Week of March 22, 1985

Australian press tycoon Rupert Murdock pays $250 million for 50% of 20 th -

Century Fox Film Corp.

Bowing to President Reagan’s relentless lobbying, both the Senate, then the

House approves the release of $1.5 billion for production of the controversial MX

missile.

President Reagan declares that it is “high time” for a U.S-Soviet summit meeting

and pledges not to deploy new strategic weapons in coming months in a way that

might jeopardize changes for success at the arms control talks in Geneva.

Reagan says he believes there’s a good change such a meeting will take place

with Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev. Reagan is the first American President

since WWII who has not met with his Soviet counterpart.

Bernhard Goetz is indicted before a grand jury on four

counts of attempted murder a month after a panel charged

him only with possessing an illegal gun for shooting four

youths on a subway train in New York. The shootings

occurred December 22 when the four walked up to him and

demanded money. Goetz, who has been robbed before,

began shooting, hitting one of them in the back. Darrell

Cabey, one of the youths, remains paralyzed below the

waist and suffers with brain damage.

South African police in Uitenhage, open fire on a crowd of more than 3,000

blacks - killing 17 and wounding 19. Black witnesses said that police fired without

provocation and that marchers were merely going to a memorial service of 69

who died by police guns in 1960.

A U.S. Army major is shot by a Soviet sentry in East Germany while on official

duty and dies an hour later. Moscow says the major was a spy.

Wendy’s International drops Clara Peller - the 80ish

lady of “Where’s The Beef” commercials. She lost her

contract after doing a commercial for Prego Plus

Spaghetti Sauce. “Clara can only find the beef at one

place: Wendy’s. If she is finding the beef at Wendy’s

and in the spaghetti sauce and somewhere else, it

gets very confusing for consumers” said a

spokesperson.

Week of March 22, 1985

Patient Fred Hicks Sr. (81), who entered Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville, dies

after drinking an air freshener called Oil of Wintergreen instead of his medication.

Officials said that his medication and the air freshener, both green, were kept in

similar containers stored in a hospital refrigerator.

Married - Singer-songwriter Billy Joel to

model Christie Brinkley on a yacht

sailing around Manhattan. Among the

guests - The Stray Cats and Paul Simon.

At the Oscar’s this week:

Motion Picture - “Amadeus”

Actor - F. Murray Abraham - “Amadeus”

Actress - Sally Field - “Places In The

Heart”

Supporting Actor - Dr Haing S. Ngor -

“The Killing Fields”

Supporting Actress - Peggy Ashcroft - “A Passage To India”

Director - Milos Forman - “Amadeus”

Original Screenplay - Robert Benton - “Places In The Heart”

Original Song Score - Prince - “Purple Rain”

Original Song - “I Just Called To Say I Love You” - Stevie Wonder from “The

Woman In Red”

Jimmy Stuart receives an honorary Oscar for 50 years in film.

The government-run South African Broadcasting Corp says it will no longer play

Stevie Wonder’s music because of a remark he made while accepting his Oscar

award. He said he was accepting “in the name of Nelson Mandela - the best-

known black prisoner of South Africa’s apartheid system of white minority rule.”

Wally Amos (48)- founder of the Famous Amos

cookies - sells 51% of his cookie business to the Bass

Family of Ft Worth, Texas. The family has substantial

holdings in Walt Disney Productions and Union Carbide

Steven Bochco (41) - who co-created “Hill Street Blues”

says he is leaving the series at the end of this season.

“I was invited to leave.” “What really is important ... is

that the seven years I’ve been here at MTM have been

the most remarkably productive years in my life.”

Week of March 22, 1985

Passing - actor Sir Michael Redgrave (77) patriarch of the

Redgrave acting dynasty ... of Parkinson’s disease.

Passing - Saxophonist John Haley (Zoot) Sims - one of the

original “Four Brothers” of the Woody Herman band ... of

cancer.

AT & T unveils its second personal computer - the PC-7300

in an effort to challenge IBM.

Some analysts believe the 7300

must have the ability to run

software programs on the same operating system used

by IBM in order to compete. A consultant says that

AT&T wants to see how it does in the market without it.

IBM has been having problems with its AT personal

computer, curtailing shipments early this year because

of problems with some parts. Dealers say there’s a six-

week delay in delivery of the IBM AT’s.

In sports - former Yankee Joe Pepitone - arrested on drug

and weapon possession charges is released from jail on

$15,000 bond. Pepitone (44) was arrested with two other men.

His lawyer says his client maintains that he did not know the

drugs and gun were in the car.

Speculation about a takeover of CBS - its stock rises another

few dollars to 4108.75.

Bestsellers - “Family Album” - Danielle Steel, “Inside, outside” - Herman Wouk,”If

Tomorrow Comes” - Sidney Sheldon, “Proof” - Dick Francis, “Breaking With

Moscow” - Arkady Shevchenko, “Iacocca” - Lee Iaocca with William Novak,

“Citizen Hughes” Michael Drosnin

Television Ratings - Academy Awards - (27.4), The Cosby Show (25.9), Family

Ties (22.8), Dynasty (22.6), 60 Minutes (22.5), Cheers (21.9), Newhart (21.3),

Kate & Allie (21.2), A-Tem (20.6)_, California Girls (20.3), Riptide (19.4), Murder,

She Wrote (19.3), 20/20 (18.9), Hotel (18.7), Crazy Like A Fox (18.50, Eye to

Eye (18.1), Facts of Life (17.9), Night Court (17.8), Highway to Heaven (17.8),

Webster (17.4), Snoopy Gets Married (17.40, Cagney & Lacey (17.2), Scarecrow

& Mrs. King (17.1), Miami Vice (17.0), Knight Rider (17.0), Hill Street Blues

(16.40, Trapper John, MD (16.4), Hardcastle & McCormick (16.3), Knots Landing

Week of March 22, 1985

(16.0).

Monday Night Television - CBS - Scarecrow and Mrs

King, Kate & Allie, Newhart, Cagney & Lacey ... NBC -

Movie, All Together Now ... ABC - The Academy

Awards, The Barbara Walters Special ... PBS - Legends

of Country Music, Good Rockin’

NBC Movie - “Every Which Way But Loose” - (1978) -

Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Ruth Gordon, Geoffrey

Lewis.

Tuesday night television -

CBS - Special-Anna Karenina, American Portrait,

NBC - The A-Team, Riptide, Remington Steele, Tonight Show, Late Night With

David Letterman

ABC - Three’s A Crowd, Who’s The Boss? MacGruder and Loud, Moonlighting,

Nightline

PBS - Nova, Frontline

HBO - Culture Club In Concert

Three’s A Crowd - Jack seeks a psychologist’s help when he has trouble

sustaining his romance with Vicky and hears surprising news about the cause of

his problem.

Riptide - Cody, Nick and Boz rejoin the Army and help the FBI incriminate their

former Vietnam commander.

MacGruder and Loud - Malcolm and Jenny deal

with a jealous man who is harassing his ex-wife.

Hollywood news - Frank Sinatra files a $22 million

lawsuit against the National Enquirer for an article

claiming he went to a Swiss clinic for injections of

youth serum made of sheep cells. The article,

which appeared last October, stated the singer

registered at the clinic under the name of John

Smith and paid $5,000 for the treatments for six

days.

Week of March 22, 1985

Top television shows -

The Cosby Show - 25.9

Family Ties - 22.8

Dynasty - 22.6

60 Minutes - 22.5

Cheers - 21.9

Newhart - 21.3

Kate & Allie - 21.2

A-Team - 20.6

M ovie - California Girls - 20.3

Riptide - 19.4

Murder, She Wrote - 19.3

20/20 - 18.9

Hotel - 18.7

Crazy Like A Fox - 18.5

Eye to Eye - 18.1

Facts of Life - 17.9

Night Court - 17.8

Highway to Heaven - 17.8

Webster - 17.4

Special - “Snoopy Gets Married” - 17.4

Cagney & Lacey - 17.2

Miami Vice - 17.0

Knight Rider - 17.0

Hill Street Blues - 16.4

Trapper John - 16.4

Hardcastle & McCormick - 16.3

Top cable TV channels according to ratings -

WTBS - 2.2 rating

USA - 1.2

CBN - 1.1

CNN - .8 (up 14%)

Nashville Network - .6

CNNHN (Headline News) - .4

Lifetime - .3 (not measured last year)

Three services - MTV, ESPN and Nickelodeon are measured quarterly. MTV -

1.2; ESPN - .8 and Nickelodeon, .9.

Week of March 22, 1985

More cable news - The Disney Channel say it

has managed to reach the break-even point with

about 300,00 fewer subscribers than the amount

frequently cited as the required threshold.

Parent Company Walt Disney had reported combined losses of $63 million for

the startup year of 1983 and for fiscal 1984. The channel now has 1.7 million

paying subscribers, but estimates believed the channel needed 2 million to break

even.

Music news -

Compact discs are being played on the air, by more radio stations, especially

those in the Urban and Adult Contemporary formats. KMGC Dallas, says it is

now playing as many as 5 CD titles an hour! KMGC buys most of its CD library

through a discount deal with a local distributor. KMGC is tagging each CD and

airing promos in the evening that advise listeners to “sit back, adjust your stereo

balance and enjoy this Compact Disc recording.” The station says it is now

getting advertising from record stores who want to move CD product.

KRAV, Tulsa says approximately half of its music is on compact disc. The station

says it has a reputation as a “technical leader and a class outlet” and explains its

move into CD’s was “a natural one.”

Compact Disc update - The current Compact Disc production crunch will be

eased by midyear as increased capacity at major CD manufacturing plants

overtakes the demand. Right now, CD demand exceeds supply.

Dee Snider , lead singer for “Twisted Sister,

says he’s “out to prove to the world that heavy-

metal music isn’t played by idiots for idiots.”

“You don’t have to be stupid to like heavy

metal.” Snider said hard rock is the 1980’s

music of the masses because “no self-

respecting kid wants to listen to a band that his

father approves of.”

MTV Networks say VH-1 is expanding its

audience base far more rapidly than expected

and by the end of the year, should have over

10 million viewers. But the new channel is

Week of March 22, 1985

keeping a low profile and that’s not sitting well with advertisers and cable

companies. Some say it needs this growth in order to survive.

Kevin Metheny , late of WNBC radio and the renowned

program director of Howard Stern, who often referred to

him on air as “pig virus,” has a new job. He moves to

MTV Networks as v.p. of production and music

programming for VH-1 and music programming for MTV.

More VH-1 news - The wiring of VH-1 on Manhattan

Cable is celebrated, giving the video channel some

187,000 new subscribers. The first VH-1 vidclip shown on

the system was “The Boy From New York City” by the

Manhattan Transfer, followed by Ricky Skaggs’ “Country

Boy” - a video where New York Mayor Ed Koch makes a cameo.

The composer of “When Sunny Gets Blue” sues KIIS-FM DJ Rick Dees, for using

an identical melody for his comedy album “Put It Where The Moon Don’t Shine.”

The album contains something called “When Sonny Sniffs Glue” which composer

Marvin Fisher contends is identical to his song. Fisher contends the Dees

parody, which contains spoken words and “obscene” sound effects, diminishes

the value of his original work.

Top hits this week in 1985 -

Material Girl - Madonna

Can’t Fight This Feeling - REO

Speedwagon

The Heat Is On - Glenn Frey

One More Night - Phil Collins

Lover Girl - Teena Marie

California Girls - David Lee Roth

High On You - Survivor

Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Private Dancer - Tina Turner

Too Late For Goodbyes - Julian Lennon

Somebody - Bryan Adams

Careless Whisper - Wham

Only The Young - Journey

Nightshift - Commodores

Week of March 22, 1985

Popular album tracks -

All She Wants to Do Is Dance - Don Henley

Radioactive - the Firm

I’m On Fire - Bruce Springsteen

Forvever Man - Eric Clapton

Rock & Roll Girls - John Fogerty

That Was Yesterday - Foreigner

Just Another Night - Mick Jagger

Don’t Come Around Here No More -

Tom Petty

Don’t You (Forget About Me) -

Simple Minds

Let’s Talk About Me - Alan Parsons

Project

Lonely On Top - Mick Jagger

Somebody - Bryan Adams

Along Comes A Woman - Chicago

I Drink Alone - George Thorogood

Say It Again - Santana

This Is Not America - David

Bowie/Pat Metheny

Why Can’t I Have You - The Cars

Talk To Me - Fiona

Closer - The Firm

Nobody’s Home - Deep Purple

Top albums this week in 1985 -

Centerfield - John Fogerty

No Jacket Required - Phil Collins

Born in The U.S.A. - Bruce

Springsteen

Beverly Hills Cop - Soundtrack

Make It Big - Wham

Like A Virgin - Madonna

Agent Provocateur - Foreigner

Reckless - Bryan Adams

New Edition - New Edition

Wheels Are Turning - REO

Speedwagon

Building the Perfect Beast - Don

Henley

17 - Chicago

Week of March 22, 1985

Crazy From the Heat - David Lee Roth

Break Out - Pointer Sisters

She’s the Boss Mick Jagger

The Firm - The Firm

Suddenly - Billy Ocean

Can’t Slow Down - Lionel Ritchie

Big Bam Boom - Daryl Hall and John

Oates

Top Black hits this week in 1985 -

I’ll Still Be Lookin’ Up to You - Wilton

Felder with Bobby Womack

Nightshift - Commodores

Missing You - Diana Ross

Private Dancer - Tina Turner

New Attitude - patti labelle

‘Til My Baby Comes Home - Luther Vandross

Be Your Man- Jesse Johnson’s Revue

Back In Stride - maze with Frankie Beverly

This Is My Night - Chaka Khan

Tonight - Ready For The World

Careless Whisper - Wham featuring George Michael

Top Country favorites -

Crazy - Kenny Rogers

Seven Spanish Angels - Ray Charles with

Willie Nelson

What I didn’t Do - Steve Wariner

Country Girls - John Schneider

High Horse - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Honor Bound - earl Thomas Conley

I Need More of You - Bellamy Brothers

Time Don’t Run Out On Me - Anne Murray

Rollin’ Lonely - Johnny Lee

The First Word In Memor Is Me - Janie Fricke

Week of March 22, 1985

Radio news -

Gene Taylor, who helped lead WLS Chicago to a dominent top-40 station as an

air personality, program director and general manager, has a new adventure.

He’ll be programming commercial short-wave station NDXE. The target airdate is

sometime in the fall NDXE is America’s second commercial shortwave license -

the first is a simulcast of WRNO, New Orleans. NDXE is owned by Dickson

Norman.

Taylor says initial advertising will be PI (or per inquiry) as a source of quck

revenue. “We’ll be appealing to adults with a top 40/pop adult sound,” says

Taylor.

In Chicago - WAGO-FM (G-106) is now WCKG with the Burkhart Abrams

consulted “Superstar II” album rock format.