Week of February 15, 1980

The nation’s major banks forced to pay more on borrowed money from the

Federal Reserve, raise the prime lending rate a half-point to 15%, matching the

all-time high for the key interest charge.

Fear of more inflation - Chairman Paul A Volcker of the Federal Reserve Board

pledges to reduce the growth of the nation’s money supply to help curb inflation.

Ronald Reagan apologizes to anyone he may have offended by telling an ethnic

joke aboard his campaign bus, but called the reporting of the story a “cheap

shot.” “I don’t go around telling ethnic jokes to be funny or to be slurring. As a

matter of fact, I’m very much opposed to that. No smear was intended.” The joke

was: “How do you tell who the Polish fellow is at a cockfight? He’s the one with

the duck…. How do you tell who the Italian is at the cockfight? He’s the one who

bets on the duck…How do you know the Mafia was there? The duck wins.”

In Chicago - Frank Muscare, the leader of the city’s striking firemen is sentenced

to five months in jail after he was found in criminal contempt and the judge

allowed the city to withdraw from a strike-ending agreement, saying the fireman’s

union had broken its word.

Gov. Jerry Brown declares part of Los Angeles County a disaster area as a

series of Pacific storms floods the area.

The Bureau of the Mint is temporarily halting

production of the little-used Susan B. Anthony dollar

coins, less than eight months after they went into

circulation About 270 million of the coins have been

distributed and there are 500 million still in government

inventory more than enough to meet demand.

Speed skater Peter Mueller of Wisconsin is arrested on

a charge of attempted petty larceny after he tried to take

an Olympic flag from its pole. Mueller is a 1976 gold

medallist.

Winter Olympics / Lake Placid - Speed Skater Eric

Heiden of Wisconsin becomes the first man ever to win

four gold medals in a single winter Olympics after he won

a 1,500- meter race. His time of 1 minute 55.44 seconds

was an Olympic record.

Week of February 15, 1980

Radio news - Norm N. Nite returns to WCBS-FM New York and will be heard on

weekends.

J.J. Jackson joins rival KWST Los Angeles, as does China Smith. Both were with

KLOS. B. Mitchel Reed, weekends at KLOS, takes Jackson’s full-time afternoon

gig.

KLAV-AM, formerly Disco 1-2-3 is now dance and top-40. The station made the

decision because disco is waning.

With disco formats on the decline, stations are substituting in some cases, more

r&b, but don’t label these stations “black” formatted. Most are adding top-40 pop

r&b

Week of February 15, 1980

Music news -

In London - Ben Scott , lead singer of the

Australian rock band AC/DC is found dead in a

parked car where a friend had left him to sober up

after a day’s drinking. Scott, who would disrobe

during performances revealing his tattooed arms,

reveled in his reputation as a heavy drinker.

Studio 54 co-owners Steve Rubell and Ian

Schrager begin serving their 3 ½ year sentences

for tax evasion as the state Liquor Authority

continued proceedings to revoke the discotheque’s

liquor license.

“The World’s Largest Disco Party” is held at the

convention center in Buffalo, NY.

Television news - Seems that “Dallas” has inspired a new NBC hour drama. In

development is “Flamingo Road” and like Dallas, is set in the South, is steamy

and features “stories that sizzle” according to NBC.

The 11:30pm news programs ABC began at the onset of the Iranian hostage

crisis and has run nightly since then, will become a regular program beginning

late March. The program, which so far has not been given a name or a host, will

not run on Friday nights because ABC has a new comedy variety hour ready to

run then. ABC said the news analysis programs have averaged about a 30%

audience share, far exceeding the rating performance of same-time

entertainment programs. (This will become “Nightline” and hosted by Ted

Koppel).

Shelley Hack , Charlie’s newest angel, is

leaving. Hack, previously the “Charlie” perfume

girl in Revlon’s TV commercials, was signed last

May to replace Kate Jackson. The show has

been dropping in the ratings since two of the

original three stars, Ms. Jackson and Farah

Fawcett majors left.

Week of February 15, 1980

Saturday Night Television -

CBS - The Chisolms, Movie

NBC - ChiP’s, BJ and the Bear, Prime Tim Saturday,

Saturday Night Live

ABC - One in a Million, The Ropers, XIII Winter

Olympic Games

PBS - Live From the Met

The Ropers - Stanley and his neighbor feud through

hand puppets at a joint birth party for Helen and

David.

Prime Time Saturday -

With Tom Snyder, Jessica

Savitch and Jack Perkins.

Saturday Night Live -

Elliott Gould hosts.

Week of February 15, 1980

Top Albums This Week -

Damn The Torpedoes - Tom Petty & The

Hearbreakers

The Wall - Pink Floyd

The Long Run - Eagles

Off the Wall - Michael Jackson

On the Radio - Greatest Hits Volumes One & Two -

Donna Summer

Phoenix - Dan Fogelberg

Tusk - Fleetwood Mac

Corner stone - Styx

Freedom At Point Zero - Jefferson Starship

September Morn - Neil Diamond

Gold & Platinum - Lynyrd Skynyrd Band

Week of February 15, 1980

Greatest - Bee Gees

In Through The Out Door - Led

Zeppelin

The Whispers - The Whispers

Permanent Waves - Rush

Deguello - ZZ Top

Where There’s Smoke - Smokey

Robinson

Keep The Fire - Kenny Loggins

Jackrabbit Slim - Steve Forbert

Make Your Move - Captain &

Tennille

Night in the Rust - Aerosmith

Masterjam - Rufus & Chaka

Big Fun - Shalamar

In The Heat of the Night - Pat

Benatar

Hot Hits -

Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen

Do That To Me One More Time - Captain & Tennille

Coward of the County - Kenny Rogers

Rock With You - Michael Jackson

Cruisin’ - Smokey Robinson

Longer - Dan Fogelberg

Sara - Fleetwood Mac

Yes, I’m Ready - Teri de Sario With KC

This Is IT - Kenny Loggins

On The Radio - Donna Summer

Romeo’s Tune - Steve Forbert

Daydream Believer - Anne Murray

Don’t Do Me Like That - Tom Petty

The Long Run - Eagles

An American Dream - The Dirt Band

Working My Way Back To You - Spinners

Another Brick In The Wall - Pink Floyd

Too Hot - Kool & The Gang

September Morn - Neil Diamond

Escape - Rupert Holmes

How Do I Make You - Linda Ronstadt

Fool In The Rain- Led Zeppelin

The Second Time Around - Shalamar

Week of February 15, 1980

Hot In Discos

Vertigo/Relight My Fire/Free Ride - Dan Hartman

Evita - Festival

And The Beat Goes On/Can You Do The Boogie/Out The Box - The Whispers

I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey) - Bonnie Pointer

High ON Your Love/Hot Hot (Give It All You Got) - Debbie Jacobs

Funkytown/All Night Dancing - Lipps Inc.

Haven’t You Heard - Patrice Rushen

I Wanna Be Your Love/Sexy Dancer - Prince

Smack Dab In the Middle - Janice McClain