The Mad Eternity Between Elation And Horror – Radio Reporting The Assassination Of Robert Kennedy – June 5, 1968 – Past Daily After Hours Reference Room.

It was all so routine; matter-of-fact – fait accompli. A Primary election – votes were counted. Robert Kennedy had enough votes to win the nomination at the convention in Chicago later on that summer. It was his victory and it was his night. Supporters, field workers; all the people who volunteered at phone banks and canvassed communities shared in the victory – it was their victory too.

1968 was not one of the hopeful years – a war with no end – an icon of the Civil Rights movement cut down while lending his support to striking garbage workers in Memphis. An entire nation on strike in France – only it wasn’t ours, even though many of us thought it could be, only if . . .

But it was the last in a string of victories for the Robert Kennedy camp – long way to go before November, but confident another Kennedy in the White House would be a good thing – a hopeful thing.

The cheering was over, the ballroom was starting to empty; streamers and confetti covering the dancefloor – news crews putting away equipment and turning off lights – radio reporters filing last minute details and phoning in observations, ready to call it a night. There was tomorrow and back to the business of the trek to the White House.

Car keys, rewinding tapes and one more for the road.

And at that moment; a pop – a little late for fireworks – but screams – and an out-of-breath campaign worker racing to the podium, pleading for a doctor, anywhere in the house.

Disbelief – waves of rumors -blank stares and pandemonium.

And every news crew sprang back into action – the adrenalin matched only by the flood of perplexed tears – panicked phone reports, choking up – confusing names – forgetting words. If it was confusing and a state of hysteria going on at the Ambassador Hotel Ballroom, the engineers back at the stations, the ones receiving all the on-the-spot reports trying desperately to remain calm and maintain an icy professionalism. History was unfolding this night – not the history anyone planned or even wanted, but history doing what it does best; arriving at the most unwanted and unsuspected time.

To get some idea of how the news unfolded as it was being broadcast over KNX, the CBS Radio outlet in Los Angeles – here is an hour of that evening, from moments just before the gunshots to the confusion over the circumstances, who was involved – was Kennedy shot? Was it bad? Where did it happen? Most people in Los Angeles, and the rest of the country, were asleep – not aware that something this horrific was taking place so close to the moment of victory. It wouldn’t be until the next morning that the news and the reality settled in.

During the first several minutes of this one hour excerpt – facts are misconstrued – names are either unknown or unintelligible – witnesses express irritation over reporters questions – everyone in a state of shock. Sadness, a palpable wave.

And it would stay that way all night, into the next day and up until it became official that Robert Kennedy had, in fact died of his wounds.

As it happened, in real time. Radio news gathering as only radio was capable of doing, that night in 1968.