Week of August 1, 1981

U.S. air traffic controllers call a

national strike. President Reagan

tells strikers to go back to work

within 48 hours or be fired. The

President told reporters that

federal law prohibits federal

employees from striking and that

air controllers promised not to

strike when they were hired.

Transportation Secretary Drew

Lewis says the FAA has 9,000

applicants for controller’s jobs. He

says the agency will simply pack its training schools with job seekers if the strike

persists. 150 military air traffic controllers have been called to duty to assist first-

line supervisory personnel.

The major league baseball strike ends after lasting 50 days. After playing the All-

Star game in Cleveland August 9, teams will pick-up their schedules right where

they would have been August 10.

The Army stops accepting woman recruits for the time being. Recruitment will

resume when the new fiscal year begins October 1, but with a smaller quota than

this year’s goal of 18,500 woman. The Army says its new policy is “prompted by

indications from the field commanders that combat readiness is being affected by

such factors as attrition, pregnancy, sole parenthood, strength and stamina.”

150 gather at “The Loft” restaurant in Fort Lee, New Jersey

for the official launching of Music Television or MTV. Most of

the network’s programming (about 80%) will come from

promotional clips now currently shown on weekend late-night

TV. John Lack, originator of the MTV concept said “Most of

the national cable channels are just giving you more of what

you get on commercial TV: movies, sports, news. We’re

combining the best of radio, music and stereo sound - and

the best of TV - the pictures, to give viewers something they

can’t get anywhere else.” Also on hand were Video Jockeys

Warner-Amex and can be seen in 2.1 million homes.

Stereo sound? For an extra fee, your cable company will provide you with an FM

stereo adapter so you can hear MTV music in stereo from your FM radio.

Week of August 1, 1981

First music videos transmitted by the channel are from the Buggles, Pat Benatar

and Rod Stewart.

Passing - Actor Melvin Douglas (80). Won two Oscars for best supporting actor -

“Hud” in 1963 and “Being There” in 1979. Douglas also won an Emmy and a

Tony is his 50-year career.

the Baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, NY.

Gibson won 251 games for St Louis and is the

only pitcher ever to win the seventh game of a

World Series twice...Tennis star Martina

Navratilova says she is bisexual but hesitates to

live with her good friend, fellow star Nancy

Lieberman because the public may incorrectly

assume they are homosexual lovers...Terry

Bradshaw on his acting “I’m just a little better

than Joe Namath and not as good as Don

Meredith.”...Curt Gowdy resigns as CBS

sportscaster to pursue other interests.

On sale - a package of 2 Duracell AA batteries -

99 cents... Duracell 9 volt battery - 99 cents...at 7-11, 12 packs of Bud or Coors -

$4.19 (12 oz cans)... carton of Marlboro cigarettes - $5.79.

The Washington Star prints its final edition as other papers scramble to get a

piece of the paper’s 322,000 subs.

Bestsellers include - “Noble House” -

James Clavell, “Gorky Park” - Martin Cruz

Smith, “The Beverly Hills Diet” - Judy

Mazel, and “The Lord God Made Them

All” - James Herriot.

Polygram pictures says it will not use

Adam West in their “Batman” movie next

year. West starred in the TV series from

‘66-’68. “We’ll most likely go with an

unknown.”

the Hollywood walk of fame.

Week of August 1, 1981

Top TV shows last week - The

Company (18.4), Trapper John M.D.

(18.3), Facts of Life (18.3), M*A*S*H

(18.2), It’s A Living (18.2), Diff’rent

Strokes (18.0)

Friday night TV - Friday night...(CBS)

Incredible Hulk, The Dukes Of Hazzard,

Dallas...(NBC) Harper Valley PTA,

Movie...(ABC) Bensen, The Krypton Factor, Movie.

The Krypton Factor - new game show hosted by Dick Clark (debuts).

Incredible Hulk - Banner is befriended by a dwarf wrestler who tries to makeup

for his small size by telling tall tales, placing Banner on the wrong side of some

desperate characters.

Bring Me Up)” - Commodores, “Endless Love”

“The One That You Love” - Air Supply, “Love

On A Two Way Street” - Stacy Lattisaw, “You

Make My Dreams” - Hall & Oates, “Hearts” -

Mary Balin, “Theme From “The Greatest

American Hero” - Joey Scarbury, “Time” - Alan

Parsons Project.

Kenny Rogers, “Step By Step” -

Eddie Rabbit, “There’s No Gettin’

Over Me” - Ronnie Milsap, “What

Are We Doin’ In Love” - Dottie

West/Kenny Rogers, “Queen Of

Hearts” - Juice Newton.

Week of August 1, 1981

McNichol, Dennis Quaid

the Gay Blade - George

Hamilton, Lauren Hutton

Mark Hamil, Harrison

Ford, Carrie Fisher.