyric the other day? Ran through my head for hours afterward!

Here's a discussion board from there, I haven't checked it in many moons - but thought it might be a break from the local troll fatigue:

http://www.sfgate.com/vent/y2k/index.shtml

-- be sure to wear some flowers in your hair (***@__._), November 20, 1999.

Folks, I hate to tell you this, but if the administration really didn't want this movie aired, it wouldn't be aired.

-- OR (orwelliator@biosys.net), November 21, 1999.