Dateline: Events/Headlines - Week of February 15, 1989 In News, Pop Culture, Tech, Celebrity, Entertainment & Fascinating Facts
In The News
In the first federal attempt to curb the spread of assault weapons, the Bush Administration imposes an immediate ban on the importation of more than 110,000 AK-47’s, Uzi carbines and other semiautomatic rifles until the government decides whether they are suitable for “sporting purposes.”
As widespread fighting between the army and Marxist guerrillas plus continuing intimidation by the rebels – Alfredo Cristiani – the candidate for an ultra-right wing, anti-American party – sweeps to a stunning and easy presidential victory in San Salvador.
Thousands of people march through central Moscow in support of Boris N. Yelstin, the city’s former Communist Party leader, and of his anti-establishment campaign for a seat in the new soviet parliament.
The Bush Administration lifts its five-day ban on Chilean grapes and berries, announcing that it would release the huge, impounded stockpiles at U.S. ports after enhanced inspections but that most Chilean produce now held by markets and distributors must be destroyed. The fruit ban originally was ordered after two earlier telephone threats and the discovery of cyanide-tainted grapes in a Chilean cargo unloaded in Philadelphia.
Discovery shuttle astronauts turn a 70-millimeter IMAX camera toward the earth and begin filming. It’s part of an effort to document environmental degradation around the planet.
The federal government’s highway safety watchdog says the Ford Bronco II appears to be involved in more fatal roll-over accidents than other vehicles in its class and that will seek to determine if the vehicle itself contributes to the accidents.
Black Panther co-founder Huey Newton pleads no contest in Oakland to a charge of misappropriating public funds and is ordered to service six months in jail.
Donald J. Trump says he is no longer prepared to pay Eastern Airlines $365 million for its lucrative Northeast shuttle. He’s concerned about a strike by itsmachinists and pilots and its subsequent filing for protection from creditors under the bankruptcy laws.
Passing – John P. Scripps, scion of the veteran newspaper family, who as a youth, added to the Scripps Howard empire by investing in a small newspaper that grew to a chain. He was 76.
Sports news – February 15, 1989
A statement issued by commissioner Peter Ueberroth confirms speculation regarding an ongoing investigation of Pete Rose’s alleged gambling activities. The Cincinnati Red Sox manager could be suspended.
Some best-selling books – February 15, 1989
The Satanic Verses – Salman Rushdie
Star – Danielle Steele
The Edge – Dick Francis
Billy Bathgate – E.L Doctorow
The Blooding – Joseph Wambaugh
Wealth Without Risk – Charles J. Givens
All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten – Robert Fulghum
Blind Faith – Joe McGinniss
Television news – February 15, 1989
WTSP-TV (Tampa) fires news director Terry Cole and is assistant in the wake of last month’s news that the station’s computer had been used to raid the news files of competitor WTVT-TV. Assistant Michael Shapiro was arrested in February and charged with 14 felony counts of computer-related crimes for tapping files about special projects and news stories belonging to WTVT-TV.
Ted Turner says that his CNN is on the verge of becoming the first television service available to every country in the world 24 hours a day. “There won’t be a single spot on this globe that you can’t pick up CNN via satellite” said Turner.
NBC correspondent Connie Chung returns to CBS, where she’ll preside over a revitalized version of CBS’ low-rated “West 57th.”
Linda Ellerbee begins on CNN as a three-times-a-week commentator. She has been an ad hock commentator for the network since leaving ABC News after the axing of “Our World” in 1987.
Joe Don Baker pinch-hits on the NBC-TV series “In The Heat Of The Night” as Carroll O’Connor (64) is recuperating from heart bypass/gall bladder surgery. Baker will play a new character on the show beginning May 2.
The taping of a Morton Downey Jr. show is canceled when a fight broke out between Downey and artist Mark Kostabi, who spray-painted a camera lens and dumped an ashtray over Downey’s head. Both suffered minor injuries and a cameraman was treated because paint got into his eye.
Pay-TV channel - The Disney Channel says it added 528,000 subscribers in 1988, bringing its total as of Dec. 31 to 4,337,300. Disney’s premium service ranks fourth in total customers behind HBO, Showtime and Cinemax.
Susan St. James says if “Kate & Allie gets picked-up by CBS for another year, she will not be back: “My reasons for not coming back and re-signing would strictly be that I have two small kids, as well as two older ones and they would kind of like to see me around.”
“Family Ties” will have a one-hour finale in May after seven seasons. The script calls for Alex Keaton (Michael J. Fox) to land a job at a New York stock brokerage. Look for emotional scenes between Alex and his parents and siblings.
Burying the hatchet – things are getting back to normal on “The Today Show” after Bryant Gumbel’s infamous memo criticizing his co-workers. Willard Scott kissed Gumbel on the cheek this week.
ABC will debut “The Robert Guillaume Show” in April. He’s cast as a divorced marriage counselor who’s attracted to his white secretary. The show replaces John Ritter’s “Hooperman.”
Top TV Shows/Ratings – February 15, 1989
Roseanne – 27.2
Cosby Show – 25.3
Movie-Those She Left Behind – 25.1
60 Minutes – 23.0
Who’s the Boss? – 22.8
A Different World – 22.7
Anything But Love – 22.6
The Wonder Years – 22.4
Cheers – 21.7
Murder, She Wrote – 21.2
Alf – 20.7
People’s Choice Awards – 19.6
The Golden Girls – 19.2
Hogan Family – 18.9
Dear John – 18.7
Matlock – 18.1
Night Court – 18.0
Growing Pains – 17.9
Knots Landing – 17.6
Head of the Class – 17.2
In The Heat of the Night – 17.1
Unsolved Mysteries – 17.0
Friday Night Television listings/TV guide – week of February 15, 1989
CBS – Beauty and the Beat, Dallas, Falcon Crest
NBC – Movie, Miami Vice, Tonight Show
ABC – Perfect Strangers, Full House, Mr. Belvedere, Just The Ten of Us, 20/20, Nightline
PBS – Wall Street Week, Washington Week In Review, Peter, Paul & Mary 25th Anniversary concert
TBS – Night Tracks: Power Play Dancin’
Mr. Belvedere – A former girlfriend and her husband intrude on Kevin and his girlfriend.
Just the Ten of Us – Marie’s sisters think the guy she likes isn’t good enough for her.
Miami Vice – Tubbs and Crockett pose as art fences to search for the main section of a 15th-century painting.
On the Tonight Show – Oprah Winfrey guests
Saturday Night Television listings/TV guide – February 15, 1989
CBS – Figure Skating, West 57th street
NBC – 227, Amen, Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Hunter
ABC – Mission: Impossible, A Man Called Hawk, Murphy’s Law
Fox – The Reporters, Cops, Beyond Tomorrow
Nick-At-Nite – Inspector Gadget, Count Duckula, Mr. Ed, Patty Duke, My Three Sons, Donna Reed, Saturday Night, SCTV
Showtime – Jimmy Walker & Friends
HBO – Comic Relief III with Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams
Figure skating – 1989 world champs from Paris.
Mission: Impossible – An IMF ally becomes a foe and a KGB agent helps the team track a weapons plant.
Amen – Thelma abandons her plans to marry the Rev. Gregory and opts for a career.
Empty Nest – Harry helps Charlie woo a woman who turns out to be Harry’s girlfriend.
Radio news – February 15, 1989
Big radio news this week as Scott Shannon’s “Pirate Radio” debuts over KQLZ-FM (100.3) Los Angeles. Everyone it seems has been waiting for his debut. Thought to be a top-40 station, “Pirate Radio” will lean towards rock – modern rock and the like. The station was recently purchased by Westwood One for $54 million. Scott and his staff are operating out of makeshift studios at Westwood One in Culver City.
KIIS-FM’s Rick Dees has a new national radio show called, “On the Line.” Takes requests and plays the cuts your listeners most want to hear Today’s hits as well as tomorrow’s.
Comedian Brand Sanders’ “The “Cla ence” update – one of radio syndication’s standout successes last year – will shift his musings from “All My Children” to “The Young and the Restless.” ABC had sued Sanders and syndicator Premiere Radio Networks for unauthorized use of “All My Children.” The soap updates feature “Clarence” in daily comedy “updates” from the TV serial. You can hear it on 200 stations.
KSJO (San Jose) shock jock Perry Stone is fired from his morning radio show after abusing Brownies. Last week, after two 9-year-old Brownies appeared on the show to plug Girl Scout Cookies, Stone advised them to “Take $10 out of the money they made selling Girl Scout Cookies and keep it for themselves.” Stone has been the source of many complaints for his allegedly sexist, racist jokes.
Steve Dahl, heard on WLUP Chicago airs his vasectomy live over the air. Throughout the procedure, Dahl carried on business as usual with partner Gary Meier and other staffers.
Music news – February 15, 1989
Jonathon (Chico) Debarge is sentenced to five years and eight months in federal prison for conspiring to take 2.2 pounds of cocaine into Michigan from California.
Top pop music hit singles(top-40) – February 15, 1989
The Living Years – Mike & The Mechanics
Lost In Your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
Roni – Bobby Brown
Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
Girl You Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli
The Look – Roxette
My Heat Can’t Tell You Now – Rod Stewart
Don’t Tell Me Lies – Breathe
Eternal Flame – Bangles
Walk The Dinosaur – Was (Not Was)
You’re Not Alone – Chicago
She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals
I Beg Your Pardon – Kon Kan
Just Because – Anita Baker
Dreamin’ – Vanessa Williams
You Got It – Roy Orbison
The Lover In Me – Sheena Easton
Straight Up – Paula Abdul
Top music albums – February 15, 1989
Electric Youth – Debbie Gibson
Don’t Be Cruel = Bobby Brown
Appetite For Destruction – Guns N’ Roses
Mystery Girl – Roy Orbison
Forever Your Girl – Paula Abdul
Traveling Wilburys – Traveling Wilburys
Loc-ed After Dark – Ton Loc
G N’ R Lies – Guns N’ Roses
Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
Hysteria – Def Leppard
Vivid – Living Colour
New Jersey – Bon Jovi
Hangin’ Tough – New Kids On The Block
Silhouette – Kenny G
Beaches – Soundtrack
Living Years – Mike & The Mechanics
Karyn White – Karyn White
Green – R.E.M.
Open Up And Say… AHH! – Poison
Hold An Old Friend’s Hand – Tiffany
Hold Me In Your Arms – Rick Astley
Winger – Winger
Out of Order – Rod Stewart
The Great Radio Controversy – Tesla
Watermark - Enya
Top Country Hit Music Singles – February 15, 1989
From A Jack To A King – Ricky Van Shelton
Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye – George Strait
New Fool At An Old Game – Reba McEntire
I’m A One Woman man – George Jones
I’m No Stranger To The Rain – Keith Whitley
Don’t You Ever Get Tire (Of Hurting Me) – Ronnie Milsap
Come As You Were – T. Graham Brown
Down that Road Tonight – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Who You Gonna Blame it On This Time – Vern Gosdin
Big Love – Bellamy Brothers
Heartbreak Hill – Emmylou Harris
Popular Black Music Tracks – February 15, 1989
Closer than Friends – Surface
Just Coolin’ - Levert Featuring Heavy D
Lucky charm – The Boys
Joy and Pain – Donna Allen
You And I Got A Thang – Freddie Jackson
All I Want Is Forever – James J.T. Taylor & Regina Belle
Girl you Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli
Girl, I Got My Eyes On You – Today
Straight Up – Paula Abdul
I’ll be there For you – Ashford & Simpson
Struck by You – The Bar-Kays
Just Because – Anita Baker
Modern Rock Music Tracks – February 15, 1989
The Mayor of Simpleton – XTC
Veronica – Elvis Costello
I’ll Be You – The Replacements
Dirty Blvd – Lou Reed
Nightmares – Violent Femmes
She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals
Come Out Fighting - Easterhouse
Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies
Dear God – Midge Ure
Dizzy – Throwing Muses
Driven Out – The Fixx
The Last of the Famous International Playboys – Morrissey
Angel Visit – thrashing Doves
Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) - Enya
Top Contemporary Jazz – February 15, 1989
Dave Grusin Collection
Silhouette – Kenny G
Heart’s Horizon – Al Jarreau
Simple Pleasures – Bobby McFerrin
Close-Up – David Sanborn
Pensyl Sketches – Kim Pensyl
Flashpoint – Tom Scott
Festival – Lee Ritenour
Top movies – February 15, 1989
Fletch Lives
The Rescuers
Rain Man
Lean On Me
Dean-Bang
Leviathan
Troop Beverly Hills
Three Fugitives
Chances Are
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Skin Deep
Dangerous Liaisons
Police Academy 6
New York Stories
Cousins
Working Girl