By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, September 15, 2016
Star 94.1's afternoon host Mike Marino has signed a new three-year contract, ensuring he'll be around through 2019. He joined the station in 2013 as an afternoon jock.
Earlier this year, when Jeff Dauler and Jenn Hobby took over mornings, the existing team of Drex, Cassiday and Tingle were moved to afternoons. This forced Marino to move briefly to the producer role until Star 94.1 dropped Drex, Cassiday and Tingle over the summer.
He is now on air from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Star also solidified its morning show. JP Allen, who has served as interim show director , is now stepping into the role full time.
Kelly "Cheese" Cheesborough, who previously worked as a jock at what was briefly X107.1 for Cox Media Group, was named the full-time executive producer for the Jeff and Jenn show. She began as an assistant producer in March.
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FYI is shooting a spin-off of its reality show "Married at First Sight" in metro Atlanta, dubbing it "Married at First Sight: Second Chances." One of the previous seasons of the original show was shot here as well.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
You'd think the whole "Toddlers & Tiaras" concept is played out. But TLC doesn't think so. It's testing a four-episode season of "Little Miss Atlanta" starting October 5 on the same night as "Toddlers & Tiaras."
Here's the network synopsis:
Shot in Atlanta, each episode of LITTLE MISS ATLANTA follows three young African-American pageant contestants and their mothers as they prepare to compete in the intense world of pageantry. The girls, who range in age from three-years-old to 10-years-old, are always in it to win it, but their stage moms are the ones who eat, sleep and breathe pageants. Whether it's spending $15,000 on a single competition or leaving the pageant hall in a rage, these moms will stop at nothing to make sure their daughter leaves a winner.
The reality show will also star Jasmine Crowe and Kim Anderson, who co-founded the Little Miss Black US pageant system in an effort to celebrate African-American girls and young women.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
TV One is hosting its annual Triumph Awards in Atlanta as it did last year. The show will be taped at the Tabernacle this Sunday to air next month on October 2. Tichina Arnold, who shoots Starz's "Survivor's Remorse" here, will host again.
The honorees:
Rap impresario Sean "Diddy" Combs, film-making legend (and Morehouse grad) Spike Lee, Atlanta hip-hop producer Jermaine Dupri, attorney Benjamin Crump (who represented Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown), FedEx senior VP Gina Adams and Mastercard.
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Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
The readers of Creative Loafing voted Bert Weiss as radio personality of the year this year, an honor he has pocketed several times, along with best morning show. WABE-FM won best radio station, best talk radio station and best non-commercial station. 94.9/The Bull won best country station, Radio 105.7 won best rock radio station and in an upset, OG 97.9 took home best urban station. Album 88 was considered the best Internet station (as opposed to the daytime programming on FM 88.5 run by GPB.). Carl Dukes and Mike Bell were named best sports talk show on 92.9/The Game. Best podcast is Hot Breath! where Joel Byers interviews comics.
The best local TV news anchor? Jovita Moore of Channel 2 Action News. Best meteorologist: Chesley McNeil of 11 Alive.
And no surprise on best TV show shot in Atlanta: "The Walking Dead."
Plus, my colleague Bill Torpy was named "Biggest Thorn in the Mayor's Side" by the Loaf critics.
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