Quack, Quack, it's October 1976!

A number one hit on the Cash Box Top 100 list in October 1976 was 'Disco Duck' by Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots. Despite speculation to the contrary, Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck, did not perform on this song...the duck was voiced by a guy Rick met at the gym!

October 4 - Barbara Walters joins Harry Reasoner as co-anchor of the ABC Evening News.

October 3 - Quincy, M.E. tv series premieres on NBC, starring Jack Klugman. Quincy's first name is never mentioned on the show, though a business card in one episode revealed his first initial is 'R'.

October 6 – During his second televised debate with Jimmy Carter, U.S. President Gerald Ford mistakenly says that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe".

October 8 - Marathon Man movies premieres.

October 11 - Jane Pauley makes her debut on NBC's Today.

October 13 – The United States Commission on Civil Rights releases the report, Puerto Ricans in the Continental United States: An Uncertain Future, which highlights Puerto Ricans high poverty rate.

October 16 - Most Wanted tv series premieres on ABC.

October 18 – Ford launches significant production of Fiesta at its Valencia plant in Spain.

October 18 - Burnt Offerings movie premieres.

October 20 – The Mississippi River ferry MV George Prince is struck by a ship while crossing from Destrehan, Louisiana to Luling, Louisiana, killing 78 passengers and crew.

October 21 – The Cincinnati Reds sweep the New York Yankees in four games to win the 1976 World Series.

October 21 - Willis Reed becomes the first New York Knicks basketball player to have his uniform number (19) retired.

October 22 - Car Wash movie premieres.

Albums released in October (album / artist):
Chestnut Street Incident / Johnny Cougar
Crystal Ball / Styx
Virgin Killer / Scorpions
Arrival / ABBA
Four Seasons of Love / Donna Summer
Hoppkorv / Hot Tuna
Triumph / Triumph
Johnny the Fox / Thin Lizzy
Zoot Allures / Frank Zappa
Blue Moves / Elton John
Night Moves / Bob Seger
The Song Remains the Same / Led Zeppelin Live 1973
On the Road to Kingdom Come / Harry Chapin
Calling Card / Rory Gallagher
Land of the Midnight Sun / Al Di Meola
Hardcore Jollies / Funkadelic
Brass Construction II / Brass Construction

Nielsen top 20 shows for the week of October 25-31:

Happy Days, Charlie's Angels, Bionic Woman and Laverne and Shirley (ABC); Bob Hope
Special ( NBC ); Baretta and Six Million Dollar Man (ABC); All in the Family (CBS); Amelia Earhart (NBC); M-A-S-H and The Waltons (CBS); Live and Let Die (ABC); Disney (NBC);
Alice and Hawaii Five-O (CBS); Welcome Back, Kotter (ABC); One Day at a Time and
Maude (CBS); NBC Saturday Movie; and NFL Monday Night Football.