Week of May 1, 1990

American hostage Frank Reed is released after 3 ½ years of captivity in Lebanon

- just eight days after the freeing of another American hostage - Robert Polhill.

Nervous about free market? At the traditional May Day festivities in Moscow -

Thousands jeer President Mikhail S. Gorbachev and the Soviet leadership.

Historic talks begin to reunify Germany.

will have a close trustful dialogue

with Israel.

the Kentucky Derby.

Lativa declares its independence -

and a blow to President Mikhail S.

Gorbachev and his plans for a new

confederation.

Brain tissue has been nurtured into a

colony of living cells that eventually

may be used to replace the damaged

brain cells of people who suffer from

Alzheimer’s, stroke or head injury.

The Vatican and Romania have

decided to reestablish diplomatic

relations after a 40-year break.

The FDA formally approves the antiviral AIDS drug AZT to treat children - the

first AIDS drug sanctioned as a therapy for pediatric use.

Several thousand people turned out in Lithuania to mourn Stanislovas Zhamaitis,

who became a martyr of the republic’s bid for independence by burning himself

to death in a Moscow square last week.

Marry - Actor Paul Hogan to co-star Linda Kozlowski.

Some bestselling books -

September - Rosamunder Pilcher

The Bourne Ultimatum - Robert Ludlum

Week of May 1, 1990

The stand - Stephen King

Skinny Legs and All - Tom Robins

Devices and Desires - P.D. James

Megatrends 2000 - John Naisbitt and Patricia Auburdene

Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball - George F. Will

Means of Ascent - Robert A. Caro

Secrets About Men Every Woman Should Know - Barbara deAngelis

Music news -

Marry - Guns ‘n Roses lead Axl Rose marries longtime girlfriend Erin Everly in a

surprise Las Vegas ceremony. She’s the daughter of Don Everly. Rose said he

wrote the song “Sweet Child of Mine” for her. (This marriage will last about one

month).

On Tour - Madonna’s “Blond Ambition” World Tour 90.

Police in London arrest a man suspected of sending death threats to George

Harrison. The letters began arriving at Harrison’s mansion a year ago.

Passing - Sergio Franchi - Italian-born tenor - pop singer. He was 57.

Television news -

Arsenio Hall will produce a new TV show - “The

Passing - Elton Rule who lead ABC’s to

dominance. He was 72.

Looks like “The Simpsons” and “Married With

Children” are helping Fox - even though the fourth

network has 90% of the country covered with only

129 affiliates. It has the same problem ABC had in

the 1950’s and ‘60’s - and - compared to the other

networks - a lot of affiliates are UHF only. ABC,

CBS and NBC well over 200 affiliates.

Oprah Winfrey says yes, it’s true - she had a child at 14. “The baby was born

prematurely and died shortly after birth.” She said she hoped that matter

remained private, according to a Parade Magazine article. The cat was out of the

bag, after her half-sister, Patricia Lloyd, mentioned it in an interview.

Turner Broadcasting System and ACT Media plan to install TV news into 5,000

supermarkets at checkout lines.

Week of May 1, 1990

General Motors and NBC announce a long-term ad contract for $500 million.

is sentenced to one year in jail for breaking into

Letterman’s house for the sixth time.

Wednesday night television -

CBS - Sydney, The Raisins, Jake and the Fatman,

World’s Funniest, Cleverest, Most Imaginative

Commercials,

NBC - Unsolved Mysteries, Night Court, Dear John,

Quantum Leap, Johnny Carson

ABC - Growing Pains, Head of the Class, Doogie

Howser, MD, the Marshall Chronicles, Equal Justice, Nightline

PBS - Smithsonian World,

HBO - One Night Stand

USA - Miami Vice, Murder She Wrote

Johnny Carson - Dabney Coleman, Yakov Smirnoff

At the movies -

Tales From The Darkside

I Love You to Death

Ernest Goes to Jail. The Guardian

Wild Orchid

The Tenants

Week of May 1, 1990