Jason Pullman, after two years on New Country 101.5, has been taken off air as midday host.
Pullman, who graduated Roswell High School, was a long-time morning host for rival 94.9/The Bull from 2009 to 2019. He moved to Chicago to work mornings for US99, then afternoons at Atlanta-based Cumulus’ country station 99.5/The Wolf in Dallas.
In 2021, Cumulus gave Pullman extra duties as midday host at New Country while he remained in Dallas. He is currently staying on the Dallas station.
New Country replaced Pullman with two regulars from the JJ Kincaid and Dallas McCade morning show: producers Amanda Dennihy and Garrett Loudin. While Dennihy and Loudin will remain on the morning show, they will now pull double duty as the midday show dubbed Amanda and Garrett. Their show runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting this week.
Dennihy is a 2017 Kennesaw State University graduate and worked briefly as midday host on Star 94. Loudin was born and raised in Woodstock and began working in radio out of high school in 2014.
Kincaid and Dallas have been syndicated on a couple of dozen country stations nationwide since 2021. They have added a local hour at 10 a.m. before Amanda and Garrett’s show.
In recent months, New Country has been beating its rival the Bull in the ratings across the board. Pullman’s final full ratings book ranked him 10th among 25-54 year olds in the Nielsen ratings, the same as the station as a whole.
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Credit: ABC
Credit: ABC
Douglasville singer Megan Danielle has made it into the top 8 on “American Idol,” fueled by covers of songs by personal idol Lauren Daigle, Bonnie Raitt and Vince Gill.
Her distinctive gravelly, emotive voice has received consistent praise from the judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan. And she seems to be connecting with voters when she goes the Christian contemporary route.
This past Monday, Danielle had to pick from three songs, each chosen by one of the judges. (She doesn’t know who picked which song.) She opted for Gill’s “Go Rest High on the Mountain” over “Rescue Story” by Zach Williams and “Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan because Gill’s song happened to be the one she sang at her beloved grandfather’s funeral. She channeled a heartfelt blend of country and gospel.
Bryan chose that song, unaware of the connection to her grandfather. He hugged her.
“We are well beyond loving your voice,” Bryan said. “You aren’t scared to tell anybody about your faith. When I thought about that song, I felt in my heart I couldn’t pick a better song for you.”
Lionel Richie: “You have the amazing ability to touch. Your voice is so powerful when it comes to telling your story. ... Your paw paw is very happy for what you did today.”
Katie Perry: “I don’t think Luke chose that song. I think your grandpa chose that song. I think he’s trying to tell you that you are exactly where you’re meant to be right now. You deserve this moment Megan and it’s a wonderful confirmation. ... That was heaven sent.”
MJ Santilli, who tracks “Idol” on her website MJ’s Big Blog, projects Danielle as a possible top 5 finisher though not a favorite to win. That would be likable Hawaiian singer Iam Tongi.
There are three more episodes to go. The top 8 will become the top 5 on Sunday, May 7, and that will be trimmed to a top 3 on May 14, with a winner named May 21.
Danielle was previously on “The Voice” season 18 three years ago and made it to the semifinals but just missed the top 5.
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Credit: BOUNCE TV
Credit: BOUNCE TV
Atlanta-based Bounce TV has renewed its drama “Johnson” for a third season.
The show, shot in Atlanta, returns with new episodes on broadcast network Bounce TV Aug. 5 and is already in the can, so the writers’ strike won’t impact it.
The series focuses on four 30-something Black male friends in Atlanta who all happen to have the same last name, Johnson.
Greg (Deji Laray), Omar (Thomas Q. Jones), Keith (Philip Smithey), and Jarvis (Derrex Brady) grapple with issues such as divorce, interracial love, and manhood. D.L. Hughley has a recurring role and Cedric the Entertainer is one of the producers.
The series is available on demand on the streaming service Brown Sugar.
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