Posted Friday, November 17, 2017 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
With Steve Harvey hosting the Fox New Year's special starting this December 31, he is now competing directly with Ryan Seacrest, who has the ABC Rockin' New Year's Eve on lockdown.
The two don't always go head to head but their careers have certainly crossed some common paths. And both have strong Atlanta ties.
Harvey still has a residence in Atlanta but now spends most of his time in Los Angeles. Seacrest left Atlanta in 1994 after graduating Dunwoody High School and spending a brief time at the University of Georgia. He now lives both in New York and Los Angeles.
Even if their personalities are divergent, both are workhorses who seem to squeeze 30 hours into each 24-hour day.
Let's break down this not-so-real-but-still-amusing competition by category:
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
DAYTIME TV
Harvey: He has not one but two daytime syndicated talk shows. He has been host of the sturdy game show "Family Feud" since 2010, which he has since re-fashioned into his own image. It's bawdy with room to allow Harvey to show off his improvisational humor. (It's seen locally on CW69 at 7 p.m. weekdays.). He also hosts his own talk show, now called "Steve." He moved from Chicago and took control of the show, which is now focused more on celebrities. (It airs locally on Fox 5 at 3 p.m. weekdays.)
Seacrest: He joined Kelly Ripa in May on her 9 a.m. show "Live With Kelly and Ryan." He took over for Michael Strahan, who moved to "Good Morning America." This type of TV show, which is very much like a radio show on TV, fits his chipper personality to a tee.
Edge: Harvey. Two beats one.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
RADIO
Harvey: He has one of the most popular urban morning shows in America with more than 100 affiliates, reaching more than 8 million listeners every week. He's heard in most major markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, D.C. and Boston. In Atlanta, where his show used to be based before he moved earlier this year to Los Angeles, it's heard on Majic 107.5/97.5.
Seacrest: He has hosted a morning show in Los Angeles, the No. 2 market in the nation, since 2004. His show is also heard on more than 100 stations nationwide, though not always during mornings. Power 96.1, for instance, in Atlanta takes his show from noon to 4 p.m. He also hosts the weekly AT Top 40, heard on hundreds of affiliates worldwide on weekends, from Nambia to Singapore, from Charlottesville, VA to Charlottetown, Canada, from Bangalore to Barbados.
Edge: A tie
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
PRIME-TIME HOSTING GIGS
Harvey: Besides his new Fox hosting gig, he also hosts ABC's "Funderdome," a "Shark Tank" knockoff; "Celebrity Family Feud" on ABC in prime time; NBC's "Little Big Shots" about super-talented young kids; NBC's "Little Big Shots, Forever Young" about seniors with cool talents and the Miss Universe pageant on Fox.
Seacrest: He returns in March, 2018 as host of "American Idol" for its 16th season. (It was once the biggest show on TV for many years.) He has also hosted "ABC's New Year's Rockin' Eve" since 2006, the first few years with Dick Clark, who had suffered a stroke, then passed away in 2012. Seacrest also leads the red carpet on the biggest awards shows for E!, including the Academy Awards and the Emmy's.
Edge: Harvey
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
TV PRODUCTION
Harvey: He now runs his own TV talk show "Steve" with IMG. But he hasn't focused much attention on TV production.
Seacrest: Love him or hate him for it, his company Ryan Seacrest Productions is behind the Kardashians' TV show on E! and all the ancillary spin-offs. His company has also produced other TV shows including Bravo's "Shahs of Sunset" and Jennifer Lopez's NBC drama "Shades of Blue." He has modeled himself after both Clark and Merv Griffin, a powerhouse behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
Edge: Seacrest
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Clothing
Harvey: He began selling ties and hats more than a decade ago but now sells suits as well in retail stores such as Belk, Sears and Kohl's .
Seacrest: He started his clothing line in 2014. It now includes clothing, accessories, outerwear, sweaters, pants and more and is available exclusively at Macy's.
Edge: Harvey, simply because he's been doing it longer and his fashion look is more concrete to fans.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Money
Seacrest: Forbes estimates he earned $58 million last year. He is ranked #27 in the Celebrity 100.
Edge: Seacrest
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
BOOKS
Harvey: He has written four best-selling books including the big one "Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man" that was ultimately turned into a hit movie.
Seacrest: He has written no books.
EDGE: Harvey
Who wins? Right this second, I'd say Harvey is hotter. "Idol" is no longer what it was. And neither are the Kardashians. Harvey seems to be all over the place. But Seacrest can still mint money with his current gigs.
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