Week of March 15, 1983

OPEC says it will cut price of oil to $29 a barrel.

Soviet economic squeeze - President Reagan orders his administration to

attempt to influence internal policies of the Soviet Union through trade and other

economic pressures as a means of forcing shifts in Moscow’s foreign strategy.

President Reagan marks St. Patrick’s Day with fellow politicians of Irish ancestry,

blending conviviality with a strong condemnation of violence in Northern Ireland

by the Irish Republican Army.

Catherine Evelyn Smith surrenders to Canadian authorities after being indicted in

Los Angeles in the drug-injection death of comedian John Belushi in a Hollywood

hotel bungalow last year.

Off limits - White House spokesman Larry Speakes tells TV

reporters and cameramen in the Rose Garden that they must stop

“snooping in on the Oval Office” with zoom lenses. Speakes

complained that network crews outside the White House were

taking pictures through windows of the presidential office. Most of

his complaint was against ABC-TV and Sam Donaldson , whom he

accused of having prodded his cameramen to zoom in on Reagan

in the Oval Office.

Atlantic City - Michael Spinks gets the light-heavyweight

championship in a fight with Dwight Braxton.

Entertainment - Longtime gossip columnist Earl Wilson,

says he’ll hang his pen up after 48 years. His last one will

be published this week - 11,424, reports the New York

Post.

Mickey Dolenz, beloved Monkee, can be found in England

these days. He’s been there for five years and has directed some 60 British TV

programs, many of which, he also created and produced.

Sports TV - ABC-TV Sports says it had better-than-expected ratings on its first

USFL telecast March 6. They guaranteed sponsors a 5.3 ratings and came up

with a 14.2 national rating. Will the ratings continue? (answer - no).

Week of March 15, 1983

Television news - CBS says it will replace “Face the Nation” after 29 years with a

new Sunday morning news show anchored by Lesley Stahl, who had been the

network’s White House correspondent.

Herve Villechaize who portrays “Tattoo” on Fantasy Island, says life as a star is

always peachy. “People are always patting me on the head and girls are always

asking me to sit on their knee.”

Barbara Bel Geddes (60), the matriarch of

TV’s “Dallas” undergoes a live-saving open-

heart surgery after a massive heart attack.

Former NBC and ABC programmer Fred

Silverman has a new syndicated show up his

sleeve. He’ll be producing something called

“Thicke of the Night” starring Canadian

talkshow host Alan Thicke. It’ll compete with

Johnny Carson on weekday nights.

TV ratings -

Dallas - 27.7

60 Minutes - 27.1

Dynasty - 25.2

Falcon Crest - 23.7

Magnum, PI - 23.6

Jeffersons - 22.7

Newhart - 22.6

Fall Guy - 22.2

Simon & Simon - 21.5

Archie Bunker’s Place - 21.3

Knots Landing - 20.6

Love Boat - 20.3

Hart to Hart - 20.2

That’s Incredible - 19.9

Dukes of Hazzard - 19.7

Gloria - 19.6

Three’s Company - 19.5

Trapper John, M.D. - 19.3

Passing - Arthur Godfrey (79) - once the biggest name

in radio and television.

Week of March 15, 1983

Tuesday Night Television -

CBS - Ace Crawford Private Eye (debut), Gun Shy (debut), Movie, Quincy

(reruns), McMillan and Wife (reruns), Nightwatch

NBC - The A Team, Bare Essence, St. Elsewhere, Tonight Show, Latenight

w/David Letterman, News Overnight

ABC - Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Three’s Company, 9 to 5, Hart to Hart,

Nightline, Last Word

PBS - Nova, History of the S.S., Night Bombers

Week of March 15, 1983

Ace Crawford - Stars Tim Conway as a bumbling

private detective.

Gun Shy - Stars Barry Van Dyke, Geoffrey Lewis and

Tim Thomerson.

St. Elsewhere - Despite a brother’s request, Dr. Westphal will not let his morals

allow a cancer patient to die.

Tonight Show - Jim Stafford joins Johnny Carson.

David Letterman - Former baseball umpire Ron Luciano.

Ringo Starr’s New Radio Show

Week of March 15, 1983

A National Newscast For Local Independent Stations

Radio news (passing) - B. Mitchel Reed , legendary top-40,

then album rock personality. He was 56. BMR began his

career as a jazz DJ, then tried his hand as one of the

original KFWB (Hollywood) color-radio DJ’s. WMCA (New

York) came calling, and put Reed up as their star teen DJ

7p-11p, beginning the station’s successful “Goodguy” top-40

run in New York. Reed beat the likes of Murray the K at

WINS/Cousin Bruce and Scott Muni at WABC. He left

WMCA to rejoin KFWB in 1965. He joined progressive

KPPC in 1968 and later moving to KMET-FM and KLOS. He

launched the syndicated “Rockline” in 1981.

Week of March 15, 1983

Another Mike Joseph “Hot Hits” top-40 FM station - as KITS (105.3) San

Francisco now plays the hits. It debuts this week

Strapped National Public Radio orders a $2.7 million cut for fiscal 1983, and will

most likely release 10% of its staff.

Sandy Beach is back at WKBW as the Program Director. Beach was once part of

the station as a DJ.

Music news - Cable WTBS is adding a “middle-of-the-road” video show on

weekend overnights. The show is yet to be named. It will be different than MTV

and USA Cable’s “Nightflight.” Look for it beginning June 4.

TREND - More (national) video TV shows are announced… All these will use

record company supplied video clips as part of their mix…

“ We’re Dancin ” - syndicated half-hour show

“ Radio 1990 ” - Five half-hour shows on the

USA Network from the folks who bring us

“Night Flight.” Lisa Robinson will host.

“ Rock ‘n’ Roll Tonight ” - Follows “Saturday

Night Live” in four major markets where NBC

owns its stations. 90 minutes in length.

“Breakout” - Based on the British rock

scene. 60 Minutes

“The Rock “n” Roll Show” - 60 minute

video show produced by Somach/Nelson

Productions. Hosted by MTV’s Mark Goodman.

“ Black Music Today ” - 30 minutes.

“ FM-TV ” - 2-hour specials

Houghton-Worth Show - Music Magazine. 30 minute show with clearance on

some 60 stations (so far).

Look for the trend to continue regionally and locally with shows such as “MV3,”

and “Rock ON-TV” in Los Angeles and “Hot Rocks,” Dance Videotheque” in New

York. No doubt, local TV stations will cut deals with local radio DJ’s/stations to

produce video shows. LOOK OUT!

MTV is airing “ Billie Jean ” by Michael

Jackson. It’s a big breakthrough some say,

because MTV doesn’t usually play videos by

black artists. MTV says the song is cutting

edge and right for its audience.

Week of March 15, 1983

On MTV

Debuts this week - “The MTV Basement Tapes” - a 30-minute show featuring

video clips from local talent from the country. The monthly program uses an 800

phone number through which the audience can vote for its favorite group. On the

debut show - Toby Redd of Detroit; Brosofske, Chicago; Young Invaders,

Cincinnati; What Is This, Los Angeles; the Slickee Boys, Ocean City MD; and

Stephanie Fuller & Pillow, Los Angeles.

Week of March 15, 1983

Sony and EMI are backing a promotional push for Duran Duran’s video 45

“Hungary Like the Wolf”/ “Girls On Film” Look for 30-second commercials on

MTV.

Playing CD’s - New York’s WNCN-FM ( a classical station), says it’s starting to

play CD’s. So far, they have only 15 in their library, and most of those came from

Japan.

More CD news - Sony says it has supplied Compact Disc Players to 28 album

rock FM stations in key markets to promote the technology. They’ll also get a

year’s supply of CD’s from Columbia. The CD players are valued at $1000.

Stations agreed to give Sony credit whenever they play a Compact Disc on the

air.

Top black singles -

Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Atomic Dog - George Clinton

You Are - Lionel Richie

Fall In Love With Me - Earth, Wind & Fire

Outstanding - Gap Band

I Like It - DeBarge

Too Tough - Angela Bofill

Top Country -

I Wouldn’t Change You If I Could - Ricky

Skaggs

Shine On (Shine All Your Sweet Love On

Me) - George Jones

Swingin’ - John Anderson

We’ve Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton

I Have Love You Girl (But Not Like This Before) - Earl Thomas Conley

The Rose - Conway Twitty

When I’m Away From You - Bellamy Brothers

Reasons To Quit - Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson

Dixieland Delight - Alabama

Hangin’ Around - The Whites

Week of March 15, 1983

Top hits this week in 1983 -

Shame On The Moon - Bob Segar and the Silver Bullet Band

Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran

Do You Really Want To Hurt Me -

Culture Club

We’ve Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers and

Sheena Easton

Back On The Chain Gang - Pretenders

You Are - Lionel Ritchie

One on One - Hall and Oates

Separate Ways - Journey

Mr. Roboto - Styx

I Know There’s Something Gong On -

Frida

Come On Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight

Runners

Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats

Breaking Us In Two - Joe Jackson

All Right - Christopher Cross

Twilight Zone - Golden Earring

Jeopardy - Greg Kihn Band

I’ve Got A Rock ‘N Roll Heart - Eric Clapton