Week of March 6, 1981

President Reagan says he intends to cut the

federal payroll by at least $1.3 billion over the next

two years. Says the President: “Gaining control of

the size of government, getting our economy back

on track will not wait. We have to act now, and we

will continue to search for ways to curt the size of

government and reduce the amount of federal

spending and achieve a trimmer, more efficient,

more responsive government for all the people.”

President Reagan arrives in Ottawa for talks with

Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau on

troublesome issues dividing the two countries.

Hecklers could be heard in the crowd. After an

exchange of greetings, Trudeau went to the

microphone and appealed to the hecklers and disparaging signs: “Hey guys,

when I go the United States, I’m not met with these kind of signs. You know, the

Americans have some beefs against us too, but they receive us politely. Now

how about a great cheer for President Reagan.” The crowd then roared. Some of

the troublesome points between the countries include U.S. policy on El Salvador

and on the environment.

Walter Cronkite steps down as anchor of

the CBS evening news, where he held

forth for 19 years. Cronkite remarked that

the focus was all wrong and that too

much had been made of his leaving. He

said, “This is but a transition, a passing

of the baton. A great broadcaster and

gentleman, Doug Edwards, preceded me

in this job and another, Dan Rather, will

follow ... And anyway, the person who

sits here is but the most conspicuous

member of a superb team of journalists,

writers, reporters, editors, producers and

none of that will change.” Later, Walter Cronkite is named a director of Pan

American World Airways. He’ll be paid $10,000 a year plus $300 each time the

panel meets. (Pictured are Cronkite, Doug Edwards and Rather).

Week of March 6, 1981

Wow - Princess Diana (19) draws gasps and cheers for her

strapless bare-shoulder gown of black silk taffeta, worn for her

first royal duty since her engagement to Prince Charles. The

occasion was a fund-raising event to benefit the Royal Opera

House. Britain’s “Sun” newspaper called her “Diana the Dazzler.”

No doubt, the dress is sure to be a hit in stores when it comes

out.

Dan Rather (49) takes over the CBS Evening News. The newscast leads NBC

and ABC in the ratings. Rather says he will follow the sage advice from the

retiring anchorman: “Take it easy and be yourself.”

Comic Flip Wilson is arrested at Los Angeles

International Airport when $1,000 worth (2.5 grams) of

cocaine and hashish is allegedly found in his

possession. He later posted $2,500 bail.

Engaged - Lisa Taylor (32) - a country and western

singer says she is engaged to marry George C.

Wallace, the former Alabama governor. His ex-wife

Cornelis says she is still interested in him: “The governor

and I spent several hours at his home last night

conferring seriously about a reconciliation. Frankly, I’m

too upset to be discussing this.”

At K-Mart -

RCA 13” Color TV - $344 ... Mens Jeans - $9 ... A pack of 4 AA Engergizer

batteries - $1.43 ... Jar of Vlasic Pickles - 46oz - $1.12.

Best-selling Books -

The Covenant - James A. Michener

Brain - Robin Cook

Earthly Powers - Anthony Burgess

A Man - Oriana Fallaci

Rage of Angels - Sidney Sheldon

Aztec - Gary Jennings

Answer As A Man - Taylor Caldwell

Firestarter - Stephen King

Nice Girls Do - Irene Kassoria

Never-Say-Diet Book - Richard Simmons

The Last Mafioso - Ovid Demaris

Week of March 6, 1981

Crisis Investing - Douglas R. Casey

Cosmos - Carl Sagan

The Sky’s The Limit

Best Evidence - David Lifton

The Very Rich Book - Jacqueline Thompson

NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” names Dick Ebersol

as its new producer. He was the head late-night

programming when “Saturday Night Live” was created

in 1975. NBC says the floundering show will go on

hiatus and return April 11.

Cable TV news - ARTS - a cultural channel, begins to

be carried at night on Warner Amex’s Nickelodeon

channel. Nickelodeon, a children’s channel, will switch

to ARTS at the end of its programming in early

evening.

Sunday Night Television -

CBS - 60 Minutes, Archie Bunker’s Place , One Day At

A Time, Alice, The Jeffersons, Trapper John, MD

NBC - Disney’s Wonderful World, CHiPS, Movie

ABC - Those Amazing Animals, Movie

CHiPS - Ponch and Jon discover one of Ponch’s old

friends running a burglary operation

One Day At A Time - Schneider’s friendship with his best

friend is put to the test when his wife decides she wants

his company and three’s a crowd.

ABC Movie - “The Deep” (1977)

NBC Movie - American Graffiti (1973)

This week on “Hee Haw” in syndication - Ray Price and Boxcar Willie

Week of March 6, 1981

Pop music this week in 1981 -

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton

Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon

Woman - John Lennon

Celebrate - Kool and the Gang

Rapture - Blondie

The Tide Is High - Blondie

Crying - Don McLean

Hello Again - Neil Diamond

I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt

The Best of Times - Styx

Keep On Lovin’ You - REO Speedwagon

A Little In Love - Cliff Richard

I Ain’t Gonna Stand For It - Stevie Wonder

Don’t Stop The Music - Yarbrough and

Peoples

Kiss On My List - Hall and Oates

What Kind of Fool - Barbra Streisand/Andy

Gibb

Morning Train - Sheena Easton

Hearts on Fire - Randy Meisner

Living In A Fantasy - Leo Sayer

Don’t Stand So Close To Me - Police

The Winner Takes It All - ABBA

Angel of the Morning - Juice Newton

Hey Nineteen - Steely Dan

Giving It Up For Your Love - Delbert

McClinton

Top Albums -

Hi Infidelity - REO Speedwagon

The Jazz Singer - Neil Diamond

Double Fantasy - John Lennon and Yoko Ono

Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police

Crimes of Passion - Pat Benatar

Greatest Hits - Kenny Rogers

Celebrate - Kool and the Gang

Captured - Journey

Greatest Hits - Kenny Rogers

Autoamerican - Blondie

Week of March 6, 1981

More Albums -

Back in Black - AC/DC

Moving Pictures - Rush

Arc of a Diver - Steve Winwood

The Two of Us - Yarbrough and Peoples

9 to 5 And Odd Jobs - Dolly Parton

I’m No Hero - Cliff Richard

Chain Lightning - Don McClean

Hotter Than July - Stevie Wonder

Voices - Hall & Oates

Living In A Fantasy - Leo Sayer

Foolish Behavior - Rod Stewart

Gaucho - Steely Dan

Turn of A Friendly Card - Allen Parsons

Project

Juice - Juice Newton

How “Bout Us - Champaign

Horizon - Eddie Rabbitt

Super Trouper - ABBA

Kings of the Wild Frontier - Adam & The Ants

Sandinista - The Clash

Elvis Costello

Paradise Theater - Styx

Sound Affects - The Jam

Evangeline - Emmylou Harris

At the movies -

Eyewitness - William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, James

Woods

All Night Long - Gene Hackman, Barbra Streisand, Diane Ladd, Dennis Quaid,

Kevin Dobson

Coal Miner’s Daughter - Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D’Angelo,

Levon Helm

Road Games - Stacy Keach, Jamie Lee Curtis

Stir Crazy - Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor

Private Benjamin - Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, Marmand Assante, Robert

Webber

The Dogs of War - Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Colin Blakely

The Competition - Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Irving, Lee Remick

The Jazz Singer - Neil Diamond, Laurence Olvier

Raging Bull - Robert De Niro

Week of March 6, 1981

Any Which Way But Loose - Clint Eastwood

The Last Metro - Catherine Deneuve

The Elephant Man - Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft

Altered States - William Hurt, Blair Brown

Walt Disney’s The Devil and Max Devlin - Elliott Gould, Bill Cosby, Susan

Anspach, Adam Rich

American Pop (the state of the art in living animation)

Fort Apache, The Bronx - Paul Newman, Edward Asner