Week of January 3, 1983

A giant explosion results when gasoline spills from a ruptured tank - killing one

and injuring twenty-three in the Jersey Meadowlands - near Jersey City, NJ. The

blast was reportedly felt 120 miles away. Looting was reported in Jersey City

after the explosion took out a number of windows downtown. Three gasoline

tanks caught fire with a total of 19 million gallons of fuel.

Kansas senator Bob Dole as secretary of

transportation. She succeeds Drew Lewis.

“Welcome to the Cabinet” said Reagan. “I can’t

say welcome to the family - you’ve been part of it

for so long.”

A federal judge approves a tentative $75 million

settlement of more than 450 personal injury,

wrongful death and property damage suits against

the MGM-Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. A November

1980 fire at the hotel killed 85 persons and injured

591.

The Reagan administration predicts a slow

recovery - the slowest recovery from a recession since WWII. Forecasts indicate

the economy will grow at an annual rate of 1.4% average for 1983, with

unemployment hovering at 10%.

Ginny Foat (41), - the president of the California chapter of the National

Organization for Woman (NOW) is arrested in connection with the tire iron

slaying of a man 17 years ago in Louisiana. The murder warrant also listed

Foat’s name as Virginia Galluzo.

Bestsellers - “Mistral’s Daughter” - Judith Krantz, “Space” - James A. Michener,

“Master Of The Game” - Sidney Sheldon, “The Valley Of Horses” - Jean Auel,

“Different Seasons” - Stephen King, “And More” - Andy Rooney, “Living, Loving

and Learning” - Leo Buscaglia, “Jane Fonda’s Workout Book” - Jane Fonda,

“Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives’ - John Naisbitt.

coach Ray Malavasi after a 5-year run with the team.

He had a year remaining on his contract - at about

$100 thousand per year. He’s the only coach ever to

take the Rams to the Superbowl - in 1979.

Week of January 3, 1983

Steinbrenner - to manage the team again for the third

time! Martin played for the Yanks in the 50’s - was hired

to manage the club in the 1975 baseball season, but was

fired in the summer of ‘78 for remarks he had made

about Steinbrenner and slugger Reggie Jackson. He was

brought back as Yankees manager in June of ‘79, but

was fired on October 28 of the same year, after getting

into a fight with a marshmallow salesman in Minnesota.

Philadelphia Eagles coach Dick Vermeil resigns after

seven years with the team. “I’m going to get out of it to find if I can live with

myself. If I can’t, I will be back in it.”He’s replaced by Marion Campbell.

Brooks Robinson and Juan Marichal are elected to the Hall of Fame by the

Baseball Writers Assn. Robinson played third base for the Baltimore Orioles and

Marichal pitched for the San Francisco Giants.

leaves Ted Turner’s Cable News Network. The network

decided not to renew his two-year contract, partly because

of ratings. Douglas went to the cable channel after his

long-running syndicated show was terminated by Group

W in May of 1981.

In order to compete with giant Home Box Office (HBO) -

five companies come together to jointly operate two pay-

TV channels. Viacom, American Express, MCA, Warner

Communications and Paramount Pictures agree in principle to form a single

company to operate Showtime and The Movie Channel. Sources say it will

strengthen both channels in their competitive situation with HBO- which operates

two pay-TV networks and can be seen in half of the nation’s cable households.

HBO just signed a controversial exclusivity deal with Orion Pictures and other

producers. Last year, the pay-TV channel joined CBS and Columbia pictures to

form a new motion-picture studio in Hollywood.

In a Gallup Pole - the most admired woman by

Americans in 1982 are (top to bottom):

British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Mother Teresa,

Walters, Queen Elizabeth II, Betty Ford, U.S. Supreme

Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and former first lady

Week of January 3, 1983

Rosalyn Carter.

Week of January 3, 1983

TV ratings - 60 Minutes - (32.6), NFL Playoff

Game-CBS (32.4), NFL Playoff Postgame show-

CBS (30.2), Dallas (25.7), The Jeffersons (25.6),

Alice (25.3), Monday Night Football (24.2), Gloria

(23.2), Magnum PI (23.2), Dynasty (22.50, The

Love Boat (21.8), The Fall Guy (21.7), Simon &

Simon (21.5), MASH (21.1), Newhart (20.6),

Archie Bunker’s Place (20.5), TV Censored

Bloopers (20.1), Three’s Company (18.9), Laverne

& Shirley (18.7), Happy Days (18.6), Hart to Hart

(18.3), Hill Street Blues (18.0), Fantasy Island (17.9), Knots Landing (17.9),

Little House New Beginning (17.9), Benson (17.9), Real People (17.6), That’s

Incredible (17.4)

Thursday Night TV - CBS - Magnum PI, Simon & Simon, Knots Landing ... NBC -

Fame, Gimme A Break, Cheers, Hill Street Blues ... ABC - The Greatest

American Hero, Too Close For Comfort, It Takes Two, 20/20

Pam finally tie the knot.

Fame - Doris finds a guy she really likes

On the charts - “Down Under” -

Men At Work, “Dirty Laundry” - Don

Henley, “The Girl Is Mine” - Michael

Jackson and Paul McCartney,

“Sexual Healing” - Marvin Gaye,

“Baby, Come To Me” - Patty Austin,

“Rock The Casbah” - The Clash,

“Maneater” - Hall and Oates,

Week of January 3, 1983

“Heartbreaker” - Dionne Warwick,

Cougar, “Love In A Store” - Fleetwood

Mac, “I Do” - J. Geils Band, “Lets Go

Dancin’” - Kool & The Gang, “Two Less

People In The World” - Air Supply,

Top Albums - “Built For Speed” - Stray

Cats, “Business As Usual” - Men At Work,

“Get Nervous” - Pat Benatar, “H2O” - Hall

& Oates,”Lionel Ritchie” - Lionel Ritchie,

“Midnight Love” - Marvin Gaye, “Thriller” -

Michael Jackson, “Coda” - Led Zeppelin,

“Long After Dark” - Tom Petty, “Combat

Rock” The Clash.

Top Country - “Wild and Blue’ - John

Anderson, “Can’t Even Get The Blues’ -

Reba McEntire, “Going Where The

Lonely Go’ - Merle Haggard.

At the movies -

Gleason, Tersa Ganzel

Lange, Teri Garr, Bill Murray

Thomas Elliott

Hawn, Jessica Tandy, Barnard Hughes

Audra Lindley

Week of January 3, 1983