Week of April 8, 1980

President Carter breaks diplomatic relations with Iran and vows to make the

country pay “increasingly heavy costs” for holding American hostages.

FBI agents are keeping watch over Iranian diplomats in the United States to

make sure they obey President carter’s order to leave the country by midnight.

Warning from Iranian militants holding the U.S. hostages - They say if the U.S.

takes any military action against Iran, all the U.S. hostages will be killed.

The Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini tells his people that the

break in relations is actually a “good omen’ for Iran. But Iranian

leaders concede that they may have to declare an economic

emergency, including rationing to deal with the new U.S.

sanctions.

President Carter says he is prepared to take legal action if

necessary to prevent American athletes from participating in

the Moscow Olympics this summer.

Two American hostages are introduced as “confessed spies” on Iranian national

television and disclosed what were described as technical secrets concerning

photographic and electronic spying by the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

The U.S Olympic Committee’s House of Delegates vote by a 2-1 margin not to

send an American team to this summer’s Moscow Olympic games, unless

President Carter says by May 20 that the international situation has changed

enough that a U.S. team may go.

President Carter asks the nation’s chemical industry to follow the lead of food

and drug companies in holding down prices even if it means losing some profits

this year.

Two International Red Cross officials are allowed to visit American hostages.

They report that two older men appeared to be under stress.

Millionaire liberal activist Stewart Mott says he is

financing a drive to put rep. John B. Anderson’s name

on the general election ballot as an independent

presidential candidate. Anderson is a life-long republican

whose liberal views on social issues have forces his

Week of April 8, 1980

GOP primary campaign to rely heavily on democrats and independents.

Iranian President Abolhassan Bani Sadr threatens war on Iraq and battles

against Israel and warns America’s oil-thirsty allies they won’t get “so much as

snake’s poison” from Iran if they back President carter’s sanctions designed to

free the American hostages.

India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi escapes assassination

when a spring-actuated stiletto knife hurled by a man

standing six feet away in a crowd outside Parliament House,

narrowly missed her.

About 500 Iranian military students and their dependents are

ordered to leave the country. Many had to say goodbye to

their American girlfriends.

The Navy relaxes its ban on beer aboard ship as an act of mercy for about 5,000

sailors who haven’t touched land for more than 100 days. The onetime

dispensation was granted for the crew of the aircraft carrier Nimitz now patrolling

the Arabian Sea.

Consumer advocate Ralph Nader charges that

White House influence is one reason why the

government has not ordered a massive recall of Ford

Motor Co. vehicles that can slip into reverse after

transmissions are left in park. A ford official termed

Nader’s accusation “not responsible.”

Chrysler Corp agrees to provide consumers with an

estimated $45 million worth of free replacements for rusted front fenders on 1976

and 1977 Dodge Aspens and Plymouth Volares.

President Reagan and Nancy and others force Secretary of the Interior James G.

Watt to rescind his ban on the Beach Boys’ performing at Washington’s Fourth of

July celebration.

President Carter “hedged his political bets” and “abandoned” the Shah of Iran as

that Mideast nation neared revolution, the deposed ruler’s sister (Princess Ashraf

Pahlavi) says in her memoirs.

New York’s bus and subway strike turned violent as vandals sabotage more than

20 private buses while rain helped stall commuters in the worst traffic jams yet.

Week of April 8, 1980

Medical - UCLA scientists say for the first time, new genetic material has been

implanted into living animals.

Sports - Howard (Biddy) Jacobson, once the leading horse trainer in the nation,

is found guilty of murdering the lover of his former girlfriend, covergirl Melanie

Cain. The jury found that Jacobson 949) had murdered John Tupper, a

restaurateur with whom Cain (24) had been living.

Outfielder Lou Piniella returns to the New York

Yankees training camp and apologizes to Manager dick

Howser for walking out of the intrasquad game the day

before.

Did you know? - Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies

is chairman of the private sector of the U.S. savings

bond drive.

Music news - David Geffen is back and is forming his

own label. “When I started reading the music business

disaster stories over the last year, I knew it was time to get back to work. But I’m

in no hurry to sign anybody. There are lots of performers out there looking for a

record executive with talent and vision.” He said Jackson Browne “probably will

sign.” Geffen left Asylum Records in 1976 then spent several years as vice

chairman of the board of Warner Bros. Pictures. Recently, he’s served as a

consultant to Warner Communications and taught music industry classes at

UCLA and Yale.

Merrill Osmond (26) collapses at London’s Drury Lane Theatre.

He’s the third oldest of the Osmond pop group and has heart

trouble.

Even though they’ve been around a few years, “The Pretenders”

finally have a hit with “Brass in Pocket.” The group consists of

Chrissie Hynde, guitarist James Honeyman Scott, Dave Hill and bassist Pete

Farndon.

Entertainment news -

Paul Newman meets with the press to defend “Ft. Apache.” “This picture’s been

attacked as racist and the picture’s not racist,” said the actor.

Week of April 8, 1980

Television news -

“Fridays” debuts on ABC-TV this week. It’s described by some critics as a

weaker “Saturday Night Live.”

Community Television Network Inc. (CTN) - a new company is established by

three black former officials of the Federal Communications Commission is

unveiled They have filed applications to launch a 14-city “community television

network with a potential audience of 9.5 million viewers.

TV trend - information programs such as “Real People,” and “That’s Incredible”

are doing well in the ratings. And expanding is the syndicated “PM Magazine”

which first began 4 years ago at KPIX-TV San Francisco. It’s now on

stations

and uses a dose of national and local inserts as stations

must produce at least one 6 ½ -minute story of their own

per week. “PM” is about to debut on WNEW-TV New York

and KTTV Los Angeles.

Friday night television -

CBS - The Incredible Hulk, Dukes of Hazzard, Dallas

NBC - Here’s Boomer, Facts of Life, Pink Lady, Best of

Saturday Night Live, Tonight, Midnight Special

ABC - When the Whistle Blows, Movie, Fridays

PBS - Wall Street Week, Washington Week

Pink Lady - Bobby Vinton, Sid Caesar, Byron Allen,

Peaches & Herb.

Debut - Fridays - Weekly repertory comedy show with

guest hosts and musical guests. This week - Los Angeles

mayor Tom Bradley guest hosts with musical talent

Kenny Loggins.

Tonight - Angie Dickinson and McLean Stevenson join

Johnny.

Saturday night television -

CBS - Tim Conway, Movie

NBC - BJ and the Bear, Sanford, Me and Maxx, NBC

Sneak Preview: the Oscar Race (see ad), Saturday Night

Live

ABC - Angie Goodtime Girls, Love Boat, fantasy Island