Dateline: Events/Headlines – Week Of October 15, 1981 In News, Pop Culture, Tech, Celebrity, Sports, Entertainment & Fascinating Facts
In The News
The U.S. will dispatch two AWACS surveillance planes to Egypt. They’ll provide early warning of any air attacks against Egypt, particularly in view of threats made by Libya.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee votes 9-8 to kill the proposed sale of AWACS radar surveillance planes to Saudi Arabia. The concern was secret military technology falling into Saudi hands. President Reagan believes the move will hurt his Middle East peace process.
Moshe Dayan, who guided Israel to victory in the wars of 1956 and 1967, dies after a heart attack. He was 66.
Katherine Boudin, a Weather Underground fugitive since 1970 is arrested and charged with murder in connection with a $1.6 million Brink’s truck robbery.
Kevin King, a California lawyer goes on trial in New York on charges of criminal trespass and the harassment of Caroline Kennedy.
Stanislaw Kania resigns as Poland’s Communist Party leader is replaced by the premier, Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski.
President Reagan concedes that the country is in a recession – but a mild one.
War scare talk - The White House fires Maj. Gen. Robert Schweitzer – the top military officer on the National Security Council staff. The reason? In a speech, he said that the “Soviets are on the move, they are going to strike.”
While oil is around $32 a barrel – An OPEC meeting is expected to bring the price around $34.
Technology news – October 15, 1981
Home taping ruled illegal - The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rules that copying television programs off the air, even for private use in the home is an illegal infringement of copyright laws. Moreover, it ruled that manufacturers and retailers of the recorders may be held liable for having supplied the equipment. The three-judge panel, sitting in San Francisco, stopped short of barring sales of Sony’s Betamax video recorders. Sony Corp. of America expects the final decision to be made by the Supreme Court.
Sports news – October 15, 1981
Greg Nettles, the hero of the New York Yankees’ three-game sweep over the Oakland A’s, knocks-down teammate Reggie Jackson at a restaurant victory celebration in Oakland. Apparently after some words, Jackson, seeing a beer bottle in Nettles’ hand, slapped it away and Nettles then punched Jackson, striking him in the mouth and sending him reeling against a wall and to the floor.
For the World Series – it will be the Yankees against the Dodgers!
Television news – October 15, 1981
Talkshow host Gary Collins will replace Ron Ely as emcee of the Miss America Pageant. Ely was brought in two years ago to enhance the program’s appeal among the young after Bert Parks was fired.
Johnny Carson goes back to his hometown of Norfolk, NE to shoot a special called “Johnny Comes Home.” The special will air in February.
Sandy Hill, who has been seen on several ABC-TV shows since she left “Good Morning America” last year, joins “CBS Sports Saturday-Sunday” as a regular. She’ll join reporters John Tesh and Pat O’Brien in news coverage and feature reporting. Ms. Hill has done stories for “20/20,” “American Sportsman” and “Wide World of Sports.”
MCA Corp. announces that it has purchased a one-third interest in USA Network – a satellite-fed system that reaches over 9 million homes. MCA, Paramount and two other companies were partners in a proposed pay TV network called “Premiere” which was blocked by a federal judge earlier this year on antitrust grounds.
Viacom Cablevision of Long Island, serving more than 80,000 subscribers is bringing in Cable News Network. Turner president Ted Turner stated that the signing of Cablevision “will allow the Madison Avenue advertising community to see the Atlanta-based news network first-hand” and the move extends CNN’s reach into the greater NY area.
Tuesday night television listings/programs/TV guide – October 15, 1981
CBS – Movie-“Jacqueline Susann’s Valley of the Dolls” (1981)
NBC – Movie, Revenge of the Gray Gang, Tonight Show
ABC – World Series
PBS – Cosmos, Odyssey
NBC Movie – “The Day The Women Got Even” (1981) Stars Barbara Rhoades, Georgia Engel, JoAnn Pflug, Tina Louise. Suburban housewives discover their love of the theater provides unexpected dividends when they attempt to expose an unscrupulous talent agent.
Top TV shows/Nielsen ratings – October 15, 1981
Dallas – 28.4
Movie-Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy – 27.4
60 Minutes – 25.3
The Jeffersons – 24.8
Dukes of Hazzard – 24.5
Alice – 23.6
MASH – 23.1
One Day at a Time – 22.8
Three’s Company – 22.3
Callie and Son – 21.8
Trapper John, MD – 21.6
Family reunion part II – 21.2
Country Music Awards – 20.8
Too Close for Comfort – 20.7
Monday Night Foot (Miami vs. Buffalo) – 20.6
American League Championship (Oakland vs. NY) – 20.4
Mr. Merlin – 20.2
Happy Days – 20.2
Movie-Margin for Murder – 20.1
Archie Bunker’s Place – 20.1
Radio news – October 15, 1981
Walt Sabo is out of his job as executive v/p for NBC radio.
Top-40 gone forever… WRKO-AM – Which dominated the Boston radio ratings in the late 1960’s into the ‘70’s changes format to talk. So many of the once dominate AM music stations are being threatened these days.
New York Radio -
WABC radio adds talkshow “On Track: Talk Lines About Life,” hosted by Dr. Judith Kuriansky. The show will begin airing after the World Series/Yankees coverage every weeknight at 9pm. Music has all but disappeared evenings on the music station. WABC has a 3.7 in the latest Arbitron ratings. It’s a nice bump due to the winning New York Yankees.
Other New York radio ratings –
WKTU – 7.5
WBLS – 6.1
WPLJ – 4.1
WYNY – 4.1
WNEW – 4.0
WNBC – 3.9
WCBS-FM – 3.7
WRKS- 3.3
WNEW-FM – 2.5
Music news – October 15, 1981
Norman and Marilyn White of Libertyville, ILL are suing the band AC/DC. According to the Whites, AC/DC’s song “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” has the band singing what sounds like a seven-digit number – their phone number. They’ve received hundreds of “lewd, suggestive and threatening phone calls and seek $250,000 in damages and a revised song. The band contends it wrote the song five years ago, plus, there’s no area code, so anyone around the country with the same number is subject to the same type of calls.
MTV features specials with Greg Kihn and a documentary called “The Visitor” with Mick Fleetwood.
Epic will re-release the Phil Spector Christmas album, which has been out of print for years.
The Pretenders are postponing their U.S. tour for at least six weeks. Drummer Martin Chambers injured his hand while opening a hotel window in Philadelphia.
Top pop hit music singles(top-40) – October 15, 1981
Endless Love – Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
Arthur’s Theme – Christopher Cross
For Your Eyes Only – Sheena Easton
Start Me Up – Rolling Stones
Private Eyes – Daryl Hall and John Oates
Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around – Stevie Nicks/Tom Petty
The Night Owls – Little River Band
I’ve Done Everything For You – Rick Springfield
Step By Step – Eddie Rabbit
Hard To Say – Dan Fogelberg
When She Was My Girl – Four Tops
Who’s Crying Now – Journey
Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You – Bob Segar & The Silver Bullet Band
Super Freak – Rick James
Theme From Hill St. Blues – Mike Post featuring Larry Carlton
Here I Am – Air Supply
Share Your Love – Kenny Rogers
Top Country Hit Music Singles – October 15, 1981
Never Been So Love – Charley Pride
Takin It Easy – Lacy J. Dalton
Fancy Free – Oak Ridge Boys
I’ll Need Someone To Hold Me When I Cry – Janie Fricke
Sleepin With The Radio On – Charly McClain
My Baby Thinks He’s A Train – Roseanne Cash
Teach Me To Cheat – The Kendalls
All My Rowdy Friends – Hank Williams Jr.
Share Your Love With Me – Kenny Rogers
Top movies – October 15, 1981
Rich and Famous
True Confessions
Mommie Dearest
Arthur
Only When I Laugh
Body Heat
Prince of the City
Raiders of the Lost Ark
French Lieutenants Woman
Paternity
Carbon Copy
Tattoo
So Fine
Continental Divide
Dead and Buried
Gallipoli
Chariots of Fire
First Monday In October