Dramaturg’s Statement for Talk Radio
Talk Radio by Eric Bogosian is set in a Cleveland radio station in 1987. It is truly a story about the fabric of America as reflected by the callers and the radio talk show host, Barry Champlain. Although controversial, tough-as-nails and sometimes rude, Barry Champlain is the perfect example of the troubled loner. He is fueled by loathing, cocaine, whisky, and cigarettes. Even though Talk Radio is centered around Barry Champlain to believe that this is Barry’s story could be said to miss Bogosian’s point. This is a story about America. It is set in the unassuming Midwest for a reason and the callers call in and talk about national concerns for a reason. The range of topics such as AIDS, the upcoming presidential elections, the War on Drugs, Communism, the Iran-Contra Affair, anti-Semitism, racism against African-Americans, and nuclear power show the fear and tension that existed in 1987 and in many ways still exists today.
Since the play is set in the confines of a radio studio, the fact that the interaction is mostly with Barry and the callers can be problematic since this limits the amount of on-stage activity. There is not a lot of leeway in regard to the set design since the location remains the same throughout the duration of the play. The creativity comes with how to address the callers and where to put them, on-stage or off-stage. It is also necessary to decide if the callers should use artificial amplification. Most of the critically accepted productions do. However, this could be problematic for production companies with smaller financial resources. The radio advertising spots have to be addressed too. These are written into the script and are a necessary part of the story. As such, it may be helpful to secure the help of a sound designer. Also, since there are no set changes, the lighting design is of importance as the lights help set the tone of the production and emphasize different individuals particularly when they have their monologues aside to the audience.
Most of the dialogue is spoken by Barry Champlain and at a very quick tempo. The actor who plays Barry will not only have to memorize his own lines, but the lines of the callers as well if the tempo of the show is to be maintained. Talk Radio is billed as a comedy even though the subject matter is dark. To keep the element of humor, albeit sarcastic humor, Talk Radio is utterly dependent upon the comic timing of the actors. The lack of comic timing is the kiss of death to a production. Critics often say that the play is too dark to be of any redeeming value and that they do not feel it is funny at all. Part of this problem is textual, however, and the productions that do work keep in mind that tempo is critical.
When addressing the issues surrounding the character of Barry Champlain it is important to note that the age and experience of the actor is important too. Critics have frowned upon young actors playing the role of Barry Champlain because they lack the life experience to portray the sardonic and bitter side of Barry. Of course, in an academic setting this often cannot be avoided. It is something that professional production companies should keep in mind when casting.
Textually Talk Radio provides further problems by the constant chain smoking of Barry. From an ethics perspective, the issue of how to handle the smoking must be addressed. On the one hand, there is a responsibility to portray the play exactly as the playwright has written. On the other hand, the consequences of second-hand smoke are well-known to the American public. Additionally, when casting the role of Barry the concern for that actor’s health must be considered. The question then arises of how to cast the role. Should only actors that smoke be considered for the role? If so, is that a form of discrimination? If the fact that an actor does or does not smoke is ignored, is there the possibility that an unsafe habit may be formed?
Finally, Talk Radio is all about subjects that are controversial. It definitely contains adult subject matter and adult language. As such it is imperative that the community in which the play will be produced be considered. This is particularly important if critical and patron acceptance is important.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
The World of the Play: Statement
Eric Bogosian’s Talk Radio is set in Cleveland, Ohio in 1987. Cleveland is situated in the Great Lakes area near the shores of Lake Eerie. Its proximity to Lake Eerie made it a city of industry. It is actually almost directly across Lake Eerie from Detroit. Cleveland’s location to the Great Lakes means that there is a lot of moisture in the air and, therefore, it receives a fairly high precipitation rate.
It is known from the script that the radio station is housed in Terminal Tower, a fixture of Cleveland. Terminal Tower was originally, in part a train station, and has been remodeled in recent years to include not just offices but also shopping. It is interesting to note that Bogosian used a former train station to house the radio station. Cleveland in 1987 was in a financial recovery following a partial default by the city in 1979. The 1980’s was a decade which saw the city in major decline as there was very little public funds available for city works projects. During this time the U.S. auto industry was beginning decline as well which also affected the already financially desperate city. As the city began to decline, drugs became a part if the city’s makeup and crime rates increased. It seemed as though the national war on drugs could not have come at a better time.
Although Cleveland is a fairly small metropolitan area, in 1987 it was an area where Bogosian could really utilize the specific national affairs of the period in a specific time and place. Cleveland is Middle America. Callers from Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs call in to tell Barry about what is on their mind. The callers act as the American conscious and reflect the way ordinary people felt in a pretty extraordinary time. 1987 is the end of Reagan’s presidential tenure people are beginning to think about who should take over after Reagan was gone. People wondered if perhaps, George Bush would fit the bill. The scandal of the Iran Contra affair was front and foremost in the American mind as was the Lebanon Hostage Crisis. There were a lot of unknown and uncertainties at this time in the world, in America, and in Cleveland. A few years before President Reagan and the Pope were nearly killed in separate assassination attempts. The AIDS epidemic was frightening and real with many people succumbing to this little understood disease. Although politics in the USSR was shifting, people were still uncertain about communism and were frightened about the Cold War. Nuclear anything was dirty word and so the Perry Nuclear Power Plant outside of Cleveland was controversial to say the least.
In spite of the precarious economic state of affairs in Cleveland, there were still ways that Cleveland residents could entertain themselves. Sports, particularly baseball, were very popular. In 1987, the Cleveland Indians were expected to go all the way to the World Series. They had an excellent roster of players which included legendary pitcher Phil Niekro. It was a bitter disappointment when another Midwest rival, the Minnesota Twins, won the series that year. Among other forms of entertainment, music was very important. The type of music being played on the airwaves was changing and though listeners could still hear the progressive rock of the 1970’s, the airwaves were filled with a new pop sound. The new pop sound came from artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. Also, heavy metal was a popular form of music that was loud and rebellious in much the same way as America’s youth had become. In Talk Radio, Bogosian uses the character Kent as an archetype for the rebellious teenager of the time. However, in spite of his “punk” haircut and his shout-out to the babes at the local mall there is something of substance to him. Kent’s reference to Heavy Metal band Megadeath’s album titled “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying” is a very pointed reference, a summary, of the state of Barry Champlain’s talk radio show, of the city of Cleveland, of the state of America’s youth, of the state of America’s politics and society, and of the state of the world. Bogosian’s ability to use the small world Barry Champlain and Cleveland, Ohio to spotlight the larger world of the United States and the entire globe is something that was relevant in Public Theatre’s 1987 premiere of Talk Radio, was relevant in Oliver Stone’s 1988 film version of Talk Radio, was relevant in the 1997 revival of Talk Radio on Broadway, and is something that is still relevant to the audience today.
It is known from the script that the radio station is housed in Terminal Tower, a fixture of Cleveland. Terminal Tower was originally, in part a train station, and has been remodeled in recent years to include not just offices but also shopping. It is interesting to note that Bogosian used a former train station to house the radio station. Cleveland in 1987 was in a financial recovery following a partial default by the city in 1979. The 1980’s was a decade which saw the city in major decline as there was very little public funds available for city works projects. During this time the U.S. auto industry was beginning decline as well which also affected the already financially desperate city. As the city began to decline, drugs became a part if the city’s makeup and crime rates increased. It seemed as though the national war on drugs could not have come at a better time.
Although Cleveland is a fairly small metropolitan area, in 1987 it was an area where Bogosian could really utilize the specific national affairs of the period in a specific time and place. Cleveland is Middle America. Callers from Cleveland and the surrounding suburbs call in to tell Barry about what is on their mind. The callers act as the American conscious and reflect the way ordinary people felt in a pretty extraordinary time. 1987 is the end of Reagan’s presidential tenure people are beginning to think about who should take over after Reagan was gone. People wondered if perhaps, George Bush would fit the bill. The scandal of the Iran Contra affair was front and foremost in the American mind as was the Lebanon Hostage Crisis. There were a lot of unknown and uncertainties at this time in the world, in America, and in Cleveland. A few years before President Reagan and the Pope were nearly killed in separate assassination attempts. The AIDS epidemic was frightening and real with many people succumbing to this little understood disease. Although politics in the USSR was shifting, people were still uncertain about communism and were frightened about the Cold War. Nuclear anything was dirty word and so the Perry Nuclear Power Plant outside of Cleveland was controversial to say the least.
In spite of the precarious economic state of affairs in Cleveland, there were still ways that Cleveland residents could entertain themselves. Sports, particularly baseball, were very popular. In 1987, the Cleveland Indians were expected to go all the way to the World Series. They had an excellent roster of players which included legendary pitcher Phil Niekro. It was a bitter disappointment when another Midwest rival, the Minnesota Twins, won the series that year. Among other forms of entertainment, music was very important. The type of music being played on the airwaves was changing and though listeners could still hear the progressive rock of the 1970’s, the airwaves were filled with a new pop sound. The new pop sound came from artists such as Michael Jackson and Madonna. Also, heavy metal was a popular form of music that was loud and rebellious in much the same way as America’s youth had become. In Talk Radio, Bogosian uses the character Kent as an archetype for the rebellious teenager of the time. However, in spite of his “punk” haircut and his shout-out to the babes at the local mall there is something of substance to him. Kent’s reference to Heavy Metal band Megadeath’s album titled “Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying” is a very pointed reference, a summary, of the state of Barry Champlain’s talk radio show, of the city of Cleveland, of the state of America’s youth, of the state of America’s politics and society, and of the state of the world. Bogosian’s ability to use the small world Barry Champlain and Cleveland, Ohio to spotlight the larger world of the United States and the entire globe is something that was relevant in Public Theatre’s 1987 premiere of Talk Radio, was relevant in Oliver Stone’s 1988 film version of Talk Radio, was relevant in the 1997 revival of Talk Radio on Broadway, and is something that is still relevant to the audience today.
Statement: Producing the Play
Producing Talk Radio
Textual Issues
Since Talk Radio is about a radio program and is a snapshot of “one night in the life of Barry Champlain’s radio program” there are immediate issues. Radio is not something that is meant to be viewed, so there is a problem presented before one even reads the entirety of the script. The issue becomes how to present a predominately listened to medium in a visual way. This is particularly tough because there is very little physical interaction between any of the characters. What drives the production is the callers. The callers pose another interesting textual problem. They were written to be heard and not necessarily seen. If the callers are not visible, then it becomes necessary to use artificial amplification so that they can be heard. This could be problematic for some theatres that do not have the necessary equipment. If the decision is made to put the callers on stage, then there will be more costumes needed even if they are basic. There are close to thirty callers so the sheer number of these extras must be considered. The content of Talk Radio can be controversial to say the least. In reviews Barry Champlain is often referred to as a “shock-jock” and with lines referring to owning blacks or anti-Semite leanings or yelling at a young pregnant teenager for how she “did this” to her boyfriend most of the material is controversial and adult. In the text, it is specifically referenced that Barry smokes heavily. He is meant by Bogosian to be constantly smoking and drinking throughout the whole play. Smoking on stage, particularly constantly, poses problems for a variety of reasons from the fire code to the health of the actor to the health of the audience.
Contextual Issues
Talk Radio is going to be produced in a Raven Rep slot in the Showcase Theatre during the fall semester. It is important to note that as a Raven Rep show, there is virtually no production budget. First, the concern of taking this listened to show and making it something viable will be a concern for the director during casting. There is a problem producing Talk Radio since the age and experience of Barry are far beyond the age and experience found at SHSU. The second problem is that of the callers. It would be very tough to place the callers backstage when utilizing the Showcase especially if trying to allow their dialogue to be heard through artificial amplification. However, if the decision is made to put them onstage, there is the issue of where to put them that will flow with the rest of the set (which would be the station) and how they will be dressed. With either choice there will be problems for either the sound designer/sound engineer or the costume designer. In the text, there are different radio spots that play during station breaks, these must be prerecorded. Since there is a need for prerecorded spots as well as sound amplification and music, it would be helpful to use a sound engineer/sound designer. The final issue is that of smoking. In the SHSU facilities, we do not have very good ventilation. Also, actual smoking would mean the use of live flame which is a potential fire hazard. Beyond these two issues, smoking is a concern for the audience and actors. If Barry smokes between two and three packs of cigarettes a show, as called for in the script, then there is the ethical concern of exposing the audience and actors to that much second-hand smoke. Also, there is the ethical concern that the individual cast as Barry, who in our case will be a student, will be smoking very, very heavily. When casting does that mean that only smokers need apply and if they are smokers are they smoking this heavily? As a school, there is a responsibility to the students to keep them safe so that has to be taken into consideration when handling this problem.
Other Productions’ Solutions
In the original Talk Radio production, the callers in booths backstage listening to Barry on telephones that were mounted with special listening devices and microphones so the audience could hear them. The revival utilized something similar. In terms of casting the callers, nearly every production used one or two female actors for all of the female callers and same with the male callers. Every production utilized a sound designer or engineer. References to smoking are made in different productions, but it does not seem to be problematic. Of course, on Broadway the theatres typically have excellent ventilation. In the Arkansas State University production, it appears that they did not use cigarettes. It seems the best thing to do is give a full disclosure in the pre-performance press release.
Critics’ Response to Other Productions
The New City Stage Co. production was criticized for using actor Paul Felder who they felt was too young and inexperienced to play such a cynical role. The revival with Liev Schreiber was lauded and critics said the role was “made for him.” Sometimes critics would respond to the acting only after they commented on the script. Critics either like the script and find it compelling and truthful or dislike it because it is too hateful with no redeeming qualities. Talk Radio, especially early on, is often compared to Bogosian’s other monologue work.
Textual Issues
Since Talk Radio is about a radio program and is a snapshot of “one night in the life of Barry Champlain’s radio program” there are immediate issues. Radio is not something that is meant to be viewed, so there is a problem presented before one even reads the entirety of the script. The issue becomes how to present a predominately listened to medium in a visual way. This is particularly tough because there is very little physical interaction between any of the characters. What drives the production is the callers. The callers pose another interesting textual problem. They were written to be heard and not necessarily seen. If the callers are not visible, then it becomes necessary to use artificial amplification so that they can be heard. This could be problematic for some theatres that do not have the necessary equipment. If the decision is made to put the callers on stage, then there will be more costumes needed even if they are basic. There are close to thirty callers so the sheer number of these extras must be considered. The content of Talk Radio can be controversial to say the least. In reviews Barry Champlain is often referred to as a “shock-jock” and with lines referring to owning blacks or anti-Semite leanings or yelling at a young pregnant teenager for how she “did this” to her boyfriend most of the material is controversial and adult. In the text, it is specifically referenced that Barry smokes heavily. He is meant by Bogosian to be constantly smoking and drinking throughout the whole play. Smoking on stage, particularly constantly, poses problems for a variety of reasons from the fire code to the health of the actor to the health of the audience.
Contextual Issues
Talk Radio is going to be produced in a Raven Rep slot in the Showcase Theatre during the fall semester. It is important to note that as a Raven Rep show, there is virtually no production budget. First, the concern of taking this listened to show and making it something viable will be a concern for the director during casting. There is a problem producing Talk Radio since the age and experience of Barry are far beyond the age and experience found at SHSU. The second problem is that of the callers. It would be very tough to place the callers backstage when utilizing the Showcase especially if trying to allow their dialogue to be heard through artificial amplification. However, if the decision is made to put them onstage, there is the issue of where to put them that will flow with the rest of the set (which would be the station) and how they will be dressed. With either choice there will be problems for either the sound designer/sound engineer or the costume designer. In the text, there are different radio spots that play during station breaks, these must be prerecorded. Since there is a need for prerecorded spots as well as sound amplification and music, it would be helpful to use a sound engineer/sound designer. The final issue is that of smoking. In the SHSU facilities, we do not have very good ventilation. Also, actual smoking would mean the use of live flame which is a potential fire hazard. Beyond these two issues, smoking is a concern for the audience and actors. If Barry smokes between two and three packs of cigarettes a show, as called for in the script, then there is the ethical concern of exposing the audience and actors to that much second-hand smoke. Also, there is the ethical concern that the individual cast as Barry, who in our case will be a student, will be smoking very, very heavily. When casting does that mean that only smokers need apply and if they are smokers are they smoking this heavily? As a school, there is a responsibility to the students to keep them safe so that has to be taken into consideration when handling this problem.
Other Productions’ Solutions
In the original Talk Radio production, the callers in booths backstage listening to Barry on telephones that were mounted with special listening devices and microphones so the audience could hear them. The revival utilized something similar. In terms of casting the callers, nearly every production used one or two female actors for all of the female callers and same with the male callers. Every production utilized a sound designer or engineer. References to smoking are made in different productions, but it does not seem to be problematic. Of course, on Broadway the theatres typically have excellent ventilation. In the Arkansas State University production, it appears that they did not use cigarettes. It seems the best thing to do is give a full disclosure in the pre-performance press release.
Critics’ Response to Other Productions
The New City Stage Co. production was criticized for using actor Paul Felder who they felt was too young and inexperienced to play such a cynical role. The revival with Liev Schreiber was lauded and critics said the role was “made for him.” Sometimes critics would respond to the acting only after they commented on the script. Critics either like the script and find it compelling and truthful or dislike it because it is too hateful with no redeeming qualities. Talk Radio, especially early on, is often compared to Bogosian’s other monologue work.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Producing the Play
Basic FactsProducing Organization: Public Theatre
Theatre/Venue: Public Theatre/Martinson Hall
City and State: New York City, New York
Month and Year: May 28, 1987 through
Director: Frederick Zollo
Designers: Ted Savinar (Visuals), David Jenkins (Scenery), Pilar Limosner (costumes), and Jan Kroeze (Lighting)
Review Capsule
"New York Times"
Mel Gussow
Section C, Page 3, Column 1, Weekend Desk
May 29, 1987 (Late City Final Edition)
Taken from LexisNexis Academic
Most of the other characters - dozens of them - remain unseen, bizarre voices in the night. But there are also tangible people in Barry's circle, including his producer, and awed assistant (John C. McGinley) and a sexy girl Friday (Robyn Peterson). Each steps forward and, in a spotlighted monologue, pictures another aspect of Barry's career.
"New York Times"
Nan Robertson
Section C, Page 17, Column 1, Cultural Desk
July 30, 1987 (Late City Final Edition)
Taken from LexisNexis Academic
There is a control booth at stage right. Mr. Bogosian as Barry Champlain -"Barry" or "Bare" to his callers - sits jittering at a table at stage left, ready to open his headphones to the next call or punch the cut-off button if the caller displeases him. He is linked electronically to the actors backstage, who hear Mr. Bogosian over phones in each backstage booth, and whose own voices are amplified for the audience by microphones built into the telephone mouthpieces.
Basic FactsProducing Organization: Mosaic Theatre
Theatre/Venue: Mosaic Theatre
City and State: Plantation, Florida
Month and Year: September 13 through October 7, 2007
Director: Richard Jay Simon
Designers: Sean McClelland (Scenic Designer) and Matt Corey (Sound Designer)
Basic Facts Producing Organization: Gift Ensemble
Theatre/Venue: Gift Theatre
City and State: Chicago, Illinois
Month and Year: April 2, 2009 through May 30, 2009
Director: Maureen Payne-Hahner
Designers: Courtney O'Neil (Set Designer), Scott Pillsbury (Light Designer), Branimira Ivanova (Costume Designer), Miles Polaski (Sound Designer)
Review Capsule
"Time Out Chicago"
Zac Thompson
Issue 216, April 16 -22, 2009
http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/theater/73486/talk-radio-at-gift-theatre-theater-review
Bogosian’s shallow character analysis doesn’t do much to justify a revival, either.
That leaves acting pyrotechnics as the chief reason for reviving the thing.
"Chicago Critic"
Randy Hardwick
April 30, 2009
http://chicagocritic.com/talk-radio/
Off-stage we hear the voices of the call-in loonies: pregnant, addicted, racist, air-headed, suicidal, attention-seeking, etc.
Basic Facts Producing Organization: Arkansas State University Theatre
Theatre/Venue: Arkasas State University Theatre in Fowler Center
City and State:Jonesboro, Arkansas
Month and Year: February 13-14, 2009 and February 17-18, 2009
Director: Molly Simpson
Designers: Jeff McLaughlin (Scenic Design), Brent Foland (Costume Design), Bob Simpson (Light Design)
Basic FactsProducing Organization: New City Stage Company
Theatre /Venue: Adrienne Theatre
City and State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Month and Year: December 5, 2008 through January 11, 2009
Director: William Roudebush
Designers: Mark Jesse Swanson (Assistant Director/Sound Designer), Dick Durosette (Set Designer), and Cindy Jensen (Graphic Designer)
Review Capsule
"Philadelphia Weekly"
J. Cooper Robb
December 31, 2008
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/stage-38473809.html
...Champlain sits behind a microphone abusing his callers and ranting about the state of the nation.
...William Roudebush's cartoonish direction undercuts the scene's power.
"Broad Street Review"
Jim Rutter
December 20, 2008
http://www.broadstreetreview.com/index.php/main/print/bogosians_talk_radio_by_new_city_stage_co1
To be sure, the world of this play takes place on the radio, and the callers never see what Champlain looks like. But the audience of Talk Radio can see, and the casting of Felder—even when concealed beneath a skull-cap and Vietnam-era Army jacket—requires far too great a suspension of disbelief.
Basic FactsProducing Organization:The producing team is Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, and JAM Theatricals.
Theatre/Venue: Played on Broadway at the Longacre Theater (220 West 48th Street)
City and State: New York City, New York
Month and Year: February 15th through June 24, 2007
Director: Robert Falls
Designers: Mark Wendland (Sets), Laura Bauer (Costumes), Christopher Akerlind (Lighting), and Richard Woodbury (Sound)
Review Capsule
"The New York Times"
Ben Brantley
March 12, 2007
http://www.talkradioonbroadway.com/pdf/Talk_Radio-NYT_Review.pdf
How Barry perpetuates his egomania is given bright, fast life in Mr. Falls’s production, which runs 100 intermission-free minutes. Mark Wendland’s set, which isolates Barry from his co-workers by a glass wall, ideally underscores the sense of the studio as a kind of cosmic control tower. And Mr. Schreiber’s use of microphones is the best argument ever made for the use of artificial amplification on Broadway.
"Time Out New York"
David Cote
March 14, 2007
http://www.talkradioonbroadway.com/pdf/timeoutnewyork.pdf
As splenetic shock-jock Barry Champlain in Eric Bogosian’s Talk Radio, Schreiber snorts in derision at his fawning, ignorant callers, snuffles back the toxic drip of his coke-laced mucus and, toward the end of this 100-minute shot of pure theatrical adrenaline
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The World of the Play: Micro View
1. Perry Nuclear Power Plant
"The Perry Nuclear Power Plant is an infringement on the health and well-being of all the people living within a five-hundred-mile radius of its reactor core" - quote from Talk Radio
The Perry Nuclear Power Plant is located on a 1,100-acre (450 ha) site on Lake Erie, 40 miles (65 km) northeast of Cleveland in North Perry, Ohio, USA. The nuclear power plant is owned by First Energy Nuclear Operating Corporation.
The reactor is a General Electric BWR-6 boiling water reactor design, with a Mark III containment design. The original core power level of 3,579 megawatts thermal was increased to 3,758 megawatts thermal in 2000, making Perry one of the largest BWRs in the United States.
Built at a cost of $6 billion, Perry-1 is one of the most expensive power plants ever constructed.
Perry was originally designed as a two-unit installation, but construction on Unit 2 was suspended in 1985 and formally cancelled in 1994. At the time of cancellation, all of the major buildings and structures for the second unit were completed, including the 500-foot tall cooling tower. Aerial pictures of Perry show what appears to be two nuclear units. The completed sections have since been raided for spare parts to maintain Unit 1. It is theoretically possible that a second unit could be constructed on the site, but current economical and regulatory conditions are not conducive to doing so (in addition to back taxes that would be due to the "abandon in place" designations on many objects in Unit 2). At any rate, the second unit would have to be re-built from the ground up to accommodate the newer reactor design that would almost certainly be installed.
Perry was the 100th power reactor licensed in the United States. Start of commercial operation November 18, 1987.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Nuclear_Generating_Station
2. The Economic Climate of Cleveland
"Last night an eighty-year-old-grandmother was murdered on Euclid Avenue. Some kids needed cash for crack, so they stuck a knife in Grandma" (indicative of a declining area of the city). -quote from Talk Radio
In 1978, the Cleveland, Ohio, city government defaulted on 15.5 million dollars in short-term loans from local banks.
Cleveland became the first city since the Great Depression to default on its financial obligations. At that point in time, the city was more than thirty million dollars in debt. There were numerous reasons why Cleveland defaulted on its debts. Chief among these reasons was a declining population and relocation of businesses outside of Cleveland during the 1960s and 1970s. As businesses and people relocated, property values declined, hindering the city's ability to collect ample property taxes to meet its needs. City residents or Cleveland city officials repeatedly rejected tax increases during this period, failing to replace the funds lost due to the dwindling tax base.
Cleveland remained in default until 1987. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1646
3. The movie "Light of Day" is filmed in Cleveland. (This movie is a good frame of reference for anyone trying to understand Cleveland in 1987, particularly since images and information from the 1980's is extremely limited.)
This, somewhat forgettable, film starring Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett is still fun for Clevelanders because of its local settings and references. The movie, about a brother-sister rock and roll duo, features scenes filmed in Cleveland Heights and Cleveland's University Circle neighborhood. There's even a glimpse of Akron native, Trent Reznor, right before he burst to fame with "Nine Inch Nails."
http://cleveland.about.com/od/filmsandfilmmakers/tp/clevelandmovies.htm
4. Smoking in Cleveland (This is significant since Barry Champlain is a heavy smoker.)
Cleveland’s 1987 Clean Indoor Air Act – An Introduction
Clean Indoor Air is not new to Cleveland. On February 9, 1987, Cleveland City Council passed the 1987 Clean Indoor Air Act in response to citizen complaints that tobacco smoke rendered many public places inaccessible to those with health conditions, such as asthma.
Cleveland residents testified before Council that they were unable to enter banks, stores, and even City Hall, because of pervasive tobacco smoke. Others stated that smoke in the workplace infringed on their ability to be productive, and that it represented an occupational hazard.
The legislative process led to many compromises and exemptions. However, we should be proud that compared to legislation passed in other cities during that era, Cleveland's 1987 Act was on the cutting edge of this public health issue.
Why the 1987 Clean Indoor Air Act falls short
The 1987 Act completely exempts bars, certain eating establishments, bowling centers, hotel and motel rooms, and certain restrooms and public lobbies. According to the Northern Ohio Data and Information Service (NODIS) at Cleveland State University, this leaves more than 20,000 Cleveland employees and countless customers unprotected and exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis.
In addition, the 1987 Act calls on employees in office workplaces to "request" a "smoke-free work area." This falls short of addressing worker health for two reasons:
1) By requiring that workers "request" a smoke-free work area, the 1987 Act treats secondhand smoke as an inconvenience or preference, not as a known health hazard.
AND
2) Its definition of a "work area" is vague: "...any room, desk, station or other area normally occupied by an employee while carrying out his or her primary work functions." The only known way to protect workers from tobacco smoke toxins is to require separately enclosed, separately ventilated work areas for smokers and nonsmokers.
The 1987 Act does not define or require this standard. http://smokefreecleveland.org/issues/legislation.asp
5.) Sports: The Cleveland Indians in 1987 (Barry and one of the callers get into a debate about who will win the World Series.)
"...flies it out over the lake and drops it in." - quote from Talk Radio
According to the United States Census Bureau,[1] the city has a total area of 82.4 square miles (213.5 km²), of which, 77.6 square miles (201.0 km²) is land and 4.8 square miles (12.5 km²) is water. The total area is 5.87% water. The shore of Lake Erie is 569 feet (173 m) above sea level; however, the city lies on a series of irregular bluffs lying roughly parallel to the lake. In Cleveland these bluffs are cut principally by the Cuyahoga River, Big Creek, and Euclid Creek. The land rises quickly from the lakeshore. Public Square, less than a mile (2 km) inland, sits at an elevation of 650 feet (198 m), and Hopkins Airport, only five miles (8 km) inland from the lake, is at an elevation of 791 feet (241 m).[36]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Ohio
7.Climate
"In Shaker Heights, our good citizens (doctors, lawyers, dentists) have formed a little club - they're having sex with children." - quote from Talk Radio
Diocese confronted clergy abuse in 1987
03/10/02 James F. McCarty and David Briggs Plain Dealer Reporters
One of the darkest chapters in the history of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland opened on the Sunday before St. Patrick's Day, 1987.
An editorial in The Plain Dealer warned that a pedophile priest with a criminal past had been secretly employed the previous seven years in the Cleveland Diocese. The story did not name the priest or his parishIn the 15 years since, substantially more has become known about the mystery priest - and about the cases of other alleged pedophile priests that flared up to embarrass the diocese in the months and years that followed.
All four of the priests whose alleged deviant behavior was made public in 1987 were later sent to new assignments, where some had easy access to children. But not all of their new superiors were told of the allegations.
The Rev. Gary Berthiaume, 1987's mystery priest, was assigned to Ascension Parish on Puritas Avenue in Cleveland's West Park neighborhood in 1979, after leaving the Diocese of Detroit.
Berthiaume brought with him a felony conviction and two sexual-abuse lawsuits for fondling youths in Michigan. He had already served six months in prison and was still on five years' probation.
Cleveland Bishop Anthony Pilla declined to warn parishioners about the pedophile priest he had placed in their midst.
Berthiaume had been "watched like a hawk" during his stay at Ascension Church, with no reports of illegal behavior - a strong indication, Auxiliary Bishop A. James Quinn said at the time, that Berthiaume had been cured of his disease.
But it turned out that the hawk watching Berthiaume at Ascension was the Rev. Allen Bruening - who himself would become the target of several allegations that he sexually molested Catholic grade-school children during his 20-year stay in the Cleveland Diocese.
In a lawsuit filed last year, a former Ascension student accused Bruening and Berthiaume of teaming up to molest him in the school's shower over three years in the 1980s.
Berthiaume left the diocese after the 1987 stories broke. He now works at the Cenacle Retreat House in Warrenville, Ill. Berthiaume did not return phones calls seeking comment.
Bruening was quietly forced to resign as Ascension pastor in late 1984, after another parish family accused him of a pattern of child abuse covering the previous two decades. http://www.cleveland.com/abuse/index.ssf?/abuse/more/10157562251923437.html
9. "Pick 'n' Pay"
"I'm coming out of Pick 'n' Pay and there's this kid sittin' on the hood of my car." -quote from Talk Radio
FIRST NATIONAL SUPERMARKETS, INC. (FINAST) is a leading supermarket chain in the Cleveland area. Its origin can be traced to 1928, when Edward Silverberg opened a small dairy store in CLEVELAND HEIGHTS In the 1930s, Silverberg expanded his company into a chain called Farmview Creamery Stores. He introduced the supermarket to Cleveland in 1938, when he opened a store on E. 185th St. called Pick-N-Pay, which carried dairy products as well as grocery items. Silverberg changed the corporate name of all his stores to Pick-N-Pay Supermarkets in 1940. Pick-N-Pay had grown to 10 supermarkets when it was acquired by the Cook Coffee Co. of Cleveland (later COOK UNITED, INC.) in 1951.
The one remaining Pick-N-Pay was closed in 1994 as well. Locally, in 1995 the chain employed 7,500 employees in 41 stores, including 25 in Cuyahoga County and 7 in the city of Cleveland. http://ech.cwru.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=FNSI
10. Demographics (The issue of race is broached several times in Talk Radio.)
From just over 45,000 residents in 1800, Ohio's population grew at rates of over 10% per decade until the census of 1970, which recorded just over 10.65 million Ohioans.[67] Growth then slowed for the next three decades, and approximately 11.35 million people resided in Ohio in 2000.[68] As of July 1, 2008, the state's population was estimated at 11,485,910 by the United States Census Bureau.[69] Ohio's population growth lags that of the entire United States, and Caucasians are found in a greater density than the United States average.
The state's racial makeup in 2006 was:[76]
82.8% White (non-Hispanic);
11.8% Black (non-Hispanic);
2.3% Hispanic, a category that includes people of many races;
1.5% Asian/Pacific Islander
1.3% mixed race
0.2% Native American/Alaskan Native
0.1% other races.
"The Perry Nuclear Power Plant is an infringement on the health and well-being of all the people living within a five-hundred-mile radius of its reactor core" - quote from Talk Radio
The Perry Nuclear Power Plant is located on a 1,100-acre (450 ha) site on Lake Erie, 40 miles (65 km) northeast of Cleveland in North Perry, Ohio, USA. The nuclear power plant is owned by First Energy Nuclear Operating Corporation.
The reactor is a General Electric BWR-6 boiling water reactor design, with a Mark III containment design. The original core power level of 3,579 megawatts thermal was increased to 3,758 megawatts thermal in 2000, making Perry one of the largest BWRs in the United States.
Built at a cost of $6 billion, Perry-1 is one of the most expensive power plants ever constructed.
Perry was originally designed as a two-unit installation, but construction on Unit 2 was suspended in 1985 and formally cancelled in 1994. At the time of cancellation, all of the major buildings and structures for the second unit were completed, including the 500-foot tall cooling tower. Aerial pictures of Perry show what appears to be two nuclear units. The completed sections have since been raided for spare parts to maintain Unit 1. It is theoretically possible that a second unit could be constructed on the site, but current economical and regulatory conditions are not conducive to doing so (in addition to back taxes that would be due to the "abandon in place" designations on many objects in Unit 2). At any rate, the second unit would have to be re-built from the ground up to accommodate the newer reactor design that would almost certainly be installed.
Perry was the 100th power reactor licensed in the United States. Start of commercial operation November 18, 1987.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perry_Nuclear_Generating_Station
2. The Economic Climate of Cleveland
"Last night an eighty-year-old-grandmother was murdered on Euclid Avenue. Some kids needed cash for crack, so they stuck a knife in Grandma" (indicative of a declining area of the city). -quote from Talk Radio
In 1978, the Cleveland, Ohio, city government defaulted on 15.5 million dollars in short-term loans from local banks.
Cleveland became the first city since the Great Depression to default on its financial obligations. At that point in time, the city was more than thirty million dollars in debt. There were numerous reasons why Cleveland defaulted on its debts. Chief among these reasons was a declining population and relocation of businesses outside of Cleveland during the 1960s and 1970s. As businesses and people relocated, property values declined, hindering the city's ability to collect ample property taxes to meet its needs. City residents or Cleveland city officials repeatedly rejected tax increases during this period, failing to replace the funds lost due to the dwindling tax base.
Cleveland remained in default until 1987. http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1646
3. The movie "Light of Day" is filmed in Cleveland. (This movie is a good frame of reference for anyone trying to understand Cleveland in 1987, particularly since images and information from the 1980's is extremely limited.)
This, somewhat forgettable, film starring Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett is still fun for Clevelanders because of its local settings and references. The movie, about a brother-sister rock and roll duo, features scenes filmed in Cleveland Heights and Cleveland's University Circle neighborhood. There's even a glimpse of Akron native, Trent Reznor, right before he burst to fame with "Nine Inch Nails."
http://cleveland.about.com/od/filmsandfilmmakers/tp/clevelandmovies.htm
4. Smoking in Cleveland (This is significant since Barry Champlain is a heavy smoker.)
Cleveland’s 1987 Clean Indoor Air Act – An Introduction
Clean Indoor Air is not new to Cleveland. On February 9, 1987, Cleveland City Council passed the 1987 Clean Indoor Air Act in response to citizen complaints that tobacco smoke rendered many public places inaccessible to those with health conditions, such as asthma.
Cleveland residents testified before Council that they were unable to enter banks, stores, and even City Hall, because of pervasive tobacco smoke. Others stated that smoke in the workplace infringed on their ability to be productive, and that it represented an occupational hazard.
The legislative process led to many compromises and exemptions. However, we should be proud that compared to legislation passed in other cities during that era, Cleveland's 1987 Act was on the cutting edge of this public health issue.
Why the 1987 Clean Indoor Air Act falls short
The 1987 Act completely exempts bars, certain eating establishments, bowling centers, hotel and motel rooms, and certain restrooms and public lobbies. According to the Northern Ohio Data and Information Service (NODIS) at Cleveland State University, this leaves more than 20,000 Cleveland employees and countless customers unprotected and exposed to secondhand smoke on a regular basis.
In addition, the 1987 Act calls on employees in office workplaces to "request" a "smoke-free work area." This falls short of addressing worker health for two reasons:
1) By requiring that workers "request" a smoke-free work area, the 1987 Act treats secondhand smoke as an inconvenience or preference, not as a known health hazard.
AND
2) Its definition of a "work area" is vague: "...any room, desk, station or other area normally occupied by an employee while carrying out his or her primary work functions." The only known way to protect workers from tobacco smoke toxins is to require separately enclosed, separately ventilated work areas for smokers and nonsmokers.
The 1987 Act does not define or require this standard. http://smokefreecleveland.org/issues/legislation.asp
5.) Sports: The Cleveland Indians in 1987 (Barry and one of the callers get into a debate about who will win the World Series.)
The Cleveland Indians finished in seventh place in the American League East. Sports Illustrated magazine predicted that the Indians would finish in first. Club president Peter Bavasi's would resign before the regular season began. Bavasi had joined the Indians in November 1984. As president of the Cleveland Indians, he served on Major League Baseball's Executive Council. [1] During the 1986 season, the team had an 84-78 record, its best since 1968, and attendance of 1.47 million, its highest since 1959. [2] There was a lot of optimism that the team would reach its full potential in 1987.
In 1987, the Cleveland Indians achieved a baseball first. The Indians had veteran pitchers Steve Carlton and Phil Niekro on their roster to add experience. Their most notable accomplishment was appearing in a game together against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Carlton and Niekro became the first teammates and 300-game winners to appear in the same game. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_Cleveland_Indians_season
6. Topography (Many different locations are mentioned throughout the script. The topography of Cleveland is central to the creation of the different areas of the city and its suburbs.)
"...flies it out over the lake and drops it in." - quote from Talk Radio
According to the United States Census Bureau,[1] the city has a total area of 82.4 square miles (213.5 km²), of which, 77.6 square miles (201.0 km²) is land and 4.8 square miles (12.5 km²) is water. The total area is 5.87% water. The shore of Lake Erie is 569 feet (173 m) above sea level; however, the city lies on a series of irregular bluffs lying roughly parallel to the lake. In Cleveland these bluffs are cut principally by the Cuyahoga River, Big Creek, and Euclid Creek. The land rises quickly from the lakeshore. Public Square, less than a mile (2 km) inland, sits at an elevation of 650 feet (198 m), and Hopkins Airport, only five miles (8 km) inland from the lake, is at an elevation of 791 feet (241 m).[36]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Ohio
7.Climate
"I waited a half hour last night. In the rain." - quote from Talk Radio
Cleveland possesses a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa), typical of much of the central United States, with very warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The Lake Erie shoreline is very close to due east-west from the mouth of the Cuyahoga west to Sandusky, but at the mouth of the Cuyahoga it turns sharply northeast. This feature is the principal contributor to the lake effect snow that is typical in Cleveland (especially east side) weather from mid-November until the surface of Lake Erie freezes, usually in late January or early February. The lake effect causes snowfall totals to range greatly across the city: while Hopkins Airport has only reached 100 inches (254 cm) of snowfall in a given season three times since 1968,[37] seasonal totals approaching or exceeding 100 inches (2,500 mm) are not uncommon in an area known as the "Snow Belt", extending from the east side of Cleveland proper through the eastern suburbs and up the Lake Erie shore as far as Buffalo, New York. Despite its reputation as a cold, snowy place in winter, mild spells often break winter's grip with temperatures sometimes soaring above 70 °F (21 °C). The all-time record high in Cleveland of 104 °F (40 °C) was established on June 25, 1988, and the all-time record low of −20 °F (−29 °C) was set on January 19, 1994.[38] On average, July is the warmest month with a mean temperature of 71.9 °F (22.2 °C), and January, with a mean temperature of 25.7 °F (−3.5 °C), is the coldest. Normal yearly precipitation based on the 30-year average from 1971 to 2000 is 38.7 inches (930 mm).[39] Yearly precipitation rates vary considerably in different areas of the Cleveland metropolitan area, with less precipitation on the western side and directly along the lake, and the most occurring in the eastern suburbs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland,_Ohio
8. Pedophilia in the Cleveland area
"In Shaker Heights, our good citizens (doctors, lawyers, dentists) have formed a little club - they're having sex with children." - quote from Talk Radio
Diocese confronted clergy abuse in 1987
03/10/02 James F. McCarty and David Briggs Plain Dealer Reporters
One of the darkest chapters in the history of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland opened on the Sunday before St. Patrick's Day, 1987.
An editorial in The Plain Dealer warned that a pedophile priest with a criminal past had been secretly employed the previous seven years in the Cleveland Diocese. The story did not name the priest or his parishIn the 15 years since, substantially more has become known about the mystery priest - and about the cases of other alleged pedophile priests that flared up to embarrass the diocese in the months and years that followed.
All four of the priests whose alleged deviant behavior was made public in 1987 were later sent to new assignments, where some had easy access to children. But not all of their new superiors were told of the allegations.
The Rev. Gary Berthiaume, 1987's mystery priest, was assigned to Ascension Parish on Puritas Avenue in Cleveland's West Park neighborhood in 1979, after leaving the Diocese of Detroit.
Berthiaume brought with him a felony conviction and two sexual-abuse lawsuits for fondling youths in Michigan. He had already served six months in prison and was still on five years' probation.
Cleveland Bishop Anthony Pilla declined to warn parishioners about the pedophile priest he had placed in their midst.
Berthiaume had been "watched like a hawk" during his stay at Ascension Church, with no reports of illegal behavior - a strong indication, Auxiliary Bishop A. James Quinn said at the time, that Berthiaume had been cured of his disease.
But it turned out that the hawk watching Berthiaume at Ascension was the Rev. Allen Bruening - who himself would become the target of several allegations that he sexually molested Catholic grade-school children during his 20-year stay in the Cleveland Diocese.
In a lawsuit filed last year, a former Ascension student accused Bruening and Berthiaume of teaming up to molest him in the school's shower over three years in the 1980s.
Berthiaume left the diocese after the 1987 stories broke. He now works at the Cenacle Retreat House in Warrenville, Ill. Berthiaume did not return phones calls seeking comment.
Bruening was quietly forced to resign as Ascension pastor in late 1984, after another parish family accused him of a pattern of child abuse covering the previous two decades. http://www.cleveland.com/abuse/index.ssf?/abuse/more/10157562251923437.html
9. "Pick 'n' Pay"
"I'm coming out of Pick 'n' Pay and there's this kid sittin' on the hood of my car." -quote from Talk Radio
FIRST NATIONAL SUPERMARKETS, INC. (FINAST) is a leading supermarket chain in the Cleveland area. Its origin can be traced to 1928, when Edward Silverberg opened a small dairy store in CLEVELAND HEIGHTS In the 1930s, Silverberg expanded his company into a chain called Farmview Creamery Stores. He introduced the supermarket to Cleveland in 1938, when he opened a store on E. 185th St. called Pick-N-Pay, which carried dairy products as well as grocery items. Silverberg changed the corporate name of all his stores to Pick-N-Pay Supermarkets in 1940. Pick-N-Pay had grown to 10 supermarkets when it was acquired by the Cook Coffee Co. of Cleveland (later COOK UNITED, INC.) in 1951.
The one remaining Pick-N-Pay was closed in 1994 as well. Locally, in 1995 the chain employed 7,500 employees in 41 stores, including 25 in Cuyahoga County and 7 in the city of Cleveland. http://ech.cwru.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=FNSI
10. Demographics (The issue of race is broached several times in Talk Radio.)
From just over 45,000 residents in 1800, Ohio's population grew at rates of over 10% per decade until the census of 1970, which recorded just over 10.65 million Ohioans.[67] Growth then slowed for the next three decades, and approximately 11.35 million people resided in Ohio in 2000.[68] As of July 1, 2008, the state's population was estimated at 11,485,910 by the United States Census Bureau.[69] Ohio's population growth lags that of the entire United States, and Caucasians are found in a greater density than the United States average.
The state's racial makeup in 2006 was:[76]
82.8% White (non-Hispanic);
11.8% Black (non-Hispanic);
2.3% Hispanic, a category that includes people of many races;
1.5% Asian/Pacific Islander
1.3% mixed race
0.2% Native American/Alaskan Native
0.1% other races.
According to a Pew Forum poll, as of 2008, 76% of Ohioans identified as Christian.[77] Specifically, 26% of Ohio's population identified as Evangelical Protestant, 22% identified as Mainline Protestant, and 21% identified as Roman Catholic.[77] In addition, 17% of the population is unaffiliated with any religious body.[77] There are also small minorities of Jehovah's Witnesses (1%), Jews (1%), Muslims (1%), Hindus (<0.5%)
The World of the Play: Macro View
1. The end of Reagan's presidential tenure and the candidacy of George H. W. Bush.
"-we need George Bush to complete what President Reagan-" -quote from Talk Radio
On October 13, 1987, George H. W. Bush announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. He faced three main opponents for the nomination -- Senator Robert Dole of Kansas; Pat Robertson, an evangelical leader; and Representative Jack Kemp from New York. Bush stressed his service as vice president in the Reagan administration, his government experience, and his commitment to continuity. To run his campaign, Bush depended on two allies: James Baker, an old friend from Texas who had served as Reagan's chief of staff and as secretary of the Treasury; and Lee Atwater, a hard-hitting political consultant.
http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/bush/essays/biography/3
2. AIDS Epidemic
"The mailman brings me unsolicited mail, I mean, the postage stamp could have been licked by someone with AIDS. Right"
"New report on AIDS..." - quotes from Talk Radio
New York Times
November 29, 1987
By HILARY STOUT
More than 40 percent of American adults are concerned that they will contract AIDS, and fear of having the deadly disease is prompting many people to change their sexual behavior and take other precautions, the latest Gallup poll indicates.
An overwhelming number of Americans, 68 percent, believe AIDS is the nation's most serious health problem; 14 percent name cancer and 7 percent heart disease, according to the poll.
Twenty percent of American adults are "very concerned" that acquired immune deficiency syndrome will strike them personally, and 22 percent are "a little concerned" that they will contract the disease, the poll found.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/aids/112987sci-aids-2.html
3. Economic Climate
"Now back to Sidney Greenberg and 'Your Taxes and You!' "
"I'm Sidney Greenberg reminding you: 'It's not how much you make, it's how much take
...home.' " - quotes from Talk Radio
The Stock Market Crash of 1987
The stock market crash of 1987 was the largest one day stock market crash in history. The Dow lost 22.6% of its value or $500 billion dollars on October 19 th 1987! In order to understand the crash, we must first study the cause. 1986 and 1987 were banner years for the stock market. These years were an extension of an extremely powerful bull market that started in the summer of 1982. This bull market had been fueled by hostile takeovers, leveraged buyouts and merger mania. Companies were scrambling to raise capital to buy each other out, in essence. The philosophy of the time was that companies would grow exponentially simply by constantly purchasing other companies. In leveraged buyouts, a company would raise massive amounts of capital by selling junk bonds to the public. Junk bonds are simply bonds that have a high risk of loss, so they pay a high interest rate. The money raised by selling junk bonds, would go towards the purchase of the desired company. IPOs were also becoming a commonplace driver of the markets. An IPO is when a company issues stock for the first time. “Microcomputers” were also a top growth industry. People started to view the personal computer as a revolutionary tool that will change our way of life, and create wonderful profit opportunities. The investing public was caught up in a contagious euphoria, similar to that of any other bubble and market crash in history. This euphoria made people, once again, believe that the market would always go up.
http://www.stock-market-crash.net/1987.htm
4. Jews and the World of 1987
"You know there are two kinds of Jews-"
""The sneaky, quiet types and the big-mouthed types." - quotes from Talk Radio
Special Delivery from the Pope
Time Magazine
By Richard Lacayo.;Cathy Booth/Rome and Wayne Svoboda/New York
Monday, Aug. 31, 1987
But the tension level dropped considerably last week following publication of a remarkable papal letter that was as affectingly written as it was astutely timed. The subject: the "terrible experience" of the Holocaust and its lessons for Christians. The three-page missive was addressed to Archbishop John L. May of St. Louis, president of the U.S. conference of Roman Catholic bishops, thanking May for sending him a newly published collection of the Pontiff's statements on Jews and Judaism. While the letter was ostensibly routine, its language was heartfelt. "Christians approach with fearsome respect the terrifying experience of the extermination, the Shoah, suffered by the Jews during the Second World War," wrote the Pope, "and we seek to grasp its most authentic . . . meaning." He went on, "Before the vivid memory of the extermination . . . it is not permissible for anyone to pass by with indifference."
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,965347,00.html
5. African Americans and the World of 1987
"I like you blacks, everyone should own one."
"What does that make blacks? Uneducated?" - quotes from Talk Radio
Proclamation 5743 -- African American Education Week, 1987
November 17, 1987
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Because teachers are among the most important role models in our society, it is truly fitting that we set aside African American Education Week to encourage young African Americans to pursue careers in the field of education.
Americans have always deeply valued the rewards and the advancement that education makes possible. No task is more vital to the strength and security of our Nation than that of providing good education for all our citizens. So that America continues to remain a land of opportunity for all people, we should encourage a wide representation of African Americans as teachers and continued concern for African American students. The National Alliance of Black School Educators is committed to these goals. By inspiring students with a vision of excellence, we can touch the lives of countless youngsters in present and future generations for the better.
The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 174, has designated the week beginning November 15, 1987, as ``African American Education Week'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning November 15, 1987, as African American Education Week. I call upon officials of government at every level, educators, private sector groups, and all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities in support of the achievement of academic excellence among African Americans.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth.
Ronald Reagan
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:39 a.m., November 18, 1987]
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1987/111787c.htm
African American Women College Presidents
On July 1, 1987, for the first time in history, there were three African American women serving as Presidents of Four Year Colleges and Universities in America.They were - Dr. Niara Sudarkasa- President of Lincoln University in Pennslyvania; Dr. Johnetta Cole, President of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia; and Dr. Gloria Randle Scott, President of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dr. Sudarkasa was appointed in February of 1987; Dr. Gloria Scott appointed March 1987, and Dr. Johnetta Cole appointed in May, 1987.
http://www.blackfacts.com/fact/8072cefb-9371-49ac-91f5-0f942492bf2a
6. Communism
"What about communist countries...Red China for instance?"
""Yugoslavia is communist, it's a third-world country, so's Nicaragua, so's Cuba."
-quotes from Talk Radio
Following the death of Konstantin Chernenko (Andropov's successor) in 1985, Gorbachev was appointed general secretary of the party despite being the youngest member of the politburo. He embarked on a comprehensive program of political, economic, and social liberalization under the slogans of glasnost (“openness”) and perestroika (“restructuring”). The nuclear disaster at Chernobyl (1986) forced Gorbachev to allow even greater freedom of expression. The government released political prisoners, allowed increased emigration, attacked corruption, and encouraged the critical reexamination of Soviet history.
In a series of summit talks (1985–88), Gorbachev improved relations with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, with whom he signed an Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) arms limitation treaty in 1987. By 1989 he had brought about the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (see Afghanistan War) and had sanctioned the end of the Communist monopoly on political power in Eastern Europe. For his contributions to reducing East-West tensions, he was awarded the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize. By 1990, however, Gorbachev's perestroika program had failed to deliver significant improvement in the economy, and the elimination of political and social control had released latent ethnic and national tensions in the Baltic states, in the constituent republics of Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova, and elsewhere. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0821290.html
The 1987 Series was remarkable in several regards: It featured the first World Series games played in an indoor stadium (the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome)[1] and the final Series game to start earlier than prime time in the eastern United States (Game 6, with a 4 p.m. ET start), and was the first World Series in which all games were won by the home team. (Four previous series had the home team winning the first six games, but in all four cases, the visiting team won Game 7). The 1987 Twins[2] set the record for the worst regular season win-loss record of any World Series championship team (85–77, .525). This record stood until broken in 2006 by the Cardinals themselves, who won the World Series after going 83–78 (.516).
Besides setting a record for the worst ever regular season winning percentage for a World Series winner (at the time) and hosting the first ever World Series game indoors, the 1987 Twins were the first team to ever enter the World Series having been outscored in the regular season. The 1987 Twins, as a team, were pretty much outnumbered in virtually every major statistical category.[citation needed] As ABC play-by-play man Al Michaels put it in the pre-game show for Game 1 "They were out everything!"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_World_Series
"-we need George Bush to complete what President Reagan-" -quote from Talk Radio
On October 13, 1987, George H. W. Bush announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. He faced three main opponents for the nomination -- Senator Robert Dole of Kansas; Pat Robertson, an evangelical leader; and Representative Jack Kemp from New York. Bush stressed his service as vice president in the Reagan administration, his government experience, and his commitment to continuity. To run his campaign, Bush depended on two allies: James Baker, an old friend from Texas who had served as Reagan's chief of staff and as secretary of the Treasury; and Lee Atwater, a hard-hitting political consultant.
http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/bush/essays/biography/3
2. AIDS Epidemic
"The mailman brings me unsolicited mail, I mean, the postage stamp could have been licked by someone with AIDS. Right"
"New report on AIDS..." - quotes from Talk Radio
New York Times
November 29, 1987
By HILARY STOUT
More than 40 percent of American adults are concerned that they will contract AIDS, and fear of having the deadly disease is prompting many people to change their sexual behavior and take other precautions, the latest Gallup poll indicates.
An overwhelming number of Americans, 68 percent, believe AIDS is the nation's most serious health problem; 14 percent name cancer and 7 percent heart disease, according to the poll.
Twenty percent of American adults are "very concerned" that acquired immune deficiency syndrome will strike them personally, and 22 percent are "a little concerned" that they will contract the disease, the poll found.
http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/science/aids/112987sci-aids-2.html
3. Economic Climate
"Now back to Sidney Greenberg and 'Your Taxes and You!' "
"I'm Sidney Greenberg reminding you: 'It's not how much you make, it's how much take
...home.' " - quotes from Talk Radio
The Stock Market Crash of 1987
The stock market crash of 1987 was the largest one day stock market crash in history. The Dow lost 22.6% of its value or $500 billion dollars on October 19 th 1987! In order to understand the crash, we must first study the cause. 1986 and 1987 were banner years for the stock market. These years were an extension of an extremely powerful bull market that started in the summer of 1982. This bull market had been fueled by hostile takeovers, leveraged buyouts and merger mania. Companies were scrambling to raise capital to buy each other out, in essence. The philosophy of the time was that companies would grow exponentially simply by constantly purchasing other companies. In leveraged buyouts, a company would raise massive amounts of capital by selling junk bonds to the public. Junk bonds are simply bonds that have a high risk of loss, so they pay a high interest rate. The money raised by selling junk bonds, would go towards the purchase of the desired company. IPOs were also becoming a commonplace driver of the markets. An IPO is when a company issues stock for the first time. “Microcomputers” were also a top growth industry. People started to view the personal computer as a revolutionary tool that will change our way of life, and create wonderful profit opportunities. The investing public was caught up in a contagious euphoria, similar to that of any other bubble and market crash in history. This euphoria made people, once again, believe that the market would always go up.
http://www.stock-market-crash.net/1987.htm
4. Jews and the World of 1987
"You know there are two kinds of Jews-"
""The sneaky, quiet types and the big-mouthed types." - quotes from Talk Radio
Special Delivery from the Pope
Time Magazine
By Richard Lacayo.;Cathy Booth/Rome and Wayne Svoboda/New York
Monday, Aug. 31, 1987
But the tension level dropped considerably last week following publication of a remarkable papal letter that was as affectingly written as it was astutely timed. The subject: the "terrible experience" of the Holocaust and its lessons for Christians. The three-page missive was addressed to Archbishop John L. May of St. Louis, president of the U.S. conference of Roman Catholic bishops, thanking May for sending him a newly published collection of the Pontiff's statements on Jews and Judaism. While the letter was ostensibly routine, its language was heartfelt. "Christians approach with fearsome respect the terrifying experience of the extermination, the Shoah, suffered by the Jews during the Second World War," wrote the Pope, "and we seek to grasp its most authentic . . . meaning." He went on, "Before the vivid memory of the extermination . . . it is not permissible for anyone to pass by with indifference."
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,965347,00.html
5. African Americans and the World of 1987
"I like you blacks, everyone should own one."
"What does that make blacks? Uneducated?" - quotes from Talk Radio
Proclamation 5743 -- African American Education Week, 1987
November 17, 1987
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Because teachers are among the most important role models in our society, it is truly fitting that we set aside African American Education Week to encourage young African Americans to pursue careers in the field of education.
Americans have always deeply valued the rewards and the advancement that education makes possible. No task is more vital to the strength and security of our Nation than that of providing good education for all our citizens. So that America continues to remain a land of opportunity for all people, we should encourage a wide representation of African Americans as teachers and continued concern for African American students. The National Alliance of Black School Educators is committed to these goals. By inspiring students with a vision of excellence, we can touch the lives of countless youngsters in present and future generations for the better.
The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 174, has designated the week beginning November 15, 1987, as ``African American Education Week'' and authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week beginning November 15, 1987, as African American Education Week. I call upon officials of government at every level, educators, private sector groups, and all Americans to observe this week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities in support of the achievement of academic excellence among African Americans.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this seventeenth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twelfth.
Ronald Reagan
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:39 a.m., November 18, 1987]
http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1987/111787c.htm
African American Women College Presidents
On July 1, 1987, for the first time in history, there were three African American women serving as Presidents of Four Year Colleges and Universities in America.They were - Dr. Niara Sudarkasa- President of Lincoln University in Pennslyvania; Dr. Johnetta Cole, President of Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia; and Dr. Gloria Randle Scott, President of Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dr. Sudarkasa was appointed in February of 1987; Dr. Gloria Scott appointed March 1987, and Dr. Johnetta Cole appointed in May, 1987.
http://www.blackfacts.com/fact/8072cefb-9371-49ac-91f5-0f942492bf2a
6. Communism
"What about communist countries...Red China for instance?"
""Yugoslavia is communist, it's a third-world country, so's Nicaragua, so's Cuba."
-quotes from Talk Radio
Following the death of Konstantin Chernenko (Andropov's successor) in 1985, Gorbachev was appointed general secretary of the party despite being the youngest member of the politburo. He embarked on a comprehensive program of political, economic, and social liberalization under the slogans of glasnost (“openness”) and perestroika (“restructuring”). The nuclear disaster at Chernobyl (1986) forced Gorbachev to allow even greater freedom of expression. The government released political prisoners, allowed increased emigration, attacked corruption, and encouraged the critical reexamination of Soviet history.
In a series of summit talks (1985–88), Gorbachev improved relations with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, with whom he signed an Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) arms limitation treaty in 1987. By 1989 he had brought about the end of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (see Afghanistan War) and had sanctioned the end of the Communist monopoly on political power in Eastern Europe. For his contributions to reducing East-West tensions, he was awarded the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize. By 1990, however, Gorbachev's perestroika program had failed to deliver significant improvement in the economy, and the elimination of political and social control had released latent ethnic and national tensions in the Baltic states, in the constituent republics of Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova, and elsewhere. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/people/A0821290.html
The American Experience:The Iran Contra Affair By Julie Wolf
Ronald Reagan's efforts to eradicate Communism spanned the globe, but the insurgent Contras' cause in Nicaragua was particularly dear to him. Battling the Cuban-backed Sandinistas, the Contras were, according to Reagan, "the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers." Under the so-called Reagan Doctrine, the CIA trained and assisted this and other anti-Communist insurgencies worldwide. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reagan/peopleevents/pande08.html
7. The Iran Contra Affair
"How do you think thay pay for all those covert wars? Laos, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Air America, Iran Contra, it's a time-honored tradition." - quote from Talk Radio
The American Experience: The Iran Contra Affair By Julie Wolf
In 1985, while Iran and Iraq were at war, Iran made a secret request to buy weapons from the United States. McFarlane sought Reagan's approval, in spite of the embargo against selling arms to Iran. McFarlane explained that the sale of arms would not only improve U.S. relations with Iran, but might in turn lead to improved relations with Lebanon, increasing U.S. influence in the troubled Middle East. Reagan was driven by a different obsession. He had become frustrated at his inability to secure the release of the seven American hostages being held by Iranian terrorists in Lebanon. As president, Reagan felt that "he had the duty to bring those Americans home," and he convinced himself that he was not negotiating with terrorists. While shipping arms to Iran violated the embargo, dealing with terrorists violated Reagan's campaign promise never to do so. Reagan had always been admired for his honesty.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reagan/peopleevents/pande08.html
It was not until 1986 that word had gotten out about the secret transactions. The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa published a series of articles in November 1986, that exposed the weapons-for-hostages deal. On November 18th, 1987, the Congress issued a report on the affair that stated the president bore "ultimate responsibility."
Upon further investigation, Attorney General Edwin Meese verified the report and an independent special prosecutor, Lawrence E. Walsh, was assigned to investigate the deals involving the arms sale and the Contra support.
The hearings surrounding the scandals were televised from May to August in 1987. Military aide Marine Lt. Colonel Oliver North, former CIA chief William J. Casey, National Security Advisor John Poindexter, former defense secretary Caspar Weinberger, and many other high-ranking government officials were publicly investigated.
It was finally found that National Security Advisor Poindexter had personally authorized the diversion of money to the Contra rebels; all the while withholding the information from President Reagan. The CIA's William J. Casey played a part in the conspiracy, but he died during the hearings. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1889.html
8. Lebanon Hostage Crisis
"Who can stop the toxic wastes, the terrorism, the nuclear build-up, the assasinations?" -quotes from Talk Radio
1987: Peace envoy imprisoned in Beirut Reports from Lebanon say Church of England envoy Terry Waite has been kidnapped by an Islamic militia group.
Mr Waite, 47, disappeared on 20 January, eight days after arriving in the capital, Beirut, to try to free four hostages, including British journalist John McCarthy. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/2/newsid_2524000/2524703.stm
Charles Glass. American television correspondent Charles Glass was seized on June 17, 1987, by a previously unknown group, the "Organization for the Defense of Free People", (believed to be one of Hezbollah's aliases) he escaped 62 days later.[14]
Rudolph Cordes and Alfred Schmidt, two citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) abducted in January 1987 by an organization calling itself "Strugglers for Freedom." The West Germans were seized shortly after the West German government arrested Muhammad Ali Hamadi, a Shia terrorist leader who allegedly masterminded the 1985 TWA Flight 847 hijacking and killed diver Robert Dean Stethem. Muhammad Ali Hammadi was not released at that time but was in 2006, "in an apparent exchange for a German hostage in Iraq."[20]
Terry Waite. Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite, who disappeared January 20, 1987, while on a negotiating mission to free the other kidnap victims, spent almost five years in captivity, nearly four years of it in solitary confinement, after he was seized by Islamic Jihad from a go-between's house in Lebanon on January 20, 1987. Before his release in November 1991 he was frequently blindfolded, beaten, and subjected to mock executions. He lived much of the time chained to a radiator, suffered desperately from asthma, and was transported in a giant refrigerator as his captors moved him about. [21] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon_hostage_crisis
9. Assassination Attempts on The Pope and President Ronald Reagan
"They tried to kill the pope, Barry!" - quote from Talk Radio
More than half the world's population was not born or was less than 10 years old when a 23-year-old Turk named Mehmet Ali Agca shot Pope John Paul II four times with a 9-mm pistol from a distance of 15 feet as the pope drove through a crowd of 20,000 in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981. http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/4/5/160320.shtml
Monday - March 30 (1981)
I was almost to the car when I heard what sounded like two or three firecrackers over to my left - just a small fluttering sound, pop, pop, pop. I turned and said, "What the hell's that?" Just then, Jerry Parr, the head of our Secret Service unit, grabbed me by the waist and literally hurled me into the back of the limousine. I landed on my face atop the armrest across the back seat and Jerry jumped on top of me. When he landed, I felt a pain in my upper back that was unbelievable. It was the most excruciating pain I had ever felt. "Jerry," I said, "get off, I think you've broken one of my ribs."
Little by little, though, I learned what had happened and what the situation was: I had a bullet in my lung; Service agent Tim McCarthy had been shot in the chest; policeman Tom Delehanty had been shot in the neck. All of us had been hit by the gun of a young lone assailant who was in police custody. When Jim Brady, a funny and irreverent man who was as talented and well liked as anyone in the White House, was wheeled by me unconscious on his way to the operating room, someone told me he was hit so badly he probably wouldn't make it, and I quickly said a prayer for him. http://www.ronaldreagan.com/march30.html
10. Sports: Baseball
"Hey, I disagree with you on that one, Bar! They're gonna take the pennant. Niekro's gonna win twenty!" - quote from Talk Radio
October 25 – 1987 World Series: The Minnesota Twins win despite having the worst regular season win-loss ratio for a winner, a record they hold until 2006.
The 1987 Series was remarkable in several regards: It featured the first World Series games played in an indoor stadium (the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome)[1] and the final Series game to start earlier than prime time in the eastern United States (Game 6, with a 4 p.m. ET start), and was the first World Series in which all games were won by the home team. (Four previous series had the home team winning the first six games, but in all four cases, the visiting team won Game 7). The 1987 Twins[2] set the record for the worst regular season win-loss record of any World Series championship team (85–77, .525). This record stood until broken in 2006 by the Cardinals themselves, who won the World Series after going 83–78 (.516).
Besides setting a record for the worst ever regular season winning percentage for a World Series winner (at the time) and hosting the first ever World Series game indoors, the 1987 Twins were the first team to ever enter the World Series having been outscored in the regular season. The 1987 Twins, as a team, were pretty much outnumbered in virtually every major statistical category.[citation needed] As ABC play-by-play man Al Michaels put it in the pre-game show for Game 1 "They were out everything!"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_World_Series
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Images
Image of Cleveland Union Terminal which is now called Tower City Center. The commuter train, seen in the foreground, no longer runs and Cleveland Union Terminal, seen in the background, was eventually revitalized. The train tracks were taken out and retail and office space was put in. (Terminal Tower is where the radio station is located)
Image of Girard, south of Liberty Street, (site condition unknown)+ Niles Mahoning, at Pratt, (foundation is still visible). PHOTO:Seen in the 1980s shortly before demolition. (An example of the urban blight prevalent in Cleveland during the 1980's).
Map of the City of Cleveland (where Talk Radio is set)http://www.dot.state.oh.us/maps/Cities/Cleveland.jpg
Image of Cleveland, Ohio.
(The city where Talk Radio is set)
http://www.arsc-audio.org/conference/2004/weather2004.html
Megadeth "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?" Album Cover (Mentioned by Kent when on the air). http://playstation.joystiq.com/2008/09/12/rock-band-weekly-dlc-megadeth-album-rb-tour-pack/
Image of the inside of a Radio Studio in 1987.
(Talk Radio, as the title suggests, is set in a radio studio)
http://media.photobucket.com/image/radio%20studio%201987/dhvoice/scans/c23082b3.jpg
Legendary Pitcher for Cleveland Indians. He was supposed to help the Cleveland Indians win the World Series. In Talk Radio, Barry Champlain tells the caller there is no way Niekro's going to
make a difference since he's "fifty year's old!"
http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii32/logawv/Drawer31/?action=view¤t=2.jpg
Perry Nuclear Power Plant (One of the callers begins to read a treatise about the evils of nuclear power and specifically mentions the Perry Nuclear Power Plant as an example of local evil)
www.lakeland.cc.oh.us/ACADEMIC/ENGINEER/nuclear
The band, Slayer, in a photograph taken in front of Cleveland Music Hall, February 9, 1987. The link connects to the set list for the concert and provides video recordings. (Kent might have been at this concert).
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/slayer/1987/cleveland-music-hall-cleveland-oh-5bd64b00.html
Terminal Tower in Cleveland.
(The location of the Talk Radio Studio)
www.clevelandmemory.com/.../ctt/gamut9.html
Image of Cleveland, Ohio.(The city where Talk Radio is set)
http://www.arsc-audio.org/conference/2004/weather2004.html
Megadeth "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?" Album Cover (Mentioned by Kent when on the air). http://playstation.joystiq.com/2008/09/12/rock-band-weekly-dlc-megadeth-album-rb-tour-pack/
Image of the inside of a Radio Studio in 1987.
(Talk Radio, as the title suggests, is set in a radio studio)
http://media.photobucket.com/image/radio%20studio%201987/dhvoice/scans/c23082b3.jpg
Legendary Pitcher for Cleveland Indians. He was supposed to help the Cleveland Indians win the World Series. In Talk Radio, Barry Champlain tells the caller there is no way Niekro's going to
make a difference since he's "fifty year's old!"
http://s260.photobucket.com/albums/ii32/logawv/Drawer31/?action=view¤t=2.jpg
Perry Nuclear Power Plant (One of the callers begins to read a treatise about the evils of nuclear power and specifically mentions the Perry Nuclear Power Plant as an example of local evil)www.lakeland.cc.oh.us/ACADEMIC/ENGINEER/nuclear
The band, Slayer, in a photograph taken in front of Cleveland Music Hall, February 9, 1987. The link connects to the set list for the concert and provides video recordings. (Kent might have been at this concert).http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/slayer/1987/cleveland-music-hall-cleveland-oh-5bd64b00.html
Terminal Tower in Cleveland.
(The location of the Talk Radio Studio)
www.clevelandmemory.com/.../ctt/gamut9.html
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