Week of August 15, 1984

President Reagan, joking in testing a microphone before a taping a radio address

on Saturday says - “My fellow Americans, I’m pleased to tell you today that I’ve

signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five

minutes.” Later, Russia called the remark “unprecedentedly hostile” and said it

showed the insincerity of U.S. calls for improved relations with Moscow.

John Z. DeLorean is acquitted on all eight counts

in a $24-million cocaine conspiracy indictment. At

issue was what was perceived as a case of

entrapment by the jury, in relation to the

government’s sting operation against DeLorean.

In Dallas - Republicans open their 33red national

convention with a ringing denunciation of

Democratic “doom and desperation” and a promise

of “competent and confident leadership” under

President Reagan.

Nina Patrovna Khrushcheva (spelled in the Russian fashion) - the widow of

ousted Soviet leader Nikita s. Khrushchev who died earlier this month is buried

next to the grave where he husband was laid to rest 13 years ago.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine A

Ferraro announces that her husband has agreed to

release his income tax returns and that she and her

husband will pay $65,000 in back taxes and interest.

Apparently, some real estate profit was understated.

A month after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the

Jaycees chapters in one state to admit women, the

national organization votes to discard its 65-year-old

male-only policy and accept female members.

Olympic Parade in New York - America’s Olympic

medal winners are greeted in a ticker tape parade in

Manhattan. The parade was halted for 30 minutes after the rail of a 10-foot

scaffold collapsed, injuring 87 spectators

Treasury Secretary Donald T. Regan challenges Walter F. Mondale to make

public his own budget and economic projections rather than attack the Reagan

Administration’s newly released forecast as “garbage.”

Week of August 15, 1984

President Reagan presents his 31-year-old

daughter, Patti Davis in marriage to her yoga

instructor, Paul Grilley . The ceremony was

very private.

The other guy’s fault - Sen. Edward Kennedy

and his 17-year-old son Patrick are injured

slightly in a two-vehicle collision near the

Kennedy compound in Hyannis. Jack Bell, a

local plumber and the driver of the second

vehicle, a pickup truck, was treated for a leg

injury. He was later cited for failure to stay in

his own lane.

Technology - IBM unveils a more powerful and lower-priced version of its

popular Personal Computer - the PC-AT. It will force clones or “PC compatibles”

to respond with more than price cuts - they’ll have to match the product.

Music news -

Julian Lennon , eldest son of the late John Lennon,

signs a contract with Atlantic Records. His debut album

is set for release this fall.

Interesting - Is it as big a secret as MTV thinks? - MTV

recently signed exclusivity contracts reportedly with

CBS, RCA, MCA and Geffen records. The channel’s

veejays though, are promoting these so-called

exclusives as “Sneak Preview Videos.” They run one

per hour for a maximum of six times a day on MTV.

What’s interesting is - MTV will not divulge just who

the exclusivity agreements are with, but it doesn’t take a lot of sleuthing after you

see “Sneak Preview Videos” to know who’s getting what.

Two more competitors to MTV - Wait a minute. Ted Turner has

just sent a letter to more than 8,000 cable operators, informing them

of his intention of adding a 24-hour rock video music channel much

like MTV. The letter, dated August 7, asks operators to respond

within two weeks regarding the total number of subscriptions their

systems would guarantee the new service, which has a possible

launch date of December 5. Turner says the video channel will be

offered free for five years to all cable operators who commit before

Week of August 15, 1984

the cutoff date of Aug. 24. This news comes after another video channel - the

Los Angeles based Discovery Music Network, plans to make its debut before the

New Year.

Discovery is the brainchild of Glen and Karen Tyler, founders of cable’s Financial

News Network and it looks like it has plenty of financial backing. Plans call for

Discovery to program a playlist of 50 to 60 current music clips in pop, rock,

country and black and a mix of oldies.

More interesting MTV - The timing of Ted Turner’s new 24-hour video music

channel was bad timing for MTV. It came just before the first public offering of

MTV stock. The 5-million-plus shares drew an initial bid of $15 each, down from

$16-$18 it might have received if Turner wasn’t in the picture. MTV is expected to

turn a profit this year.

There may be a problem for both these new channels, a sort of “rule of one.”

After the death of a number of competing networks offering similar programming,

the cable industry has concluded that only one network can exist in any given

format. At least for now. “The rule of one I terms of specialized programming

holds for the new network, even though its musical format will be different from

MTV’s,” suggests Bob Alter, head of the Cable Advertising Bureau. Alter says

that cable operators have virtually no understanding of the meaning of different

music formats

Sports -

The Soviet Union, which led a communist boycott of the Olympic Games, opens

its alternative games this week

Nancy Lopez rallies to win the World Championship in

Women’s Golf and $65,000 after being six shots behind

JoAnne Carner.

Pete Rose, baseball’s “Charlie Hustle” is returning to

the Cincinnati Reds as player-manger.

A woman run over by a truck leased to Dustin

Hoffman’s production company during the filming of the

movie “Tootsie” will receive a $1.75-million settlement.

Linda Shafarman (28), a Manhattan social worker was

walking home fro work April 26, 1982 when she was run

over by the truck in Manhattan. The truck was transporting movie equipment

during the Manhattan filming of “Tootsie.” The victim’s legs were broken and her

Week of August 15, 1984

skin and muscles were torn. She is permanently disfigured and has trouble

walking.

Entertainment news -

Rocker Gene Simmons (Kiss) is in Vancouver

making his acting debut as the villain in the next

Tom Selleck movie, “Runaway.”

Television news -

Tom Snyder is leaving his news anchor job at

WABC-TV New York to pursue other interests. His

5pm newscast was the lowest rated of his two

competitors.

Cristina Ferrare DeLorean, whose husband has just

been acquitted of cocaine-trafficking charges, will

join KABC-TV Los Angeles as co-host of “AM Los

Angeles” where she’ll join Steve Edwards. Her husband, Jon DeLorean was

arrested in October, 1982 on charges of conspiring to smuggle 220 pounds of

cocaine into the U.S., but was acquitted of those charges last Thursday.

Thursday night television -

CBS - Magnum, PI, Simon and Simon, Knot’s Landing

NBC - Gimme a Break, Family Ties, Cheers, Night Court Hill Street Blues,

Tonight show, David Letterman

ABC - 20/20, Preseason NFL game

PBS - Walter Cronkite’s Universe, Mystery!, Latenight America

Tonight Show - Joining Johnny Carson - Michael Landon ,

Rosalind Chao and A. Whitney Brown.

Radio news -

Pyramid Broadcasting, owner of WXKS-AM/FM is acquiring eight

stations in for markets from Associated Communications.

Sillerman-Morrow is purchasing the Knoxville-based SunGroup of

five radio stations for $13 million.

Top Albums This Week -

Purple Rain - Prince

Heartbeat City - The Cars

Sports - Huey Lewis & The News

Out of the Cellar - Ratt

Week of August 15, 1984

Ghostbusters - Soundtrack

Private Dancer - Tina Turner

1984- Van Halen

Break Out - Pointer Sisters

Can’t Slow Down - Lionel

Richie

Condition Critical - Quiet Riot

Born in the U.S. A. - Bruce

Springsteen

She’s So Unusual - Cyndi

Lauper

Stay Hungry - Twisted Sister

Signs of Life - Billy Squier

Breakin’ Soundtrack

Breaking Hearts - Elton John

Camouflage - Rod Stewart

Rebel Yell - Billy Idol

Midnight Madness - Night

Ranger

Hot Hits -

When Doves Cry - Prince

Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr.

Missing You - John Waite

Stuck On You - Lionel Richie

What’s Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner

She Bop - Cyndi Lauper

State of Shock - Jacksons

I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman

The Warrior - Scandal Featuring Patty Smyth

If Ever You’re In My Arms Again - Peabo Bryson

Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart

Round and Round - Ratt

Let’s Go Crazy - Prince and the Revolution

Sexy Girl - Glenn Frey

Drive - The Cars

Lights Out - Peter Wolf

Sad Songs (Say So Much) - Elton John

The Glamorous Life - Sheila E.

Rock me Tonight - Billy Squier