Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2009 > February
February 2009
2/28: Paul Harvey dies at age 90
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The new Wordpress TV & Radio blog has an item about Paul Harvey dying.
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2/26: WRFG-FM in financial trouble
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The new AJC Radio & TV Talk blog features a story about the financial woes of WRFG-FM (“Radio Free Georgia”).
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2/26: What is former WAGA-TV broadcaster Brett Martin up to?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Find out what Brett Martin is up to on the new Wordpress TV & Radio blog.
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2/24: Switching to a new blog url for Radio & TV Talk
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Radio & TV Talk, after more than four years at this current location, is moving to fancier digs using Wordpress. Please bookmark the new url. I’d greatly appreciate it.
The new url is http://blogs.ajc.com/radio-tv-talk/
Thank you for your support.
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2/23: Academy Awards ratings bounce back from low in 2008
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Academy Awards saw ratings rise more than 13 percent year over to about 36.3 million compared to 32 million a year ago.
While that is an improvement, most Awards shows in recent years have drawn 40 million plus. But I guess an improvement is an improvement. Charming non-comedian host Hugh Jackman is getting good reviews for his hosting abilities (plus his singing and dancing abilities.)
Getting five past winners to say admirable bon mots to the nominees of the four major acting awards was a decent effort to change things up but did drag on a bit long. The tradeoff: an elimination of those painfully long and pointless montages of past films.
Ben Stiller’s gum-chewing, indifferent, Hasidic Jew beard-length imitation of Joaquin Phoenix was incredibly funny:
It would help if you knew about Phoenix’s oddball “Was he for real?” original Letterman appearance a couple weeks ago:
().
And bravo to James Franco and Sean Regan for their funny skit about comedy films:
Having Queen Latifah sing a song while the gallery of dead people showed up on screen was also a change of pace, but it obscured our ability to discern who was more “popular” based on applause. Naturally, Paul Newman got the “pimp” spot at the end.
Good news, as Jackman joked: the head of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences didn’t do a speech! And Jerry Lewis thankfully kept his speech short (and he didn’t look half bad. Good job, makeup people!)
Still, the show went about 23 minutes long. That’s typical. And the results were not shocking with “Slumdog” winning eight awards and Kate Winslet bagging her first Oscar. Sean Penn beating Mickey Rourke was a close call (and that was my biggest miss in my Oscar pool.)
Locally, the show wasn’t quite as popular as it was nationally. It drew about 750,000 metro Atlanta viewers, comparable to an “American Idol” episode.
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2/23: Lisa Wu Hartwell sues Keith Sweat for full custody of her kids
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Real Housewives of Atlanta” housewife Lisa Wu Hartwell last Thursday filed for primary custody of her two sons with ex-husband and R&B singer Keith Sweat.
“The best interest of the minor children will be served by modifying the current custody and visitation provisions to make Mother the primary physical condition of the minor children,” according to the court papers filed with the Superior Court of Fulton County. “Since the time of the Divorce Decree, Mother has remarried, owns a successful business and will provide a stable, loving, and nurturing environment in which she can raise the minor children.”
She is seeking “primary physical custody and joint legal custody with final decision-making on all issues regarding the minor children.” She will “reasonably engage Father in good faith discussions before any final decisions are made concerning the children’s welfare.” The two children are Jordan Sweat, age 14 and Justin Sweat, age 11.
If she does get custody, she requests child support as well.
In 2003, Sweat received primary custody of the children. According to the final divorce decree at the time written by Fulton Superior Court judge Cynthia D. Wright, Sweat and Wu Hartwell married in 1992 and had the judge termed at the time an “extremely tumultuous relationship.” Wright wrote that “there is evidence that Father has been violent towards Mother, but no evidence he has ever been violent with any of his children.”
The judge felt the children at the time “lacked structure in their lives, due in substantial part to Mother’s numerous business ventures and frequent trips out of town… Mother has a history of spending money on herself excessively rather than providing for the children… There was some evidence at trial that Mother implicitly participated in robbing Father in the presence of the children. She also took money from Father prior to the initiation of this matter. This behavior causes the Court to question Mother’s maturity and judgment.”
Although Sweat, too, travels frequently, the decree said Sweat’s mom helped care for the children. “Father is capable of providing a stable, secure home environment for the boys where their care is not delegated to random third parties,” the judge wrote.
Wu Hartwell has had visitation rights and has said in past interviews she sees her sons frequently. Neither boy was shown on camera or even talked about on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” because Sweat would not give her legal permission to do so. Sweat is never mentioned by name on the show.
Wu Hartwell is currently married to former NFL player Ed Hartwell. They have a child, who we saw on the TV show, which begins taping its second season today.
Carlos Scott, her publicist, said Wu Hartwell cannot speak on the subject while it’s in the court system. Wu Hartwell said nothing about the custody case oSaturday at her South Dekalb Mall appearance though she did note that her ex-husband didn’t clear her sons to be on the show.
We are currently seeking comment from Sweat, who happens to be promoting his new Peachtree TV special airing this week reuniting the group Dru Hill. Sweat made no mention of the custody case this morning in an interview with Frank & Wanda on V-103.
The complaint does not state how the children are doing currently or provide any overt evidence of problems while the boys are under Sweat’s custody.
• More on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”
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2/21: “Real Housewives of Atlanta” entertain South Dekalb Mall shoppers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A trio of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” were scheduled to start a panel discussion at South Dekalb Mall Saturday at 4 p.m.
Naturally, they were fashionably late. V-103 host and moderator Ryan Cameron said Sheree Whitfield was holding things up.
The crowd of more than 250 people didn’t mind the lateness. At 4:30 p.m., NeNe Leakes came up on stage first to the chants of “NeNe! NeNe!” NeNe, with short hair and a single shoulder-bearing shirt (but no cleavage), clearly was the favorite. (“I love the short hair. I get up and go!”)
Questions were written and asked in advance. The biggest bit of news: shooting begins Monday for season two!
First question— what were the best and worst parts of being on camera?
NeNe: “Everyone is digging in your business thinking they know me. They don’t know me!” she said. “However, I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
“Everyone is judging you because they’ve seen an hour of your life,” Sheree said. “The best part is seeing so many young people and I’ve inspired them.”
Question two: have you spoken to DeShawn Snow? Was she too normal to be on the show?
Lisa: “That wasn’t the reason she wasn’t on it. We are who we are. There’s no phoniness about her. The problem she didn’t really engage.”
Nene: “We talk to her regularly. She was disappointed she didn’t have a chance to come back. it wasn’t because she was normal.”
“And we’re abnormal?” Lisa said.
“The real deal,” NeNe said. “You need a bigger-than-life personality. She just didn’t have it.”
Question 3: “Where is Kim?” and “Who is Big Papa?”
Lisa: “We’re not telling.”
“She’s in California,” NeNe said.
“Singing?” someone yelled in the audience to laughs.
Online poll—who was the bitchiest? Sheree won.
Sheree does not apologize: “When you have an African American woman who is strong, she’s a bitch.”
Was NeNe’s kids affected by this?
NeNe: “My kids are fine. My oldest son is a little shy. My youngest son was really into it.”
NeNe said taping for season two starts Monday. “People said I wasn’t coming back. What were they thinking?” She acknowledged rumors that she was doing her own show but swatted them away.
Why were Lisa’ s two other children not on the show? Keith Sweat wouldn’t let them.
Re: Chris Brown/Rihanna.
NeNe: “For me, the reason I decided to talk about domestic violence. It was healing. I had already healed and moved on. I thought this was a way to help out other women. It was hard for me to get out of the situation I was in. If I can do, you can do it.”
Lisa: “Our stories were never trying to expose anyone. It shouldn’t matter. The fact we overcame is what matters. It can happen to anybody. Chris Brown/Rihanna. You don’t know what’s going on. But there is happiness afterwards.”
Why did Lisa get so mad on the reunion show: “Why she wanted to make me want to flip her over the couch. I’m very mild-mannered. But I could be real too. She did things two days regarding me and my children. It kind of makes it seem like I went off saying something else. She said some things.” [Kim was saying Lisa lost custody of her kids to Keith Sweat because of drugs. She denied that.]
Sheree’s clothing line She By Sheree: She said it will be ready for the fall.
Sheree doesn’t read the blogs. Lisa said she started doing so but stopped after awhile.
NeNe notes they they get paid, that of course they don’t do this for free. “And it’s six figures.” And they get more for season two than season one but she wasn’t any more specific.
“You want NeNe to have her own show?” Ryan asked the crowd.
“She’s real,” someone said in the audience.
“I don’t know how to pull away yet,” NeNe said, of people interrupting her for dinner.
Would Lisa do Playboy? “No. I have too much integrity.”
Oddly, Sheree’s mike seemed to have its volume too low so it was hard to hear waht she was saying. Or maybe she simply doesn’t have a loud voice.
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2/20: Watch for the Real Housewives of Atlanta panel discussion at South Dekalb Mall 4 p.m. Saturday 2/21
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m going to shamelessly promote an appearance by three of the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” at the South Dekalb Mall at 4 p.m. Saturday, February 21. They will answer questions from fans and hand out autographed photos.
The three: Nene Leakes, Sheree Whitfield and Lisa Wu Hartwell. Kim Zolciak is in Hollywood and won’t be there. (If you recall, DeShawn Snow is no longer on the show and Bravo is still seeking a replacement - or at least hasn’t said who she will be.)
I don’t think Bravo has started taping season two. Once they do, I’m sure the new fifth housewife will leak out quickly.
V-103’s Ryan Cameron will moderate. It will be at the Macy’s performance stage. Yes, I’ll be there with camera in tow and will blog about it over the weekend.
The mall is located at Interstate 20 and Candler Road. For more information, call 404-241-2431 or visit www.galleryatsouthdekalb.com.
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2/19: Bert’s Big Adventure takes off today
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Q100’s Bert Weiss raises $150,000-plus each year to take 13 or 14 kids and their families to Disney World. And the kids are usually very ill, sometimes terminally so, sometimes merely chronically so. Their sisters and parents go, too. This year, a total of 79 people are going to spend a weekend in Florida, including 17 staffers.
It’s an admirable and very involved operation Bert has done for seven years. I haven’t written much about it since its first year. So I came by the kickoff party at the Sheraton Gateway this morning. (Sure, Bert hardly needs more publicity, given how well his show is doing but hey, this does involve cute kids.)
I’m on deadline for another story and would like to write a bit more about this but for now, here are some photos:
ABOVE: Christian Pinckard, 8, had a kidney transplant as a young child and has had multiple pneumonias thanks to a depressed immune system. His mom Carrie and he live in Fairmont, Ga.
ABOVE: There won’t be a live Bert show Friday but the morning show plans to Tweet regular on Twitter.
ABOVE: Bert Weiss gabs about Disney World with 8-year-old Mya Millington, who has “prune belly syndrome,” a rare situation where she has no stomach muscles and has had to eat food through a tube much of her life.
ABOVE: Jenn Hobby and Melissa Carter listen to one of the family’s stories Thursday morning before they left for Disney World.
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2/20: Whatever happened to… Bobbie Battista?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Remember Bobbie Battista, a mainstay of CNN Headline News back in the 1980s and ’90s?
She’s now doing mock news reports for the Onion. She said she taped four of them. The first one debuted this month.
Battista left CNN in 2002 and ran a PR firm for five years. She worked on a talk show for a startup news operation for a few months, hoping it would be like CNN in 1980. Didn’t work. She laid low in 2008 but has been working recently on a content development company with a bunch of other former female TV execs.
She did the Onion as a lark. “I haven’t been in news since CNN,” she said, so why not?
Here’s a hilarious sample, touting a fake drug that helps people who are chronically chipper. Warning: there are a couple of curse words in this report for those of you who don’t like that sort of thing:
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2/18: Clark Howard has prostate cancer, caught early
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WSB-AM and HLN host Clark Howard has early-stage prostate cancer.
He told me he’s set to announce it today on his radio show at 2:30 p.m.
Given what doctors had warned him leading up to the diagnosis two-plus weeks ago, he said he wasn’t surprised. And since the doctors detected it so early, his chance of full recovery, he said, is almost 100%.
After extensive research (you wouldn’t expect anything less from Clark), he plans to have laparoscopic surgery, though he has yet to set a date. Howard said when he does the surgery, he will be out two weeks to recover.
Howard, who is 53 years old, said he was on his annual trip with his employees, this year to China, when his wife Lane called him with the news. “There was no shock, no fear,” he said. “This isn’t what’s going to kill me. It’s probably going to be something like driving down 285 will kill me.” (He also used to ride a scooter around town but his wife forced him to sell it.)
He plans to encourage male listeners to get checked. “Guys don’t go to the doctor,” he said. “That’s a big mistake. What kills guys are silent killers. We don’t do the basics we should like go for physicals and checkups.” Women generally “are more used to being poked around. Guys are really wimps about this stuff.”
Howard notes that in Europe, doctors often go into “watchful waiting” for early detection cancer patients, checking every 90 days. But only 9 percent of patients in the United States take that option, he said. Here, people would rather get the surgery over with pronto.
The well-reknowned cheapskate is such an upbeat, amiable guy, when he has told colleagues and friends about it, they sometimes don’t believe him. “Everybody reacts in their own way,” he said, based on their own experiences. “If they had a family member die of a brutal cancer, it’s doom and gloom. If they had a family member have a minor cancer, they’re cool.”
UPDATE: He repeated much of this on the air to listeners of more than 200 radio stations nationwide at 2:30 p.m. today. He noted that doctors noted an elevated PSA reading more than two years ago and had him checked every 90 days, plus a biopsy ever six months. The fourth biopsy recently showed some trouble. “It’s not a walk in the park, but it’s not that big a deal,” he said.
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2/16: Protest held to bring Warren Ballentine & Al Sharpton back to Atlanta radio
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABOVE: Dolorise Chapman and her daughter Chelsi Alexander at the protest outside Radio One on Marietta St. Monday. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ajc.com
About 15 to 20 people were at a protest this afternooon to get Warren Ballentine and Al Sharpton back on the FM airwaves in front of Radio One offices in downtown Atlanta today when I stopped by briefly to check things out.
As of today, Ballentine and Sharpton are gone from Grown Folks 102.5, which is now gospel. (Praise moved from 97.5). Recently, Radio One dumped smooth jazz for straight R&B at 107.5 and has begun simulcasting on 97.5. Morning host Steve Harvey and afternoon host Michael Baisden made the move. Sharpton and Ballentine, which are all talk and far more political, were dumped.
Fans of Ballentine already have posted a petition, which has 905 names as of my last check.
“We’re making a stand,” said Dolorise Chapman, a government employee from Lithonia. “He keeps us up to date with information we don’t get anywhere else.”
“We need them back on the radio. We need talk radio for the black community,” said Anita Bracy, a cashier at Uptown Comedy Corner. I’ve learned about Sean Bell. I’ve learned about Jena Six. I’ve learned about Genarlow Wilson. I didn’t get this from CNN or Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck.” WAOK-AM, she feels, is inadequate in comparison.
“Al Sharpton spent years protesting,” added David French, an unemployed Atlanta man. “Now we get to protest for him.”
I can’t say this is a major groundswell per se. And there weren’t a lot of employees at Radio One today because “our offices are closed today for President’s Day,” said General Manager Tim Davies.
His reaction to the protest? “Hey! It’s a free country. And it’s good to see people are active and care about their radio station. That’s a great thing.” But don’t expect the protest to change management’s mind.
Problem: ratings for Ballentine & Sharpton were lower than that of Harvey or Baisden.
ABOVE: Cashier Anita Bracy of Lithia Springs, 50, protests the Ballentine/Sharpton disappearance from the FM airwaves.
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2/16: DeAnna Pappas opens up first to Extra about her breakup with Jesse Csincsak, “Dollhouse” bombs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
When I spoke with Newnan’s “Bachelorette” DeAnna Pappas last month, she demurred when I asked her about why she broke it off with Jesse Csincsak. She saved her comments for “Extra” TV. Check out “The Bachelor” tonight when Pappas makes a “surprise” visit.
It doesn’t sound like she provided that much detail but not surprisingly, she realized the carefree snowboarder Csincsak sounded like a fun person in general but perhaps not to the right person to marry.
Here’s Extra’s teaser press release about what she said:
((Los Angeles - February 16, 2009) - Speaking for the first time since breaking up with Jesse Csincsak, The Bachelorette’s DeAnna Pappas tells “Extra” why she ended her engagement. “I believe that we all make mistakes in life and we learn from them…It came down to two totally different people. Jason [Mesnick], who has it all together has everything a woman would want. And then there’s Jesse, who kind of was like a wild card….And for me, I felt like the wild card was going to work out. Someone to keep me on my toes. But eventually it wasn’t what I was attracted to anymore,” Pappas admitted.
As for Csincsak’s new girlfriend and The Bachelor: London Calling alum Holly Durst, Pappas revealed, “Jesse and Holly met while we were seeing each other.”
PLUS - Making a surprise visit on The Bachelor, Pappas said, “It is worth the wait. I believe that it’s going to resolve some issues for myself and possibly some viewers.”
“Extra” also spoke to Mesnick about the surprise reunion during his fantasy dates! He commented, “Of course it threw me off. I fell in love with her and I went through my healing process. And she’s the last person I expected to see especially in New Zealand.”
Pappas is the co-host of Lifetime’s new show, Get Married.
-“Dollhouse,” the much anticipated Joss Whedon scifi thriller, did about as well as a “Buffy” episode, opening Friday with 4.7 million viewers. The problem: “Dollhouse” is on Fox, which has much higher expectations for ratings. (A hit on the SciFi network would be just 2 million viewers.) So from that standponit, “Dollhouse” was not a winner, especially since ABC’s “Supernanny” beat it both in overall ratings and the coveted 18-49 demo. The already sinking “Terminator,” moved to 8 p.m. Fridays from Monday, hit a series low with a dismal 3.7 million.
The critically beloved “Friday Night Lights” on NBC hit a series low of 3.5 million viewers (worse than “Monk” on USA Network) but NBC can argue it had already aired last fall on Direct TV.
And bizarrely, ABC’s 20/20 pulled in its best Friday night numbers in four years thanks to a report on Appalachian poverty. Yes, Appalachian poverty.
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2/13: Steve Harvey, Michael Baisden moves to 107.5 Monday with simulcast at 97.5, Praise going to 102.5
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Steve Harvey and Michael Baisden will move to 107.5 on Monday, with a simulcast on 97.5 as Majik. SiMan Silas Alexander will continue to do nights, but now on 107.5/97.5. The simulcast officially begins at 10 p.m. Sunday evening. On Majik, mid-days will be jockless for now with an emphasis on more music, according to market manager Tim Davies.
107.5 skews northeast while 97.5 skews southwest. There is definitely overlap in town but will cover metro Atlanta overall fairly well combined.
Gospel station 97.5 moves to 102.5. The 102.5 is relatvely weak but reaches that target African American audience.
The hope is that 107.5, with its younger mix of R&B, can eventually throttle Kiss 104.1, which was the No. 1 station in town in December. Both Harvey and Baisden are enormously popular in the African American community and Tom Joyner at Kiss has an aging audience. (Ironically, Radio One, which operates all three stations, owns Tom Joyner’s show but the show as grandfathered in at Kiss, owned by Cox.)
This means only three formats (including Hot 107.9) over four signals instead of four over four. But management thinks it won’t lose much (if anything) moving Praise to 102.5 while gaining more overall in revenue between 97.5 and 107.5 combined (although it’s unlikely the single format alone over two signals will exceed the other two in ratings separately.)
Davies said the ratings at Grown Folks 102.5 took a dip middays when Warren Ballentine and Al Sharpton were on. So both are out.
Tosha Johnson is protesting the move with a group fighting to get them back on air.
She is gathering a group to do some protesting outside Radio One’s offices in downtown Atlanta Monday from 8 to 4 p.m.
She also has a petition online to ask Radio One to return Ballentine and Sharpton to the air.
Johnson is also asking people to protest management via the following:
Call, write, fax; Grown Folks Radio 102.5, 101 Marietta St. 12th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30303, Office General Info: 404-765-9750 ask for Derek Harper, Office General Fax: 404-688-7686, General Manager: Tim Davies
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2/13: A look at TV ratings
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I used to do a lot more with TV ratings. I decided to look at the top 30 shows from a year ago and the top 30 this past week.
“American Idol” was the top show each year but there was a falloff in ratings year over year.
Last year, “Idol” drew 830,000 and 748,000 viewers respectively. This year, the numbers were 693,000 (-16%) and 710,000 (-5.1%).
“House” took an even bigger drop though, from 624,000 to 402,000 on the new night, a 36% drop. (In other words, “House” did not have the “Idol” lead in this year.)
The Grammys did see a big jump, from 396,000 viewers to 496,000.
“Lost” took a major dive, from 311,000 to 225,000.
A year ago also had a writers’ strike so shows such as Grey’s Anatomy (367K) and Desperate Housewives (348K) were in repeats. Interestingly, this year, one scripted cable show made the top 30 in Atlanta: USA’s Burn Notice drew 174,000 viewers, more than NBC’s “ER” or CBS’s “Without a Trace.”
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2/13: Tahmoh Penikett (Battlestar Galactica, Dollhouse) interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo on “Battlestar Galactica,” came into Atlanta yesterday to promote the upcoming scifi show on Fox “Dollhouse,” created by “Buffy” guru Joss Whedon.
Penikett plays Paul Ballard, a loner FBI agent seeking the truth about the “Dollhouse.” The “Dollhouse” is a place where people are “wiped” of their memories and implanted with new ones for specific missions for rich and powerful people. Elisha Dishku is the main star.
I spoke with Penikett with only minimal knowledge of BSG but it’s clear from a TV Guide interview he wouldn’t have spilled any beans about the final four episodes of that show anyway. He told me he was a Canadian actor trying out for a smaller role when BSG started but they liked him and he became a regular. All he would say is it’s a “proper ending,” which will also include a straight-to-DVD movie.
Whedon is a fan of BSG and targeted Penikett for the FBI agent role. “That’s the reason I got the job,” he said. “He saw some similar qualities between Helo and Paul. They’re both really driven, motivated guys. With Paul, there is some inner darkness. I was the right guy to explore that.”
His character Paul faces resistance from the top to investigate the “Dollhouse,” but he continues to do so. He figures it has something to do with the Russian mob and human trafficking. In the first episode, we see the FBI brass mocking his desire to work on the case. Plus, we see him kickboxing in what appears to be a dream sequence. He also sticks a gun to the head of a Russian mobster in a club bathroom (nobody ever comes in during these scenes!) while the mobster is at the urinal. “He’s a little rule breaker,” Penikett said. “He’s a little bit of a lone wolf.”
He will eventually cross paths with Echo, the main dollhouse “active” who every episode gets implanted with a new persona.
I had to naturally ask if he’d been to Atlanta before. Indeed, he had been to Dragoncon twice as part of the BSG crew. “It’s surreal seeing 50,000 people all dressed up from Little Bo Peep to Superman,” he said. He also hung out with a couple of friends, actors Chris and Miracle Burns.
“Dollhouse” debuts on Fox at 9 p.m. Friday. For sci-fi fans, this clearly has potential though it’s not my cup of tea.
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2/12: “Hot Topics” Kimberley Kennedy writes a book about being “Left at the Altar”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kimberley Kennedy was the center of the Peach Buzz universe for a time in 1997 when Cumulus Radio CEO Lew Dickey dumped her during the rehearsal dinner the day before the wedding.
Dickey has never publicly talked about the breakup. Kennedy did so with the AJC, “Good Morning America” and the like. Now, 12 years later, she has written a book dubbed “Left in the Altar,” which includes her thoughts about the day she was broken up, why she thought it happened and how she got through it. There are also passages on how she coped and how others who have been rejected can cope.
My colleague Richard Eldredge had lunch with her last week and wrote a story about it.
I’ve read a good portion of the book myself. She is quite open about her own issues and how she missed all the signs that maybe Dickey wasn’t really ready to marry her after all (e.g. changing the wedding dates, having a hard time leaving the car to get the marriage license, et. al). She also brings a lot of her religious faith into play and the internal battles she had with God over her own emotions and actions.
A small excerpt:
Lew was late, but then he was always late, so I wasn’t really concerned until a few moments later when his sister came in. In stark contrast to the happy people who had already arrived, she was pale and obviously shaken. She came up to me and said that Lew needed to see me.. and in that moment I knew. Lew, the priest, and I went into her office. Before Lew said a word, I begged him not to do it, not to say it.
He was clearly distraught, and when he was finally able to speak, he looked directly at me and simply said, “Kimberley, I can’t do it.”
The biggest revelation, known only to a few people, is she actually reconciled with Dickey a few months after the wedding debacle. But it ultimately didn’t work. Years later, she did run into him a restaurant and felt okay about the encounter. She wasn’t devastated. She had moved on.
It’s a good read. The book comes out Tuesday. You can get order it at Amazon.
Kennedy at the time of her marriage was an evening host for WSB-TV. For several years, she has hosted the late-night entertainment news show “Hot Topics.”
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2/11: Whither satellite radio?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Business publications such as Business Week are predicting Sirius/XM will be filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection soon. About $1 billion in debt is due this year. Such a filing may enable the company to get out of some rather expensive contracts and reduce costs. But it also makes the already faltering stock worthless.
And talent such as Howard Stern could walk away.
Soon after I joined the AJC in 2001, I remember XM inviting me to a dog-and-pony show a Buckhead hotel to test out the new technology. They drove me around in a car and it seemed pretty amazing. The depth of selection—you can get world music, old-time hip hop and ’80s new wave! I canoodled with it for an hour.
A few months later, Sirius debuted and we were off to the races. About $1 billion in collective investment over many years had finally come to fruition. Both companies predicted break-even projections if they only got 4 million subscribers each, something that could happen by, say, 2005.
Both companies did reach 4 million subscribers and are now in the 8 million subscriber range each. But break even? Not even close. The companies, already in massive debt from the get go, spent ridiculous amounts of money paying for talent such as Howard Stern ($80 million a year over five years) and Martha Stewart, plus the NBA, Major League Baseball and the NFL, among others. They also paid dearly to get distribution into new vehicles. They spent oodles marketing their products as well. There was a race to get enough subscribers to cover the impending debt obligations.
In the end, getting into cars was helpful and Stern drew listeners, but the costs overwhelmed both companies. It simply was too expensive to get people to pay for radio. This forced the two companies to merge last year. However, the debt is still looming (a big one is due Feb. 17.) On top of that, new car sales are plummeting. Satellite radio is an easy luxury for people to drop when they have to pay for food and the mortgage. (The fact is, you still have your AM/FM.)
Worse yet, satellite in a sense may be living on borrowed time as wireless Internet radio becomes readily available in cars. That could be truly be doomsday for XM/Sirius as it is today.
No wonder Sirius/XM recently offered me a “lifetime” subscription for $399. I turned it down. The offer sounded desperate and if the company goes out of business in, say, two years, I wouldn’t even get my money back.
Mark Kanov, former GM at Star 94, said he thought the two companies, already in massive debt up front, ended up hurting each other by spending so much money marketing against each other. “Their business model is wrong,” he said today. “People right now are worried about every dollar. And there isn’t enough differentiation of product. They don’t stand a chance staying in business.”
I know one of the refrains on this blog over the years is: “AM/FM radio sucks. I love my XM/Sirius.” There are about 20 million subscribers. Satellite fans: do you think your service can survive? Or will it simply be delivered in a different manner?
Here’s a thoughtful take by a smart radio columnist on what would happen if Sirius/XM went away.
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Dave FM gets a new program director. Will this mean big changes?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dave FM enters its fifth year with its third program director Scott Jameson, from Indianapolis (yes, the home of Bob & Tom and formerly of the Morning Mess, now at Star 94).
The last PD Mike Wheeler made the ill-fated decision to hire Zakk Tyler as his morning man. Tyler failed miserably and was gone after just eight months. Wheeler lasted 18 months. When the ratings came in under the new people meter system, Dave FM’s numbers were even poorer than they were under the old system. That kind of sealed Wheeler’s fate.
But management still has faith in Dave.
Here’s a quick history:
Back in 2004, Dave FM arrived as a more mature, sophisticated rock alternative to 96rock and 99X and far younger than its predecessor Z93. The station hired Steve Barnes and Holly Firfer, in hopes of evoking a bit of the ’90s era 99X ouvre. The program director Michelle Engel had been successful at an ’80s station in Oregon. Rick Caffey, the GM who also ran V-103, touted his rock cred to me at the time. The station dumped the Elton John, the Eagles and other overplayed acts while keeping the “cooler” acts such as U2 and R.E.M. in its mix.
The music over the past five years hasn’t changed that much over time. It’s always been a smidge of 60s and 70s rock but heavier on 80s and 90s. The station also includes maybe 15 to 20 current rock songs by the likes of Mark Knopfler, the Fray or the Raconteurs. Not hard stuff, but “adult” sounding rock. But there’s far less 70s traditional rock stuff now than there used to be. (Go to the River if you want more of that.) A recent hour included Eurythmics, Yaz, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Jack Johnson, Greg Allman Band, Live, Verve Pipe, Death Cab For Cutie, Ryan Adams and Elvis Costello.
The station has become a decent go-to place for 30-somethings who had outgrown 99X and found 96rock too testosterone heavy. It never garnered huge ratings. 96rock and 971./The River would beat it regularly in most major demographics. In December, the station ranked 18th among 25-54 year olds.
But advertisers have liked the station because its listeners are typically more active than, say, those of B98.5 or 97.1/The River. Also, ad buyers demographically probably found the station enticing as well. And with Mara Davis, they had a great spokeswoman, too. I think those three factors have kept the station going in terms of revenue.
This smaller pool of active listeners, though, is also the type of folks who have iPods and iPhones and even satellite radios. While the B98.5 listeners is probably a harried mom who is using the radio as background while carting her kids from swimming practice to the soccer field, Dave listeners are the types who still go to concerts at Variety Playhouse and the Tabernacle and enjoy smart, engaging banter.
Dave’s biggest bugaboo was Z93’s bugaboo, too: a good morning show. The Barnes/Firfer combo never became hugely popular though both of them say they felt hamstrung by management wanting them to focus on the music. Barnes was ousted in 2006 and Firfer did a “temporary” music-focused show with Tim Orff. This was followed by eight months of Zakk and Jane, which was a nonstarter. Recently, Orff has simply been doing a mostly music mornings default show. It has generally had poorer ratings than middays and afternoons.
Devil’s advocate: does Dave even need to try to develop a good morning show? Perhaps. A strong morning show has proven to help drive stations such as Star when it had Steve & Vikki, Q100 with the Bert Show and the Regular Guys with Rock 100.5. But others have done just fine without a focus on the morning show such as Project and 95.5/The Beat.
Dave already has mid-day host Mara Davis as its primary personality on the show. Does it really need to find another given how difficult it is in this day and age to cultivate personalities? The talent pool has dried up over the years as radio stations focus more on syndication. And publicly traded companies seeking immediate results lack the patience to truly develop talent. It’s a major dilemma.
I’m curious to see what the new PD will do to help the station. Any good advice for him? (He officially enters the building Feb. 17.)
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2/9: Conan O’Brien visits Atlanta to promote future “Tonight Show” gig
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The talk show host with the coolest hair on TV ingratiated himself with business associates and staff at WXIA-TV Friday.
Conan O’Brien, current ringleader of “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and future host of “The Tonight Show,” shook hands and kissed babies Friday afternoon, looking far taller and skinnier than he appears on TV.
Here’s his minispeech he does for the WXIA-TV staff. He got in about an hour late, delayed at the Charlotte airport:
Here’s an edited version of the 14-minute interview in video:
And here’s most of the interview I did in transcription form. He hardly answered any question seriously. Then again, most of the questions were silly. So silly in, funny out:
Is the tone of the show going to be different from your 12:30 a.m. show?
Late night we’ve been doing a lot of comedy and sketches. It’s been very silly. The tone on the Tonight Show will change. There will be serious news and local weather. We’ll talk about crops. Rainfall, production, agricultural production in the American Southwest. More informational.
How do you plan to draw a new audience at 11:30 since the expectations are higher than 12:30?
I think we’re going ot mostly appeal overseas.
The Fins love you!
Yes, the Fins love me. I want to work the Pacific Rim — Tawain North, South Vietnam. We’ll try to get a lot of people watching who haven’t seen the show. I think Guam.
Big market. You have thousands of people there!
These are markets ignored arbitrarily by the narrow-minded American market.
ABOVE: Conan mugs for a WXIA-TV camera while Dave FM’s Mara Davis looks on.
What are you going to do during your break between the end of the “Late Show” and the launch of “The Tonight Show”?
Mostly strength training. I will work on my upper body as if it needed the work. I’m going to expand the chest.
Steroids would definiteily save you time!
But steroids are great but they would shrink the genital area, which I experienced and trust me, no more shrinkage necessary. Let’s get that out on the Web. I want to expand my chest area by as much as eight inches. I want to add a lot of width to the bicep. I want stronger shoulders, those big humps on the shoulder and expand the neck so it moves fluidly into the fat head so it become son tube.
How about pectoral implants?
I’d do that if necessary. But I have no butt. That’s another problem. That’s my one weakness. The ladies notice it all the time. My back goes straight into my thigh. There’s no buttocks whatsoever. We’re thinking of a surgery in April, May which gives me enough time to recover for the start of the Tonight Show on June 1.
Any wishes on guests on your final Feb. 20 show?
I’m tired of guests. They come on and the attention is split. It’s me and the guest. So we’re probably going to go with me. Maybe there’s a technology where I interview me and throw to the band which is Conan O’Brien and the seven Conan O’Briens..
Have you tried that before?
We did and it worked pretty well. These are cost conscious times. General Electric stock not going through the roof so this way you pay one performer.
Are you going to sing a song to yourself, sort of like a Bette Midler tune on a piano?
Yes. We’re going to superimpose my head on Bette Midler’s body which is something I dreamed about when I was 14.
Any clues what the last show will be like?
Have you ever seen an awards show on Nickelodeon. It’s a lot of green goo falling from the ceiling. We’re not going to do that. I’d like the last show to be an homage to how great I am. Pretty much just be a nonstop salute to me. We’re actually working on a song called “Nonstop Salute To Me.”
I’ve heard Max Weinberg is reluctant to move to Los Angeles. Is this true?
We don’t know. Max has been invited. We want him to come. He’s a Jersey guy. He’s made noises about not wanting to leave New Jersey. [He laughs.] I can’t even say that with a straight face. He’s worried about who’s going to get custody of his mullet! Anyway - I’m sure it will be worked out in time. If not, go to Radio Shack. An electronic drumkit costs about $9.99. [He does a drum imitation.]
You can do it yourself!
I may do it myself. I just spit on your lens. I apologize. Even on the Web, that’s not good. Mmm… minty!
Do you feel you’ll have to fight for guests with Jay Leno?
I don’t think so. I’ve talked it over with Jay. Jay will have his guests at 10. I will have mine in 11:30. It’s Los Angeles. There are more celebrities than there ever were with all those reality shows. There used to be 15 celebrities around the world. Now there are 7 celebrities per square mile in America.
So you can just pick them up off the sidewalk.
Yah. I just saw Adrian Brody. I just picked him up in a van on the way to this station in Atlanta. People are everywhere. Shia LeBoeuf met me at the airport. He didn’t even know I was coming. He didn’t know I was coming. He held my bag. There are celebrities everywhere. I’m not worried about that.
Do you think this situation is better than Leno competing against you, say on ABC or Fox?
I never concern myself too much with that. I just always think if they watch me, they watch me. I’m an entity unto myself, a force of nature. I’m a hurricane, roaring towards the coast. I’m a tornado ripping up your house. I’m an earthquake destroying your village. Basically, I’m a terrible terrible thing that causes great loss of life. I’m not that worried about it. I’m glad it worked out on a personal note. I like Jay. We’re friends. I’m glad we get to be at the same network. He’s a great lead in.
\
ABOVE: Conan poses with Turner employees Chip and Michael Plesnarski.
What’s a good rumor about yourself you can dispel immediately?
This thing about me being the ultimate lover has been going around and around and around. I’m hearing about it constantly. Oh, Conan, ultimate lover. The whole penis thing. The lower body.
Your wife spreading it?
No she’s denying it. I’m tired of it. I’m a B-plus, A-minus lover. All this A-plus off the charts, I saw stars, he’s a mutant. Stop it. True though it may be rumors hurt.
TMZ is going to ask you next time they see you.
You know it. They have actual footage of me at work.
What do you know about Atlanta? You don’t come here that often.
That’s not true. Atlanta - I’m here all the time. lI had an amazing appletini once. I was sitting at a bar. A waiter comes over with an appletini. It’s from the gentleman at the bar - Charles Barkley. We shared an appletini. Then we moved to a mocha-tini. Before long we were in a horseless carriage going around the park and around and around.
Horseless carriage?
It’s an old term for automobile. You kids don’t know anything, punks with your webcasts. Please let me be on your Web cast. 14 people will see it. Tune in! Press control-alt-delete and it rewinds! What happened to just a plain old interview. You punks. You’re probably going to text your friend, Twitter your friend. He’s all that and a bag of chips. You’re probably watching something on a DVR in your mind while playing some weird videogame. You kids sicken me. All of you!
Which do you prefer: grits or collard greens?
I like grits. I like saying, ‘I want some grits. Or kiss my grits.’ Remember that? From the show “Alice.”
Yes. I’m not that young!
You’re clearly in your late 50s. I like cheddar grits. I like grits with M&Ms in them. Grits mixed with Booberry. That’s amazing. Put molasses on top pf that, put it in the oven for four hours and your house will burn down. I don’t think I’ve said one thing that’s made sense during this webcast. Is this even going to run?
Do you have to dye your hair now?
My entire hair body has been dipped and waxed. It’s all different colors.
You don’t want to do what Jay Leno does and let his hair go white.
That’s not his hair. It’s his actual skull. He’s shaved his skull to look like that. It’s true because I’ve met the man.
What’s considered a bad hair day for Conan O’Brien?
When it gets moisture in the air. Humidity causes it to curl and turn back and it attacks me. Too dry and it fall down. I like a little moisture. It gives me the height and the lift. It gives me the tensile strength of each hair without overdoing it. Not that I’ve given it a lot of thought.
You have given it a lot of thought.
About a .3 percent humidity.
What effect do you think the Los Angeles sun will have on your supple skin?
I think it will catch fire instantly the minute I step out of the car.
How will you shield yourself?
I won’t. I will catch fire. Each monologue will begin with me in flames while a stagehand will put it out with a blanket. The rest of the show will be me slowly recovering.
I’m sure it will smell good.
It will be a good almondy smell.
What Irish stereotype do you most exemplify?
We’re loud boorish people, that we drink a lot and slap each on the back and don’t think before we speak. That’s what I exemplify. And I keep a little pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Have you ever referred to yourself in the third person in interviews?
Yes. I do. I often do. Conan does that from time to time. Conan thinks that’s a cool thing to do. Conan thinks so much about himself that he often talks about Conan.
Like Bob Dole and Prince.
Yes, Bob Dole. Prince. Those two names always go together in an interview. What kind of interview is this? This is either the best interview I’ve ever done or worst!
I’m trying for both.
That’s good, that’s good.
Is there a guest you absolutely hated and am willing to say so on air because you don’t ever want them to be on The Tonight Show?*
I can’t do it. I don’t like spreading the bad karma. But you know, whatever, I’m sure William Defoe will get over it. I just picked him at random. Seems like a nice guy but man he is a bastard. Never interview William Defoe. He’s got a chip on his shoulder.
The masturbating bear. Will he have to finally retire his act at 11:35 p.m.?
I don’t think so. Jay may use him at 10. I think the masturbating bear should be on the Today Show. There’s a big window there with people watching. That’s what he’s into. I think the days of “ooh, in this time slot, you can’t do this.’ We’re on the Internet man. Chill out. I’m naked in this interview. They just pixilated clothes on me.
Ryan Seacrest is from Atlanta. Are you worried he’ll be gunning for your job in 2025?
It hadn’t occurred to me but it’s possible. That guy takes good care of himself. He will never age. He sleeps like 18 hours a day and moisturizes his body constantly. He bathes in moisturizer. I’ve walked into the bathroom and he’s sitting in a big tub of Ponds hand cream. So I think I will age rapidly. That’s my genetic curse. I’m like a cheap junk tree. I will fall apart in five years. You’ll find pieces of me on the floor. Ryan Seacrest is like Benjamin Button. He gets younger. Do you remember when he started American Idol? He was an old baby in a wheelchair. Now he’s this young guy, getting younger and younger. Soon, there will be a five year old Ryan Seacrest running around pretending he likes girls.
What sort of advice do you have for Jimmy Fallon?
Look what I did and do the other thing. I did it the wrong way. It’s God and providence saving my skin. They shouldn’t have my hair like me,. They shouldn’t talk like me. It’s a huge mistake.
A couple more questions.
No. not enough. Quesiton 120. That’s okay. We’ll get to naming all the stars in the solar system.
If you and James Lipton had a love child, what would that look like?
I think it would be a small baby with a weird beard that asks pretentious questions.
Anything you’d like to say to alienate Atlanta?
I’d never do that. I love this town. It’s as fantastic town. I will walk the streets of Atlanta tonight. I just want to meet people. Get close to them and press my body against theirs. My point is- Atlanta nice to see you. God bless. We’re in this together. I don’t’ know what that means. I’ll be walking your fair streets tonight. Look for me!
Thank you.
You are going to use five seconds of that, right?
At least eight seconds maybe.
I hope you can use all that nonsense!
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2/5: Whatever happened to… Kelly & Alpha? Also, Ben Carson interview
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kelly Stevens and Alpha Trivette were the morning team at B98.5 for nearly a decade until last summer when the station ousted them in favor of Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke.
I had lunch with them recently at Taqueria Del Sol in West Midtown to catch up. They have been together as a team for more than 20 years and are still seeking a job. Though they’d like to stay in Atlanta, they are flexible and willing to go virtually anywhere.
“We’ve got a good brand name 21 years running,” Kelly said. “We need one more good home to last us a little bit longer.”
“The object is not to pack up, sell and move,” Alpha said. “It’s like an endless first date if you have to move to a new city.”
Unfortunately, the economy is horrendous and the job market all but barren.
Locally, there is no obvious place for them though they could potentially take mornings at True Oldies 106.7 if the station decided to drop Don Imus. Or if another station with ratings issues (such as Dave FM or 94.9/The Bull) decides to go soft rock.
“We did get a lot of respect from advertisers in town,” Kelly noted. “A lot of them are waiting for us to land so they can come back and invest in us. Good things are going to happen. Good things happen to good people.”
Kelly, who went into alcohol rehab in the spring, said he’s been sober nine months. He spends Sundays playing Bingo with some older brethren. Otherwise, he’s on his Harley a lot. (He took a trip up the coast last year after he left B98.5) Alpha is playing golf and keeping the yard in order.
Kelly, by the way, is single and looking. (Alpha is married.) “But who wants to date me?” Kelly said, half facetiously. “I don’t drink anymore. But I do play Bingo!”
Over the years, they’ve led the typical “have job, will travel” life of morning jocks going from Kansas City to (briefly Billings, Montana) to Tampa/St. Pete to Denver to Atlanta. B98.5 was their longest stay at one station.
At B98.5, the pair kept patter to a minimum because that was the mandate of the bosses, not a personal choice. It wasn’t a reflection of their talent either. It was a strategy that worked well for Cox Radio stations nationwide and helped B98.5 over the years outrank Peach 94.9. It’s fair to say Kelly & Alpha were not let go for poor ratings. Rather, Cox nabbed Steve & Vikki after they were let go from Star 94 because the pair have a huge following and the move would help prevent any rivals from starting a second soft rock station. (B98.5 has had that territory to itself since late 2006 when Peach went country.)
At times, Stevens said, the restrictions “drove us crazy.” But they were good foot soldiers, never complained about their situation publicly, playing eight songs an hour plus brief phone conversations with listeners on a choice topic and a few lighthearted bon mots. It was never enough to make them true “personalities” like Steve & Vikki, the Bert Show or Frank & Wanda.
Relatively speaking, I’ve gotten far more inquiries from radio listeners about Ike Newkirk, Porsche Foxx and still, the Kimmer. But Kelly is philosophical about his fate in life.
“A lot of people are worse off than we are,” Kelly noted. “I see people living under the overpass. I’ve already picked out my spot.”
“Maybe a dumpster?” Alpha cracked.
“McDonald’s has to throw out their fries every hour and a half!” Kelly added.
-I also did a story for the print edition today about Ben Carson, the famous black neurosurgeon who was able to separate Siamese Twins. His biopic (starring Cuba Gooding Jr.) airs Saturday night on TNT at 8 p.m.
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2/4: John Lemley’s new noon WABE-FM show City Cafe, Clark Howard TV ratings, Porsche Foxx in case of mistaken identity
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
John Lemley has opened shop with City Cafe at noon on WABE-FM this week. The hour-long show mixes classical music with Atlanta-related arts stories, usually two to three minutes apiece.
General manager John Weatherford has been wanting to do something like this for a long time. But he was looking for the right fit as he expanded the news staff. Four years ago, WABE had a skeletal two-person news operation. Now it’s a much heftier seven, plus six freelancers. “People have so many more options,” Weatherford said. “NPR can stream any station in the country on your computer or your iPhone. We have to provide something unique.”
Alabama native Lemley, who has been with the station since 1994, was a classical music host from 1997 until 2005. Weatherford asked him to sub in temporarily as news host of “All Things Considered.” But that “temporary” gig lasted three-plus years. (“It was an arranged marriage that worked out over time,” Lemley said.)
Weatherford asked Lemley to do the show because he has a certain level of “ease and informality. I kind of coaxed John into this notion to move back to his original location and host this new program.” He feels Lemley can be a great conduit between the listener and more exposure to the Atlanta arts community.
The noon hour also includes two news breaks as well as the two feature stories. But it’s still 75% music (though the pieces will be shorter than those from 9 to noon or 1 to 3 p.m.). On first day of City Cafe, he interviewed a person from the Atlanta Public Library about the Library Lovers month. And producer Dave Barasoain chronicled the one millionth visitor of the Louvre Atlanta at the High Museum Monday.
In the future, they might repurpose pieces done for Morning Edition or All Things Considered as well.
Lemley’s soothing radio voice fits right in with that of any public radio station. And he had this quirky little “stargazer” report each evening that many ATC fans enjoyed. But he’s happy to try something new.
“It feels like I had come home,” he said, doing classical again. “Maybe somebody had rearranged the furniture but it’s new feng shui.”
Weatherford had been eyeing Denis O’Hayer (right) at WXIA-TV for a long time. He finally convinced O’Hayer to leave the glamour of broadcast TV for the not-so-glamorous life of public radio. O’Hayer started earlier this week. He has an extensive news background on TV and radio and can help do reporting as well before 3 p.m.
(disclosure: O’Hayer and I work together on the board of the Atlanta Press Club.)
-Clark Howard’s early ratings for his self-titled consumer show on HLN have not been encouraging. The show has generally underperformed those before and after it.
The show airs 6 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
I studied the Nielsen numbers from the weekend of January 24 and 25, his fourth weekend on the air. Let’s take noon on Saturday. At 11 a.m., the hour before his show, HLN drew 456,000 viewers. Clark Howard at noon? 332,000 (-27%). The HLN bounced back to 483,000 at 1 p.m. (+45%). At 3:30 p.m., a show called “Open House” brought in 230,000 viewers. Clark Howard at 4 p.m. dropped to 178,000 (-23%). A regular CNN Headline News show at 5 p.m. brought in 259,000 (+46%).
On Sunday, the pattern is the same. At 11 a.m., a CNN Headline News show attracted 223,000 viewers. Clark at noon fell to 148,000 (-34%). At 1 p.m. CNN Headline News bounced all the way up to 371,000, more than doubling Clark. (+151%) “Open House” brought in 355,000 at 3:30 p.m. Clark at 4 p.m. fell to 303,000 (-15%). CNN Headline News at 5 p.m. drew 326,000 (+8%).
I just checked this past weekend’s numbers and the patterns were similar, though there was one sign of hope: on Super Bowl Sunday, his noon number was better (251,000) than a week earlier and the Headline News Show at 1 p.m. (when the pre-show festivities started on NBC), HLN lost audience, falling to 194,000, about half its ratings a week earlier at the same time.
His best performance this past weekend was Saturday at 6 a.m. with 317,000 viewers.
-Some other person calling herself Porsche Foxx was involved in a Union City townhome fire. The Porsche Foxx we know and love, formerly of V-103, was not involved, the police sheepishly said today. Sorry, Porsche! What a media firestorm for… not much!
-I also heard former Atlantan Lance Krall’s VH1 show “Free Radio” is in production for a second season. Krall was a regular member of Whole World Theatre for many years. “Free Radio” is a semi-improvised show featuring Krall as an idiot radio DJ who interviews celebrities, who are somewhat in on the joke but have no clue what Krall will dish out. Kiefer Sutherland, Ray Romano and Tony Shalhoub have all taken the bait. I heard “Idol” winner David Cook recently shot a bit with Krall for this upcoming season, launch date to be announced.
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2/3: “Top Chef” casting call Feb. 22 at Craft, Porsche Foxx denies involvement in fire
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bravo’s hit cooking show “Top Chef” is coming to Atlanta seeking season six contestants. Naturally, the show will do the casting at Craft, the restaurant run by Tom Colicchio (right), one of the judges on the show.
Be there between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. February 22. More info at www.craftatlanta.com
The series is having a strong season five, with ratings up 18 percent over season four so far. Last week, the show drew 3.2 million viewers.
Of the final six this season, Stefan has performed the best, followed closely by felow European Fabio, fellow baldie Hosea and intense Jamie. Hosea’s wannabe squeeze Leah has an outside shot. Least likely to win is bug-eyed Carla, who has been the most inconsistent.
- I’m awaiting to see what happened with ousted V-103 jock Porsche Foxx, who was at a townhome that went down in flames earlier today. She was being sought by cops this afternoon as a “person of interest.” She and her boyfriend were seen arguing while the fire was raging. At a press conference, she said she didn’t know the man and had nothing to do with it. She said she was home alone but her story changed several times during the press conference.
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2/3: Ike Newkirk update, TNT renews “Leverage”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I finally reached Ike Newkirk today by cel phone number. I had been trying to reach him by his home number and his cel. But he said he seldom checks his home number and my email inquiry might have been spammed out. In other words, he said he had no clue I was trying to reach him.
Newkirk, who has worked at the station for a whopping 39 years, confirmed that he was let go soon after his final January 4 show Sunday mornings on 790/The Zone. But he said he was given a very generous early retirement package, “an offer I couldn’t refuse.” He chuckled.
His show “Open Line” has been on continuously for more than 30 years and had been the longest-running show in Atlanta. (Although he was on 790/The Zone, he actually was employed by Lincoln Financial, which owns Star 94 and leases out the signal at 790/The Zone to Big League Broadcasting. Big League ceded the public affairs programming on Sunday mornings to Lincoln Financial and Star.)
“The station has been going through a lot of changes,” Newkirk said. “This is part and parcel of change. I was director of public affairs. That’s an anachronism in this day and age. You don’t find those kinds of animals anymore at radio stations. That’s pretty much what the radio station was indicating. It was phasing out that position. I pretty much had no problem with it.”
He said he was proud to be a moderate in an environment where most talk show hosts are conservative (though he hates labels.) He recalls being accused of being too conservative during the Reagan era and too liberal during the two Bush eras. He loved battling with callers who disagreed with him. “I like it when people use the brain God gave them instead of blindly going along with the status quo,” he said.
Although Newkirk has lost his job, he said at age 58, he feels fortunate he got the opportunities he did at 790/Star 94. He recalls Mark Kanov, who retired at GM at Star 94 after 40 years last July, told him, “You’re the last man standing.” “I didn’t realize I’d only be standing another six months!” he said.
And fan of Ike Newkirk emailed Matt Edgar at 790/The Zone and Matt responded thusly:
Thanks so much for your inquiry into Ike Newkirk and Open Line.
Open Line will no longer be heard on 790 The Zone. The last show was Sunday, January 4th.
Ike is in good health, no worries there.
Star 94, who employed Ike for 38 years and produced his show, fired Ike back the first week of January. We carried the show as part of our public service agreement with Star 94 but had nothing to do with that decision.
Rick Mack, the Star 94 GM, made the decision and is taking all calls and complaints. You can reach him at 404-261-2970 or rmack@star94.com.
Good luck and thanks again.
Matt Edgar Program Director Sports Radio 790 the Zone WQXI - Atlanta
Edgar confirmed this email was his. “I’ve taken hundreds of phone calls about Ike,” Edgar said to me. “People wanted to know what happened.” (I’ve received dozens of email inquiries myself and so has Richard Eldredge, the man who does Peach Buzz here.)
I did finally reach Newkirk’s former boss Rick Mack yesterday, but he wasn’t terribly forthcoming. All Mack would say (twice) is, “I can’t help you out,” when I inquired about Newkirk. Then he said, “I gotta go” and hung up. He wasn’t mean about it, just confirming what he had said in a voicemail a week earlier, that he had no intention of talking to me about Star 94 business at all.
- Atlanta-based TNT has renewed a second season of 15 more episodes for its drama “Leverage” starring Timothy Hutton. It has averaged 3.2 million viewers per episode, a decent figure for TNT. This will be the fourth show TNT now has under its belt that is currently in production after “The Closer,” “Saving Grace” and “Raising the Bar.” I’m not bursting with confidence the new “Trust Me” will be a big enough hit to be the fifth.
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2/2: WXIA’s new meteorologist Chesley McNeil
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WXIA-TV has finally hired a replacement for Flip Spiceland: Buffalo’s Chesley McNeil. He is now on during the weekday morning and noon shows.
The new WXIA news director Ellen Crooke once worked in Buffalo with McNeil. According to his bio online, he has worked in Richmond, Va. and Maryland. He is from Philadelphia and has three sons with his wife. He’s also pursuing a PhD. and is an accredited meteorologist. He also enjoys teaching science to children.
Here’s his first blog entry over the weekend:
I’m really looking forward to my first day on the Morning show on 11 Alive. It was a long drive from Buffalo, NY (13.5 hours). I’m already a fan of the warmer weather. This is nice compared to the snowy shores of Western New York. The people are warm as well. I’ve met some really nice folks including my co-workers. The only sour note….. I got into a car accident just 3 days in! But the young lady that hit me did ask about my well being.
Well Atlanta, I think this is going to work out! See you in the morning!
Chris Holcomb returns to weekend duties, which he was doing before Flip left last year.
Here’s part of the bio on the WXIA-TV Web site as of Tuesday morning. It appears the first paragraph was updated but someone forgot to do so in the third graf. Whoops!
About Me: Chris Holcomb is the weekend meteorologist on 11Alive/WATL. You can see him mornings and evenings on weekends and filling in for Paul and Chesley during the week. In 2007, Chris received the upgraded “Certified Broadcast Meteorologist” designation from the American Meteorological Society. Before that, Chris held the AMS Seal of Approval since 1997.
Chris is a native Atlantan! He grew up in “a touch of country in the city”…Doraville! After graduating from Dekalb’s Sequoyah High School, he went to UGA to the Journalism School majoring in Broadcast News. After graduating from UGA, he started working in Macon, Georgia at WMAZ TV reporting during the week and doing weather on the weekends. Chris furthered is meteorological education from Mississippi State University.
Chris left Macon in 1991 and returned home to Atlanta with his dream job at WXIA! 17 years later, he’s off the weekend shift and is enjoying at Monday-Friday schedule!
Chris now resides in Gwinnett County with his wife, son and daughter.
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2/2: Super Bowl ads - super or not?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Super Bowl itself was actually fun to watch this year, enough to overshadow the ads. Groin shots via snowglobe, getting hit by a bus, cute animals (sometimes being punched in the face), M.C. Hammer, William Shatner and tons of movie (and NBC) promos.
What did you like the most? Check them all out here at hulu.com. And here are a few of the better ones:
Alec Baldwin, mocking the “cottage cheese” effect TV has on the brain:
Cash4gold.com mocks both Ed McMahon and M.C. Hammer. I’m sure Hammer needs the cash from the ad so he doesn’t have to sell his gold medallion of him wearing a gold medallion.
Having loved the old Mean Joe Greene ad, the new one is ironic and amusing 30 years later:
Careerbuilder.com went absurdist with an ad featuring a koala bear getting hit in the face. I couldn’t take my eyes off this one:
I know a lot of folks weren’t amused by this one but I chuckled:
The one I hated the most: Those E*Trade babies. I love babies in general but not these and singing Mr. Mister? Double blech!
And here’s an odd one about the Jack in the Box guy getting hit by a bus! That’s not uplifting - or chuckle-worthy, the two typical emotions Super Bowl ads try to evoke.
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2/1: Super Bowl Bruce Springsteen and post-Bowl “Office” episode
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bruce Springsteen didn’t really surprise anybody with his four-song set but it was pure Broooce. He started with his early 1975 classic “10th Avenue Freeze Out,” followed by “Born to Run.” The entire band including Clarence Clemons, Max Weinberg and Stevie Van Zandt was there, plus a big choir (a lovely cliche of any important rock band.)
He went into “promo” mode by singing the title track of his current album “Working on a Dream,” which sucked some momentum from the proceedings. But he didn’t play the entire song. Instead, he cut over to a rambunctious take on his sports-themed mid-80s hit “Glory Days.” He switched out the baseball player in the song with a football player (though Springsteen admits he is not a football fan but merely using the halftime show to help sell albums.). It will be interesting how this impacts his sales, which have generally dropped off in recent years.
“I’m going to Disneyland!” he yelped at the end. I’m sure Disneyland didn’t pay for that promo but the marketing folks there must be thrilled.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
I saw the post-Bowl “Office” a few days ago. For an hour-long episodes, it’s not half bad. It started with one of the funniest “Office” sequences ever, a pseudo-office fire created by Dwight. Dwight, as the safety officer, feels his fellow denizens haven’t been listening to him. And naturally, they panic. Michael throws machinery out the window. Jim and Andy use a copy machine as a battering ram. Oscar tries to escape through the ceiling. Angela throws her cat at him — and misses. It’s truly ridiculous. Sure, Stanley has a heart attack but he’s okay. The producers aren’t going to kill anybody after the Super Bowl! And it’s always good for Stanley to get some airtime!
Of course, Dwight is hardly punished because nobody is ever fired in “Office” land no matter what they do. This leads to an amusing CPR exercise that will make you thinking of ‘Stayin’ Alive” in a truly different light.
An effort to “calm” Stanley with meditation Michael Scott style proves that Michael is a cause of stress, not a reason to calm down. So Michael comes up with a roast of himself. I can’t say the putdowns against Michael were all that funny but poor Michael is actually hurt by it all and disappears for a few hours. Fortunately, all ends well when he comes back with really bad “roast” jokes for each person in the office, causing Stanley to laugh and laugh and laugh.
A side plot in which Andy gets an advancer of a film starring Cloris Leachman lusting after Jack Black is amusing but a pure gimmick. It at least ties in with a plot related to Jim and Pam that is truly touching.
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2/2: Steve Harvey interview for his book, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta resident since 2007, Steve Harvey is insanely popular. I heard recent book signings in other cities has drawn upward to 2,000 people. Fortunately, he is doing three different book signings in the area over the next three weeks. Get there early, people, or you won’t get your five seconds with Harvey:
BOOK SIGNINGS
Monday at 6 p.m. at Wal-Mart, 1785 Cobb Parkway S. Marietta. 770-955-0626
Tuesday, 7 p.m at Barnes & Noble, 2900 Peachtree Road N.E. Atlanta, 404-261-7747 (Get there at 5 p.m. for passes to guarantee a spot in line, with a cutoff at 500 people.)
Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at Stonecrest Mall Borders, 8000 Stonecrest Mall Parkway, Lithonia. 678-526-2550
I’ve interviewed the man several times over the years but I’m honestly not sure if he even knows who I am. But he knows how to promote himself. And his relationships book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man” is really good. It’s a straight-talk express for women to understand the simplicity that is man and how to find a good one.
He told me how much he and his family enjoys living in Atlanta after moving here 18 months ago. And he’s psyched to be over at 107.5 soon (plus a future simulcast at 97.5) instead of the weak signal at 102.5, where he has done amazingly well.
Here’s the story that will run in Monday’s print edition:
Atlanta resident Steve Harvey’s a standup comic who can sell out Philips Arena. His syndicated TV show is still in regular rerun rotation. And he’s now one of the hottest radio personalities in the country.
Even on the very weak signal at Grown Folks 102.5 the past two years, Harvey has been able to be competitive with Tom Joyner at rival Kiss 104.1. And now Radio One Atlanta is about to give Harvey a power boost by moving him to 107.5, which switched this week from smooth jazz to R&B.
Harvey said he’s also going to be simulcast at some point on 97.5, which is currently gospel. (The gospel signal may move to 102.5.) “We’re looking very, very forward to this big signal,” he said.
And now he can add “author” to his resume thanks to his book “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man,” a relationship advice book for women written in plain Harvey speak and minus all the annoying Dr. Phil-like therapist jargon. It’s much like the “Strawberry Letter 23” segment on his radio show in which he and co-host Shirley give listeners no-nonsense advice about parenting, work, family and relationships. And though Harvey is usually funny, the book is more serious.
“This is not a clinical study of men,” he said. “It’s real-life experience from my friends, from all walks of life.”
The book, which came out Tuesday , is already a best-seller. On Friday, it was ranked No. 5 on Amazon.com.
Detroit author Sylvia M. Hubbard has been writing a blog called “How To Love a Black Woman” since 2005. She reads 50 relationship books a year and appreciates Harvey’s “bare-bones truth” approach in his new book.
“I like that he has a close personal bond with the reader,” Hubbard said Friday. “And he doesn’t just lecture us. He made it funny. Sometimes you feel bad after reading relationship books. That’s not the case here.”
Here’s a sampling of the book’s tenets with comments from Harvey, who spoke to us last week:
To snag good men, women need to set expectations up front: “Why don’t they do it? They’re worried they’ll scare them away. We play on that as men. We use that to our advantage so we can get what we want.”
Three things that define a man: who they are (a title such as CEO or artist), what they do and how much they make: “I’m a standup comic. That’s what I do. Who I am is how far up the ladder I am in the standup world. Do I sell out concerts or am I just a club act? How big I am also helps define how much I make. This is what defines me, drives me.”
Three things men want from women: support, loyalty and “the cookie”: “We’ll take a lot of things from a woman. But we have to have these three things. You take away any one of them, you lose a man’s affection. If we discover you’re not loyal, you’re kicking it with how many dudes? It’s over. If you don’t believe in what I’m doing or can’t see yourself attaching yourself to my plans, that’s not good either. And we need the cookie. Everybody likes some form of cookie. That’s what sex is. I want to see how long a relationship will last without the cookie.”
Three ways men show love to women: profess, provide and protect: “We have to define love in some kind of way. The problem with women is they have this great spectrum of what love is, and they want it reciprocated the same way they give it out. But we men can only nurture to a certain degree. It’s not in our DNA … We want to profess our love. We tell everyone. This is my baby’s mama. This is my gal. This is my lady! We also want to provide for you. Maybe you can’t buy her a car but he can help you rent a car. Or he can get the one you have fixed. We’ll do what we can to take care of you. It’s also about protecting you. Nobody can say anything about you sideways without us reacting. Defend and protect. That’s our love in a nutshell.”
Questions to ask a man to decide if they are worth keeping: “You have the right to know his short-term goals and whether they match his long-term goals. If you don’t want that type of life, you need to kill this right now. You need to know his views on family and kids, his relationship with his mom. You also have to know what he thinks of you and how he feels about you. What’s the difference? I can tell you what I think of her in 60 seconds. But how I feel about her? That’s the answer you have to really think about. If you can’t answer it, you haven’t put enough thought into the relationship.”
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