TV/radio briefs: Deborah Norville recovery, Praise, Kiss’ Dyron Ducati, ‘Game of Thrones’ ratings
Originally posted Monday, April 15, 2019 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Dalton native and "Inside Edition" host Deborah Norville had surgery to remove most of her thyroid gland in her neck to prevent the spread of cancer.
She will return to the show, which she has hosted since 1995, on Monday.
Given how close the thyroid was to her vocal cords, she had a reason to worry.
“The area where the thyroid is located is also where the nerves that control your voice box are located,” Norville tells Inside Edition. “And let’s face it, I talk for a living, so it was very, very scary for me.”
But it worked out. A viewer years ago noticed the lump and she had it checked out. For years, it was non-cancerous but when it became cancerous, she dealt with it quickly. Fortunately, Norville will not need chemotherapy or radiation.
***
![GAME OF THRONES episode 32 (season 4, episode 2): Jack Gleeson. photo: Macall B. Polay/courtesy of HBO [Via MerlinFTP Drop]](https://images.ajc.com/resizer/v2/XMXOWX6ZYJY3UCBXGJ4VJZALJA.jpg?auth=b15f60ab433bbf8299b024a4d638f016cd6bc4c119a53ec696e93a4ce9acb880&width=3840&height=2556&smart=true)
Networks don’t have much to brag about much when it comes to overnight ratings for most shows. But HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones” was an exception.
It’s overnight numbers hit a record 17.4 million Sunday night for the drama’s eighth season debut. In 2019, for a pay cable subscription channel, those numbers are out of sight and higher than what any other scripted show can garner.
That’s higher than the series’ previous 16.9 million record high for its season seven finale.
HBO said streaming more than doubled over the season seven debut two years ago.
Adding all viewership over time , season 7 averaged 32.8 million viewers per episode.
“Game of Thrones” also helped “Barry” quadruple its numbers at 10, albeit a vast majority of “GoT” viewers bailed. “Barry” drew 2.2 million for the night and 1.8 million at 10 p.m.
***
Dyron Ducati, a long-time voice-over talent for IHeartMedia and anchor for Total Traffic, is now the mid-day host on Kiss 104.1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Xavier University graduate has worked in both New Orleans and Atlanta.
Kiss is still seeking a new afternoon drive-time jock.
Kiss and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group.
***
Atlanta’s Praise 102.5 won Major Market Gospel Station of the Year for the fourth time at the Stellar Awards. The Stellar Awards are the gospel equivalent of the Grammy’s. The ceremony airs Sunday, April 21 on BET at 7 p.m.
About the Author
Rodney Ho writes about entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution including TV, radio, film, comedy and all things in between. A native New Yorker, he has covered education at The Virginian-Pilot, small business for The Wall Street Journal and a host of beats at the AJC over 20-plus years. He loves tennis, pop culture & seeing live events.
