Week of January 15, 1981

The United States begins transferring more than $2 billion in Iranian assets to

London while negotiators in Washington and Algiers rush to complete an

agreement with Tehran that could free the 52 American hostages in a few days.

Bernadette Devlin McAliskey , one of the most

prominent and fiery Roman Catholic rights

leaders in Northern Ireland, is shot and gravely

wounded by three gunmen who burst into her

home. She was shot with her husband

A last-minute glitch in the release of the 52

American hostages from Iran, forces President

Jimmy Carter to abandon any hope of greeting

them as President upon their return. Instead,

Carter accepted an invitation to welcome the

captives, once they are freed, as Ronald Reagan’s representative after the

President is sworn in.

The Reagan Administration says it will not commit itself to Jimmy Carter’s

agreement with Iran until it reviews “very closely” the terms that freed the 52

hostages.

Just as soon as Ronald Reagan is

about to be sworn-in as President, the

52 American hostages are freed - in

exchange for $8 billion in frozen Iranian

assets. The captives had spent 444

days in captivity. After leaving Iran, two

planes touched down in Athens,

Greece for refueling and continued on

to Algiers.

Said one wife, “My god, it’s over. It’s

done.”

The free hostages tell of beatings and other atrocities at the hands of the Iranian

captors as they telephoned their loved ones. One said he was beaten and placed

in solitary confinement for more than five months after he tried to escape.

Another said he was told by Iranian interrogators trying to extract information

from him that his mother had died (she is still very much alive).

Week of January 15, 1981

Arriving in Frankfurt, former President Jimmy Carter praises the courage of the

52 American hostages whose captivity in Iran dominated much of his presidency.

The Empire State Building glows red, white and blue in honor of the hostages’

imminent release from Iran.

The Justice Department and AT&T reach an “essentially complete” settlement of

the government’s six-year-old antitrust case aimed at breaking up the

communications giant.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and his wife Joan,

announce they plan to divorce after 23 years of

marriage. They had been living apart - she in

Boston and he in Washington. “With regret, yet

with respect and consideration for each other, we

have agreed to terminate our marriage.” “We have

reached this decision together, with the

understanding of our children and after pastoral

counseling.”

Passing - Marguerite Oswald - mother of Lee Harvey Oswald. (73). She sold

mementos of the assassination to stave off dependency on welfare.

Music news - Wendy Williams (31) - lead singer of new wave rock band, the

Plasmatics, pleads innocent to charges of making obscene gestures during the

group’s performance in Milwaukee. She was arrested backstage at the Palms for

allegedly making obscene gestures with a sledgehammer. She also fought with

officers and kicked at least one officer in the hand.

Looks like “”Back in Black” is AC/DC/s

most popular album to date. Not bad for

a band who won’t do press junkets or

interviews. And, their lead singer, Bon

Scott, died just before the album was

released. If the group was having trouble

getting radio airplay, it isn’t now.

Week of January 15, 1981

Yoko Ono takes out a full-page newspaper ad asking for

restraint from those individuals and companies planning major

exploitation projects in the wake of John’s death. Those who

want to merchandise Lennon’s name “on a small scale” would

“have my blessings” said Yoko. The ad is the second full-page

newspaper message from the Lennon family in about a year. The

other one was an open letter explaining why Lennon and Ono

had remained reclusive for several years.

Fleetwood Mac’s John McVie and his wife, Julie

Ann are arrested at their Napili, Maui home and

charged with promoting cocaine. Mr. McVie was

also charged with hindering prosecution after she

allegedly tried to get rid of the cocaine before police

found it.

Sid Bernstein will present

and promote all acts playing at

the Copacabana. The deal will

include both the 508-capacity

downstairs room and the 470-capacity upstairs room. Says

Bernstein - “We feel there is a definite need for this type of

club in that area. We have researched it and found there

are 80,000 people staying in hotels within a 10-block radius of the club.” The

Copa is located on the upper East side of Manhattan.

Television news - Mary Crosby is much in demand, thanks

to her appearance in “Dallas.” She just finished a TV pilot

called “Golden Gate.” She’s also played her first leading role

- in an NBC-TV movie (remake) of “Midnight Lace.”

Chuck Barris Productions buys back the pilot of its talkshow

“Leave It To The Women” from NBC-TV for $225,000.

They’ll place into syndication beginning in September.

Ted Turner’s Cable News Network enters the New Year with entry into 4.3 million

cable homes and growing. Although advertising revenues are climbing ahead of

projections, financial analysts estimate they amounted to only $5-6 million in

1980, with a total CNN loss in excess of $15 million. CNN charges systems 15-

to-20cents per subscriber per month. As of mid-December, CNN was carried on

some 615 cable systems in 48 states and the Virgin Islands. CNN expenses are

Week of January 15, 1981

This Friday on Dallas - It’s

wedding bells for Lucy Ewing

and Mitch Cooper (Charlene

Tilton/Leigh McCloskey)

Sunday night television -

CBS - 60 Minutes, One Day At A

Time, Alice, The Jeffersons,

Trapper John

NBC - Disney’s Wonderful

World, ChiPs, Bob Hope

Anniversary

ABC - Catastrophe! No Safe

Place, Those Amazing Animals,

Movie

PBS - Shock of the New,

Masterpiece Theater

Catastrophe! No Safe Place - Charles Bronson and

Jill Ireland host this documentary focusing on

disasters such as the sinking of the Andrea Doria and

the Baldwin Hills dam break.

One Day At A Time - Schneider becomes involved with

a young lady.

ABC Sunday Night Movie - “The Choirboys” (1977) -

Charles Durning, Lou Gossett, Perry King, Clyde

Kusatsy, Tim McIntire, Randy Quaid, Don Stroud, Barbara Rhoades.

Radio news - Some New York radio ratings -

Disco WKTU - 8.3

WBLS - 7.1

WOR - 5.2

WINS - 4.9

WCBS - 4.8

WNBC - 4.7

WABC - 3.6

Week of January 15, 1981

Boston - Top-40 AM WRKO takes a dive from a 4.0 to a 2.7. Could this be the

end of the Big 68?

KLIF, once a top-40 powerhouse in Dallas during the late

1950’s, 1960’s and into the 1970’s goes country. KLIF’s

new logo is “Country… Texas Style.”

KHJ-AM - another former top-40 powerhouse is now

country with the new slogan - “We All Grew Up To Be

Cowboys.” Although KHJ went Country on November 7, the

campaign is just kicking off with new TV ads.

Trend - Some beautiful music stations are giving up the instrumentals and

adding more vocals. Schulke, a beautiful music program provider has another

format - Schulke II, with all vocals.

Pop music this week in 1981 -

Starting Over - John Lennon

The Tide Is High - Blondie

Love On the Rocks - Neil Diamond

Guilty - Barbara Streisand & Barry Gibb

Passion - Rod Stewart

Every Woman In The World - Air Supply

Miss Sun - Boz Scaggs

I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbit

It’s My Turn - Diana Ross

Celebration - Kook & The Gang

Tell It Like It Is - Heart

Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan

Giving It Up For Your Love - Delbert

McClinton

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Together - Tierra

Time Is Time - Andy Gibb

I Made It Through The Rain - Barry Manila

Playing In Discos -

You’re Too Late - Fantasy

It’s A War/Ahjia -Kano

Look Up/Never Gonna Give You Up - Patrice Rushen

Voices Inside My Head/When The World is Running Down - Police

Celebration - Kool & The Gang

Week of January 15, 1981

All My Love - L.A.X.

I Hear Music In The Streets - Unlimited Touch

Lovely One/Can You Feel It/Walk Right Now - Jacksons

Dirty Mind (album) - Prince

You Ought To Be Dancin’ - People’s Choice

Top movies this week in 1981 -

Stir Crazy

Nine to Five

Popeye

Seems Like Old

Times

Any Which Way You

Can

Hangar 18

Raging Bull

First Family

A Change of Seasons

The Mirror Crackd

Ordinary People

The Jazz Singer

The Formula

Private Benjamin

Flash Gordon

Altered States