Week of February 15, 1989

In the first federal attempt to curb the

spread of assault weapons, the Bush

Administration imposes an immediate

ban on the importation of more than

110,000 AK-47’s, Uzi carbines and other

semiautomatic rifles until the government

decides whether they are suitable for

“sporting purposes.”

As widespread fighting between the army

and Marxist guerrillas plus continuing

intimidation by the rebels - Alfredo Cristiani - the candidate for an ultra-right

wing, anti-American party - sweeps to a stunning and easy presidential victory in

San Salvador.

Thousands of people march through central Moscow in support of Boris N.

Yelstin, the city’s former Communist Party leader, and of his anti-establishment

campaign for a seat in the new soviet parliament.

The Bush Administration lifts its five-day ban on Chilean grapes and berries,

announcing that it would release the huge, impounded stockpiles at U.S. ports

after enhanced inspections but that most Chilean produce now held by markets

and distributors must be destroyed. The fruit ban originally was ordered after two

earlier telephone threats and the discovery of cyanide-tainted grapes in a Chilean

cargo unloaded in Philadelphia.

Discovery shuttle astronauts turn a 70-millimeter IMAX camera toward the earth

and begin filming. It’s part of an effort to document environmental degradation

around the planet.

The federal government’s highway safety watchdog

says the Ford Bronco II appears to be involved in

more fatal roll-over accidents than other vehicles in

its class and that will seek to determine if the vehicle

itself contributes to the accidents.

Black Panther co-founder Huey Newton pleads no contest in Oakland to a

charge of misappropriating public funds and is ordered to service six months in

jail.

Donald J. Trump says he is no longer prepared to pay Eastern Airlines $365

million for its lucrative Northeast shuttle. He’s concerned about a strike by its

Week of February 15, 1989

machinists and pilots and its subsequent filing for protection from creditors under

the bankruptcy laws.

Passing - John P. Scripps, scion of the veteran newspaper family, who as a

youth, added to the Scripps Howard empire by investing in a small newspaper

that grew to a chain. He was 76.

Sports - A statement issued by commissioner Peter

Ueberroth confirms speculation regarding an ongoing

investigation of Pete Rose’s alleged gambling

activities. The Cincinnati Red Sox manager could be

suspended.

Some best selling books -

The Satanic Verses - Salman Rushdie

Star - Danielle Steele

The Edge - Dick Francis

Billy Bathgate - E.L Doctorow

The Blooding - Joseph Wambaugh

Wealth Without Risk - Charles J. Givens

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten - Robert Fulghum

Blind Faith - Joe McGinniss

Television news - WTSP-TV (Tampa) fires news director Terry Cole and is

assistant in the wake of last month’s news that the station’s computer had been

used to raid the news files of competitor WTVT-TV. Assistant Michael Shapiro

was arrested in February and charged with 14 felony counts of computer-related

crimes for tapping files about special projects and news stories belonging to

WTVT-TV.

Ted Turner says that his CNN is on the verge of becoming the first television

service available to every country in the world 24 hours a day. “There won’t be a

single spot on this globe that you can’t pick up CNN via satellite” said Turner.

NBC correspondent Connie Chung returns to CBS, where

she’ll preside over a revitalized version of CBS’ low-rated

“West 57 th .”

Linda Ellerbee begins on CNN as a three-times-a-week

commentator. She has been an ad hock commentator for

the network since leaving ABC News after the axing of “Our

World” in 1987.

Week of February 15, 1989

Joe Don Baker pinch-hits on the NBC-TV series “In The Heat Of The Night” as

Carroll O’Connor (64) is recuperating from heart bypass/gall bladder surgery.

Baker will play a new character on the show beginning May 2.

The taping of a Morton Downey Jr .

show is canceled when a fight broke out

between Downey and artist Mark Kostabi,

who spray-painted a camera lens and

dumped an ashtray over Downey’s head.

Both suffered minor injuries and a

cameraman was treated because paint got

into his eye.

Pay-TV channel - The Disney Channel says

it added 528,000 subscribers in 1988, bringing its total as of Dec. 31 to

4,337,300. Disney’s premium service ranks fourth in total customers behind

HBO, Showtime and Cinemax.

Susan St. James says if “Kate & Allie gets picked-up by CBS for another year,

she will not be back: “My reasons for not coming back and re-signing would

strictly be that I have two small kids, as well as two older ones and they would

kind of like to see me around.”

“ Family Ties ” will have a one-hour finale in May

after seven seasons. The script calls for Alex

Keaton (Michael J. Fox) to land a job at a New

York stock brokerage. Look for emotional scenes

between Alex and his parents and siblings.

Burying the hatchet - things are getting back to

normal on “The Today Show” after Bryant

Gumbel’s infamous memo criticizing his co-

workers. Willard Scott kissed Gumbel on the

cheek this week.

ABC will debut “The Robert Guillaume Show” in April. He’s cast as a divorced

marriage counselor who’s attracted to his white secretary. The show replaces

John Ritter’s “Hooperman.”

Week of February 15, 1989

TV Ratings -

Roseanne - 27.2

Cosby Show - 25.3

Movie-Those She Left Behind - 25.1

60 Minutes - 23.0

Who’s the Boss? - 22.8

A Different World - 22.7

Anything But Love - 22.6

The Wonder Years - 22.4

Cheers - 21.7

Murder, She Wrote - 21.2

Alf - 20.7

People’s Choice Awards - 19.6

The Golden Girls - 19.2

Hogan Family - 18.9

Dear John - 18.7

Matlock - 18.1

Night Court - 18.0

Growing Pains - 17.9

Knots Landing - 17.6

Head of the Class - 17.2

In The Heat of the Night - 17.1

Unsolved Mysteries - 17.0

Friday Night Television -

CBS - Beauty and the Beat, Dallas, Falcon Crest

NBC - Movie, Miami Vice, Tonight Show

ABC - Perfect Strangers , Full House, Mr.

Belvedere, Just The Ten of Us, 20/20, Nightline

PBS - Wall Street Week, Washington Week In

Review, Peter, Paul & Mary 25 th Anniversary

concert

TBS - Night Tracks: Power Play Dancin’

Mr. Belvedere - A former girlfriend and her

husband intrude on Kevin and his girlfriend.

Just the Ten of Us - Marie’s sisters think the guy she likes isn’t good enough for

her.

Week of February 15, 1989

Miami Vice - Tubbs and Crockett pose as art fences to search for the main

section of a 15 th -century painting.

Tonight Show - Oprah Winfrey guests

Saturday Night Television -

CBS - Figure Skating, West 57 th street

NBC - 227, Amen, Golden Girls, Empty

Nest , Hunter

ABC - Mission: Impossible, A Man Called

Hawk, Murphy’s Law

Fox - The Reporters, Cops, Beyond

Tomorrow

Nick-At-Nite - Inspector Gadget, Count

Duckula, Mr. Ed, Patty Duke, My Three

Sons, Donna Reed, Saturday Night, SCTV

Showtime - Jimmy Walker & Friends

HBO - Comic Relief III with Billy Crystal,

Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams

Figure skating - 1989 world champs from Paris.

Mission: Impossible - An IMF ally becomes a foe and a KGB agent helps the

team track a weapons plant.

Amen - Thelma abandons her plans to marry the Rev. Gregory and opts for a

career.

Empty Nest - Harry helps Charlie woo a woman who turns out to be Harry’s

girlfriend.

Radio news -

Big radio news this week as Scott Shannon’s “Pirate Radio” debuts over KQLZ-

FM (100.3) Los Angeles. Everyone it seems has been waiting for his debut.

Thought to be a top-40 station, “Pirate Radio” will lean towards rock - modern

rock and the like. The station was recently purchased by Westwood One for $54

million. Scott and his staff are operating out of makeshift studios at Westwood

One in Culver City.

Week of February 15, 1989

KSJO (San Jose) shock jock Perry Stone is fired from his morning radio show

after abusing Brownies. Last week, after two 9-year-old Brownies appeared on

the show to plug Girl Scout Cookies, Stone advised them to “Take $10 out of the

money they made selling Girl Scout Cookies and keep it for themselves.” Stone

has been the source of many complaints for his allegedly sexist, racist jokes.

Steve Dahl , heard on WLUP Chicago airs his

vasectomy live over the air. Throughout the procedure,

Dahl carried on business as usual with partner Gary Meier

and other staffers.

Music news - Jonathon (Chico) Debarge is sentenced to

five years and eight months in federal prison for conspiring

to take 2.2 pounds of cocaine into Michigan from

California.

Comedian Brand Sanders’ “The “Cla ence” update - one of radio syndication’s

standout successes last year - will shift his musings from “All My Children” to

“The Young and the Restless.” ABC had sued Sanders and syndicator Premiere

Radio Networks for unauthorized use of “All My Children.” The soap updates

feature “Clarence” in daily comedy “updates” from the TV serial. You can hear it

on 200 stations.

Top hits this week in 1989 -

The Living Years - Mike & The Mechanics

Lost In Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson

Roni - Bobby Brown

Paradise city - Guns N’ Roses

Girl You Know It’s True - Milli Vanilli

The Look - Roxette

My Heat Can’t Tell You Now - Rod Stewart

Don’t Tell Me Lies - Breathe

Eternal Flame - Bangles

Walk The Dinosaur - Was (Not Was)

You’re Not Alone - Chicago

She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals

I Beg Your Pardon - Kon Kan

Just Because - Anita Baker

Dreamin’ - Vanessa Williams

Week of February 15, 1989

You Got It - Roy Orbison

The Lover In Me - Sheena Easton

Straight Up - Paula Abdul

Top albums this week in 1989 -

Electric Youth - Debbie Gibson

Don’t Be Cruel = Bobby Brown

Appetite For Destruction - Guns N’

Roses

Mystery Girl - Roy Orbison

Forever Your Girl - Paula Abdul

Traveling Wilburys - Traveling

Wilburys

Loc-ed After Dark - Ton Loc

G N’ R Lies - Guns N’ Roses

Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars -

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

Hysteria - Def Leppard

Vivid - Living Colour

New Jersey - Bon Jovi

Hangin’ Tough - New Kids On The Block

Silhouette - Kenny G

Beaches - Soundtrack

Living Years - Mike & The Mechanics

Karyn White - Karyn White

Green - R.E.M.

Open Up And Say… AHH! - Poison

Hold An Old Friend’s Hand - Tiffany

Hold Me In Your Arms - Rick Astley

Winger - Winger

Out of Order - Rod Stewart

The Great Radio Controversy - Tesla

Watermark - Enya

Top Country this week in 1989 -

From A Jack To A King - Ricky Van Shelton

Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye - George Strait

New Fool At An Old Game - Reba McEntire

I’m A One Woman man - George Jones

I’m No Stranger To The Rain - Keith Whitley

Don’t You Ever Get Tire (Of Hurting Me) - Ronnie Milsap

Week of February 15, 1989

Come As You Were - T. Graham Brown

Down that Road Tonight - Nitty Gritty dirt Band

Who You Gonna Blame it On This Time - Vern Gosdin

Big Love - Bellamy Brothers

Heartbreak Hill - Emmylou Harris

Popular Black -

Closer than Friends - Surface

Just Coolin’ - Levert Featuring Heavy D

Lucky charm - The Boys

Joy and Pain - Donna Allen

You And I Got A Thang - Freddie

Jackson

All I Want Is Forever - James J.T. Taylor

& Regina Belle

Girl you Know It’s True - Milli Vanilli

Girl, I Got My Eyes On You - Today

Straight Up - Paula Abdul

I’ll be there For you - Ashford &

Simpson

Struck by You - The Bar-Kays

Just Because - Anita Baker

Modern Rock -

The Mayor of Simpleton - XTC

Veronica - Elvis Costello

I’ll Be You - The Replacements

Dirty Blvd - Lou Reed

Nightmares - Violent Femmes

She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young

Cannibals

Come Out Fighting - Easterhouse

Sweet Jane - Cowboy Junkies

Dear God - Midge Ure

Dizzy - Throwing Muses

Driven Out - The Fixx

The Last of the Famous International

Playboys - Morrissey

Angel Visit - thrashing Doves

Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) - Enya

Week of February 15, 1989

Contemporary Jazz -

Dave Grusin Collection

Silhouette - Kenny G

Heart’s Horizon - Al Jarreau

Simple Pleasures - Bobby McFerrin

Close-Up - David Sanborn

Pensyl Sketches - Kim Pensyl

Flashpoint - Tom Scott

Festival - Lee Ritenour

Top movies -

Fletch Lives

The Rescuers

Rain Man

Lean On Me

Dean-Bang

Leviathan

Troop Beverly Hills

Three Fugitives

Chances Are

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Skin Deep

Dangerous Liaisons

Police Academy 6

New York Stories

Cousins

Working Girl