Week of December 16, 1981

Rioting erupts in Warsaw with clubs and tear gas. Seven are killed and over 400

are injured. Martial law continues.

The Roman Catholic Church

emerges as a powerful voice as

Poland’s martial-law authorities

tighten their grip on the country.

Polish bishops call the

government action “ a blow

applied to the hopes and

expectations of society.” The

church urged “that peace may

be restored and that passion

and anger be reduced.” Poles

continue to grudgingly adjust

their lives to the new crushing limits on their lives. Said an elderly citizen -

“You

can’t go out at night and they can come and search your house at any time. I

could understand it when they were Germans. But these are Poles.”

Poland’s ambassador to the United States, Romuald Spasowski asks for, and

receives political asylum in the United States because “a state of war has been

imposed upon Poland, a state of war against the Polish people ... I ... cannot be

silent.”

As the trash strike hits its 16th day in New

York City - Mayor Ed Koch orders a “blitz”

of municipal trash pick-ups. “It is not strike-

breaking, because it is a health hazard.

That’s the law. The city is charging

businesses 70 cents per 22-gallon garbage

bag for the emergency pick-ups. Black

garbage bags have filled city streets,

overshadowing Christmas decorations.

company will begin a new national newspaper - USA

Today. Test marketed since June, it will be the nation’s

first general interest, national daily paper. The paper will

be published each weekday morning in Springfield, VA

and will be transmitted to offset printing plants via

satellite to 15 major cities. “USA Today is not designed

Week of December 16, 1981

to compete with other newspapers. It is designed to become an extra

newspaper.” Neuharth says the paper is expected to attract 2 million readers and

turn a profit within 5 years.

million in damages to Sheldon Saltman - a

former vice president of the telecommunications

division of 20th Century-Fox. Knievel assaulted

the executive in September of 1977 with a metal

baseball bat - crushing his left arm and breaking

his right wrist. Knievel acted as his own attorney

- but he failed to show-up for the trial.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis testifies that her

summer on Cape Cod was “intolerable and

almost unlivable” because of the constant surveillance of free-lance

photographer Ron Gallela. A complaint was filed alleging the photographer had

violated a 1975 court order, barring him from coming within 25 feet of her and 30

feet from the children.

In the middle of eliminating 13,000 salaried jobs, ailing General Motors

announces sweeping cutbacks in vacation, medical and other benefits for its

190,000 non-union white-collar workers.

“Richter’ scale is found wandering in a dazed state

in a Pasadena, CA canyon after his disabled car

plunged off an embankment - six hours earlier. He

suffered minor bruises and was shaken up.

11 persons accused of drug trafficking have their

federal court case end in a mistrial - because of a

broadcast this week on “60 Minutes.” The presiding

district judge said the jury could have been

influenced by the segment. The segment had to do

with eavesdropping on heroin dealings in Sicily, the slayings of a prosecutor and

a judge by drug dealers and the laundering of money. A senior producer says the

segment was not based on the indictment charging the defendants.

Liz Taylor (49) and her husband of five years - Senator John Warner (54)

separate. At this time, neither one of them is seeking a divorce. Warner is her

sixth husband.

Week of December 16, 1981

August A. Busch Jr. (22) - son of the beer tycoon - reports to the police in St

Louis that he, did in fact, bite off the left ear of Jeffrey Hografe (19). Both were at

a tavern, playing an amusement game when Hografe accused Busch of cheating

and asked him to step outside. A fight began with a crowd shouting, “Bite off his

ear.” He did - leaving only the lower lobe attached. So far, he hasn’t been

arrested or charged. The ear wasn’t saved.

concert on Pay-TV. The group performed

live from Hampton, VA for pay-outlets

around the country - mostly over the air

(STV) subscription television. Viewers

were asked to pony-up $10 for the event.

Country great Johnny Cash is help-up at

gunpoint at a home he owns in Jamaica.

He was robbed of more than $5000 in cash as two men ransacked his house.

Bestsellers - “The Hotel New Hampshire” - John Irving, “An Indecent Obsession”

- Colleen McCullough, “Noble House” - James Clavell, “No Time For Tears” -

Cynthia Freeman, “From Bauhous To Our House” - Tom Wolfe, “A Light In The

Attic” - Shel Silverstein, “The Lord God Made Them” - James Herriot, “The Best

Of Dear Abby” - Abigail Van Buren, “Fonda: My Life” - Howard Teichmann/Henry

Fonda.

March. He’ll be replaced by WBBM-Chicago anchorman Bill

Kurtis. Kuralt will continue hosting “Sunday Morning.”

Rock Hudson - who underwent a quintuple coronary artery

bypass operation November 2, will return to his new series “The

Devlin Connection” on January 11. Only three episodes were

filmed before the operation.

Tuesday Night TV - CBS - Simon & Simon, Special-G.E. Theater ... NBC - Father

Murphy, Bret Maverick, Flamingo Road ... ABC - Special-John Denver and the

Muppets, Three’s Company, Too Close For Comfort, Hart to Hart

Simon & Simon - A.J. and Rick go to Mexico to find a girl believed kidnapped by

her father.

Bret Maverick - Maverick wins a feisty Chinese girl in a card game and is

hounded by a number of people, including a local journalist. Stars James Garner.

Week of December 16, 1981

Too Close For Comfort - another family squabble begins when Jackie and Sara

lose their furniture to the former tenant’s sister.

The Tonight Show w/ Johnny Carson - Steve Martin,

The Tomorrow Show w/Tom Snyder - Rex Reed is the

guest host with guests Ali McGraw, Donna Mills and Mel

Torme

Pop music this week in 1981 -

“Physical” - Olivia Newton-John

“Waiting for a Girl Like You” - Foreigner

“Private Eyes” - Daryl Hall & John Oates

“Hooked On Classics” - The Royal Philharmonic

“Here I Am” (Just When I Thought I Was Over You) - Air Supply

“I Can't Go For That” (No Can Do) - Daryl Hall & John Oates

“Oh No” - The Commodores

“For Your Eyes Only” - Sheena

Easton

“Why Do Fools Fall In Love” - Diana

Ross

“Let’s Groove” - Earth, Wind & Fire

“Every Little Thing She Does Is

Magic’ - The Police

“Trouble” - Lindsey Buckingham

“Young Turks” - Rod Stewart

“Don’t Stop Believin’” - Journey

“Our Lips Are Sealed’ - The Go Go’s”

“My Girl” - (Gone Gone Gone)

“Heart Like A Wheel” - The Steve

Miller Band”

“Wrack My Brain” - Ringo Starr

Top Country - “All Roads Lead To You” - Steve Wariner, “Still Doin’ Time” -

George Jones, “Love In The First Degree’ - Alabama.

Radio news - Satellite Music Network, which debuted country and adult

contemporary 24-hour satellite-delivered formats last spring, adds another one -

Religious.

Week of December 16, 1981

Another 24-hour satellite format in the making - ABC’s “Superadio” is getting

ready to debut July 4. Headed by Rick Sklar, who hopes to have 1,000 records

dubbed to cartridge by early next year. The format will feature a collection of

oldies from the past 15 years. Sklar calls for the format “adult contemporary plus”

with a music mix that can pull in youth not strongly committed to AOR or FM.

Superadio will be ABC’s second full-format satellite network - the first, a talk

format will debut in April.

WCAU-FM in Philadelphia is having success with its new “Hot Hits” and ratings

are up. The hit format is geared toward teens and young adults.

KCBS-FM is changing call letters to KRQR. The San Francisco station plays hit

music.

Viacom is giving WWRL New York away to the United Negro College Fund,

which will in turn, sell the station to Unity Broadcasting. The station is playing

Soul hits with Program Director Bobby Jay… Al Jazzbeaux Collins returns to

WNEW-AM in New York, where he once worked in the 1950’s.

RKO Networks is debuting a series of syndicated

shows, one is yet another top-30 countdown show -

“The Weekly Music Magazine” hosted by WRKO’s

Charlie Van Dyke. Another is the “Country Star

country artists. WFYR-FM (Chicago) oldies programmer

Dick Bartley is set with “The Saturday Night Oldies

Show” and it’ll be the first time Bartley is heard on a

nationwide basis.

Although it is not yet announced, there’s very strong

gossip WABC radio is going talk soon. The station is said to be doing half the

advertising business it did in 1976 - when it pulled $9 million with its top-40

music. Most believe it will be tied-in with the launch of ABC radio’s new satellite

talk network. New York talker WOR-AM pulled-in $13 million last year. Look for

an announcement soon. WABC’s longtime music researcher Sonia Jones moves

over to ABC’s new Radio Enterprises unit.

Week of December 16, 1981

At the movies -

Houseman

Christopher Walken

Durning, Earl Holliman, Henry Silva

Moses Gunn

Aykroyd, Cathy Moriarty, Kathryn Walker

Chariots Of Fire

Matthau

Sally Field

Bernadette Peters