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July 2008
8/1: Sneak peak of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bravo at midnight Thursday snuck in a 30-minute teaser of its upcoming “Real Housewives of Atlanta.” I would have posted this sooner but radio ratings and the Colbert Canton apology got in the way. And I had already done a “Housewieves” entry in Wednesday. So here is what you probably didn’t watch but I did:
Here’s how they introduce themselves in the credits:
“If it doesn’t make me money, I don’t do it,” Lisa said.
“I always knew I was destined for greatness,” DeShawn said.
“I don’t keep up with the Jones. I am the Jones,” NeNe said.
“In Atlanta, money and class do give you power,” Kim said.
“People are intimdated by my success,” Sheree said.
Oh, boy! “Atlanta’s a place where business like me can thrive,” said Lisa, who owns a real estate firm and a clothing line, designs jewelry, paints and has an infant. “Work is my life but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She’s impressively chipper. Her husband is a linebacker Ed Hartwell. She’s a workout fanatic. She has a bowling night — at her own home with two bowling lanes. She loves being in front of the camera. The show preview paints her life as busy and incredibly perfect.
NeNe is next. She likes to show off her cleavage and she’s sassy! “I always tell it like it is,” she said. “If you get in with the right people, you can get in any event going on around here.” She lives in an “exclusive gated community.” She’s married to Greg, an entrepreneur. She has a younger son who looks about eight. Her oldest son checks in Clark Atlanta. She thinks she looks younger than the kids there. No age given but she’s probably in her late 30s.
Token white gal Kim is next. She’s a blonde with big hair but she’s no Southern Belle. No discernible Southern accent. “I’m very materialistic,” she admits. “If I die tomorrow, I’ll die wearing Dior.” She’s buds with NeNe. “In Atlanta, you’re it with money,” she said. She buys a packed and stacked Escalade without really paying attention to price. Her boyfriend doesn’t want to be on the show so she calls him Big Papa, a “multimillionaire who doesn’t want to be in public. Some of my girlfriends don’t even know who he is.” She’s a divorcee with two daughters, a 10 year old and 6 year old. “My dream is to be a country singer,” she said. “I want everyone to know who I am.”
Somehow, Kim gets to work with Dallas Austin.
Housewife No. 4 featured is DeShawn, wife of veteran NBA player Eric Snow. “We moved to Atlanta. It’s the land of opportunity for African Americans,” she said. They built a 15,000 square foot home, a monstrosity of new money with chandelier, a chef’s kitchen, game room and lovely master bedroom. They check out the new home on camera. “Best thing about marrying an NBA player is the lifestyle,” she said. She hires an estate manager who oversees the staff.
Sheree is the fifth one. Her vibe: don’t mess with me! “My lifestyle is demanding,” she said. “I consider myself amongst Atlanta’s wealthy elite.” She’s a single mom and at the tail end of a long divorce with an NFL player. “I want a lump sum, seven figures,” she said. “I want to be able to maintain my exact lifestyle if not better.” She has a chef, a hairstylists, a makeup person, a creative director, a PR person and a personal assistant, Ivette Holyfield, Evander’s daughter. “She does everything I don’t want to do,” she said. Lisa calls her a diva and, um, confident. “I’m 38 and I am hot for my age,” she declared. A girl’s night out features Sheree learning to pole dance.
The previews for the rest of the season show NeNe and Sheree clashing. Looks like fun!
I’ve watched only bits of “Orange County” and “New York.” For you “Real Housewives” regulars who did catch the preview, what did you think? Will this be entertaining? Will this make Atlanta look good?
Check it out when the season starts Sept. 16. Or not.
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7/31: Stephen Colbert apologizes for “crappy Canton” remark
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Holy backtrack, Batman! Stephen Colbert has issued what he termed a “rare” apology for last week’s “crappy Canton” comment that “puzzled” mayor Gene Hobgood.
(The line was about John McCain’s schedule. He was listing cities and got to this: “And Canton, and not the crappy Canton in Georgia. I’m talking about Canton, Ohio!”
“Evidently, I offended some people because two days later, I saw this in the Atlanta Journal Constitution,” Colbert said in his Wednesday night broadcast. My colleague Jamie Gumbrecht’s print story is shown on screen and he reads the headline “Colbert’s ‘crappy Canton’ comment puzzles mayor.”
“Seems the mayor of Canton Georiga was none too happy with me,” he continued.
“It’s clear to me he has not been to Canton Georgia,” Hobgood says in a video clip from WXIA-TV.
“You’re absolutely right, Mayor Hobgood” Colbert said, to laughs. “I haven’t. But I hear it’s a beautiful place. Nestled in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains, Canton is the fastest growing city in Georgia. It has so much to offer like the Canton Historical Theater and the HIckory Creek log dam. Not to mention oxygen and paved roads.”
“Yes, Canton Georgia, a wonderful place to live. So again, Mayor Hobgood. I apologize.”
“Why did I call your lovely city crappy? A simple mixup. I meant Canton, Kansas.”
Then he puts his “crappy Canton Georgia” comment to shame. “That place is a **hole. You can smell that place all the way from Topeka. You know what they say about Canton, Kansas? Nothing. Nobody talks about it. I would say you should convert it to a landfill but that is insulting to landfills. If Dorothy was from Canton, Kansas, she would have wished the house dropped on her. That reminds me of a joke: how many Canton residents does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None. They don’t use lights because they don’t want to see where they live. I’m glad I cleared that up because I don’t want to offend anybody.”
Here’s the video:
I called up Mayor Hobgood this morning and asked him, “Do you think Colbert’s apology was sincere?”
“I think it was about as sincere as anything else he says,” Hobgood said with a chuckle, “especially the comment about our paved roads and air. We do have those. I must say, very good ones, in both areas.”
“Are you happy with his apology?”
“I really am. Some of our people are very excited we have received the attention of such a celebrity,” he said. “I was surprised.. he used it as a great segue into Canton Kansas.” (population: 800 or so vs. 17,000 in Canton, Georgia.)
Hobgood invited Colbert to visit Canton, Georgia. “I’ll honor him and give him a day if he comes,” he said. In fact, he noted, there are Colberts in the county. Perhaps Stephen has distant relatives there since he’s from South Carolina.
He was also bemused that Colbert used his Hobgood name to mine laughs. He said as a kid, people would mispronounce his name Hopgood so he still signs his name with a big “B” to make sure people say it right. And yes, Colbert said it correctly more than once!
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7/31: What do you think of the spring radio ratings?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As I noted in this story, there’s been lots of action in radio land the past few months.
The key spring Arbitron ratings book just came out, numbers that stations use to set rates and sell ads. Among the new and returning shows, the Regular Guys (Rock 100.5) and Giant Brian (Project 9-6-1) pulled in really strong numbers while Cledus T. Judd (94.9/The Bull), the Morning Mess (Star 94) and Zakk Tyler (Dave FM) all showed some signs of life after miserable winter numbers.
People seem to have transitioned fine at Kicks 101.5 with Dallas joining Caddy. And Don Imus over at 106.7/True Oldies brought in comparable numbers to predecessor Rhubarb Jones.
Tell us what you think!
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7/31: Spring ratings show Regular Guys, Grown Folks, Dave, Project up; Kiss, River, Fish down
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The spring Arbitron ratings book gave some of the first firm signs of where some of the new and returning morning shows stand. If I miss any show or demographic breakdown you’d like info about, email me rho@ajc.com.
Let’s go for the good news:
-For the first time, Grown Folks syndicated morning host Steve Harvey has beaten Kiss 104.1’s Tom Joyner in a key demographic, even with a relatively poor radio signal at 102.5. Steve is now 3rd among 25 to 54 year olds, slipping ahead of fourth-place veteran Tom Joyner. Since Harvey came along in 2006, he has been bit by bit stealing away Joyner’s audience. Harvey’s TV show and standup work has given him much broader (and younger) appeal than Joyner.
-The Regular Guys, in their first full quarter at Rock 100.5, quickly picked up most of their old audience from 96rock, even though Rock 100.5 isn’t as strong a signal 96.1, now Project 9-6-1. The show ranked a commanding second 18 to 34 and sixth 25 to 54. In both demographics, the show more than doubled what the new Morning X had been able to do in 2007 thanks to extremely high time spent listening. As “Southside” Steve might say, “Yeah, come on!” And after abysmal numbers in the winter for the music portion of the station, the mid-days and afternoons improved strongly.
-It appears the Regular Guys didn’t steal from any particular audience. The Zone was more or less flat, 680/The Fan dropped a bit and two of the other three rock stations moved up. Project 9-6-1 and Giant Brian didn’t get hurt by the Regular Guys. Among 25 to 54 year olds, Giant Brian more than doubled its ratings from the winter from 19th to 9th. Over at Dave FM, the new Zakk Tyler morning show bounced back from a poor winter and matched the final fall book with Firfer and Orff. (The strongest daypart for Dave is Mara Davis’ mid-day show, which came in 7th among 25 to 54 year olds, her highest in at least two years.)
-B98.5, with the soft rock format to itself, continues to pull in huge numbers across the board, with Delilah at night doubling her ratings in a year, finishing 3rd. The final spring book for Kelly & Alpha before Steve & Vikki entered the scene was flat, with the show finishing at a solid 7th place among 25 to 54 year olds.
Here’s the mixed news:
-Star 94’s The Morning Mess, replacing Steve & Vikki, is definitely skewing younger. The trio has lost about one-sixth of the total listeners vs. Steve & Vikki among 25 to 54 year olds compared to spring 2007. But its numbers were comparable to those of Steve & Vikki among the younger 18 to 34 year old demographic. And its spring ratings improved from a very poor winter book when Steve & Vikki fans who didn’t like the Mess left in droves. So don’t write them off yet.
-It’s a similar story for Cledus T. Judd over at 94.9/The Bull. After a miserable opening frame in the winter, Cledus gained back a bit in the spring, hitting numbers comparable to Nashville’s Big D & Bubba in 2007. But the station only ranked 18th among 25 to 54 year olds in the morning. Given all the billboard and TV advertising, that’s not exactly a boffo performance.
-Don Imus and True Oldies had its first full book and didn’t really do any better than Eagle. (Hey, at least it’s a lot cheaper!). And the station hasn’t done much advertising so those ratings are from scratch. Imus had far greater time spent listening than Rhubarb but far fewer listeners, too. He ranked 19th among 25 to 54 year olds but probably did better in older demographic cells which I don’t have on me. The station did slightly better the rest of the day with fewer listeners than Eagle but more time spent listening, the same pattern as Imus.
-The Fan fell back to earth after a huge winter book and among men 25-54, fell behind the Zone (though just barely) in mornings and middays while prevailing in the afternoon shift. I don’t have show breakdowns because each station has hours that don’t quite match up to each other and those specific hour-to-hour numbers don’t come out until Thursday. I’ll update this when I get them.
Here’s the not-so-good news:
-The River, after an unusually good winter, fell back to 2007 levels, ranked sixth among 25 to 54 year olds, down from fourth. But it held its own considering Rock 100.5, which is the closest competitor for the station.
-Sean Hannity and WSB-AM dropped to third place among 25 to 54 year olds for the first time in years, falling behind both Ryan Cameron at V-103 and now Michael Baisden at Grown Folks 102.5. The primaries, which dragged on into the spring for the Democrats but was over for the Republicans, did not help him.
-WGST-AM also returned to normal numbers after a strong winter book. In other words, its numbers were not terribly good. I looked at how the station did among 25-54s in the mornings with Tom Hughes five years ago and he was tripling what the station is getting right now with Randy Cook, who is ranked just 24th among 25 to 54 year olds.
-104.7/The Fish has been slipping gradually the past 12 to 18 months for reasons I can’t ascertain. The station ranked 18th among 25 to 54 year olds, down from 10th a year earlier. Kevin & Taylor is a bright spot, maintaining its numbers in that demo and outperforming the rest of the station.
Top morning shows
25 to 54 year olds
Rank, show, station, format (winter rank)
1- Frank and Wanda, V-103, R&B/hip hop (1)
2- Scott Slade, 750/WSB-AM, news/talk (2)
3- Steve Harvey, Grown Folks 102.5, R&B/talk (3t)
4- Tom Joyner, Kiss 104.1, R&B (3t)
5- The Bert Show, Q100, Top 40 (5)
6- The Regular Guys, Rock 100.5, rock (10)
7- Kelly & Alpha, B98.5, soft rock (6t)
8- Cadillac & Dallas, Kicks 101.5, country (9)
9- (tie) Yolanda Adams, Praise 97.5, gospel (8)
9- (tie) Giant Brian Show, Project 9-6-1, rock (19)
18 to 34 year olds
1- Frank and Wanda, V-103, R&B/hip hop (1)
2- The Regular Guys, Rock 100.5, rock (4)
3- The Bert Show, Q100, top 40 (3)
4- The “A” Team, Hot 107.9, R&B/hip hop (2)
5- Murph Dawg & CJ, 95.5/The Beat, hip-hop (6)
6- (tie) Steve Harvey, Grown Folks 102.5, R&B/talk (7)
6- (tie) Cadillac & Dallas, Kicks 101.5, country (10-tie)
8- Scott Slade, 750/WSB-AM, news/talk (5)
9- (tie) Los Patrones de la manana, 105.3/El Patron, Hispanic (9)
9- (tie) Kelly & Alpha, B98.5, soft rock (10-tie)
I had a request for Baisden, 2 Live Stews and Ryan Cameron. So here are the ranks for 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays. I still need to check on the Stews since they air odd hours (1 to 4 p.m.)
Afternoon top 5
25-54
1- Ryan Cameron, V-103, R&B/hip-hop (1)
2- Michael Baisden, Grown Folks 102.5, R&B/talk (6)
3- Sean Hannity, WSB-AM, news/talk (2)
4- Kelly McCoy, B98.5, soft rock (7)
5- Art Terrell, Kiss 104.1, R&B (3)
18-34
1- Ryan Cameron, V-103, R&B/hip-hop (1)
2- E4Real & Shyneka, Hot 107.9, hip-hop (2)
3- Maverick, 95.5/The Beat, hip-hop (4)
4- Michael Baisden, Grown Folks 102.5, R&B/talk (9)
5- Cindy & Ray, Star 94, top 40 (3)
SOURCE: Arbitron ratings, April 3 to June 25, 2008
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Project Runway: Holla at Cha Boy!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The high: Sandra Bernhard is always a scream, sort of.
The low: Suede is always Suede.
Loved this episode! This is the first time this season that we felt like the designers were really pursuing inspiration as opposed to making do in a grocery store or a slower market.
We were just the tiniest bit surprised, though, at Kenley’s big win. We (by which we mean, I) thought the dress had waaaaay too many tricks going on: loud print, side pouf, high neck … and yet the judges liked it. Go figure. Besides, I didn’t think they were so effusive with the praise. I thought Terri and Leanne got more love.
Speaking of which, Terri’s dress/pants ensemble was clever and daring, but I thought the way the fabric bunched up in front detracted from its drama. On the other hand, Leanne’s sewer-grate design really did look polished and sophisticated, but it was too black. She needed just a smack of color or glimmer somewhere south of the bold gold necklace, which I also liked.
I’ve always wondered if they dole out early wins to people whom they plan to bump off midseason, whom they think might not go anywhere. You know, spread the love around. This isn’t based on any statistical evidence, just me trying to get inside a “Project Runway” producer’s mind.
But I can’t see them letting Emily go so soon — I thought she had real talent, even if her dress looked like a flamenco dancer’s (near right). At any rate, Blayne’s (far right) looked worse, sort of like those crumpled-paper paintings we all made in elementary school.
The last word: Did you know you, too can have your own Tim Gunn bobblehead doll for only $24.95. Get one and stash it where your husband used to keep his Josh Childress bobblehead.
Was Kenley the right winner? Did Emily deserve to go home? How long will it take for Stella to get booted, and will you rejoice?
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7/30: Preview of “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Kristen Gates talks about new gig, “Baby Borrowers” ends
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(l-r) Lisa Wu Hartwell, DeShawn Snow, Kim Zolciak, NeNe Leakes, Sheree Whitfield.
The five women from the already-maligned Bravo spinoff reality show “Real Housewives of Atlanta” have done some press, including Entertainment Tonight. I’ll talk to them closer to air date in September.
In the meantime, here’s a little teaser from the women themselves via video.
NeNe Leakes: “I know the viewers are going to love, love, love the real housewives of Atlanta.”
Lisa Wu Hartwell: “We have a lot to offer. We have the music scene. We have the film scene. We have fashionistas. We have athletes. We have everything. It’s hot. It’s hot in Atlanta!”
Leakes: “Being in the South is totally different, just being in the South. The women in New York are wound a little tight. Orange County? They were fun. We’re funner.”
“More fun,” corrected DeShawn Snow.
Snow then added: “We’re five strong dynamic women. We have very strong personalities. We know exactly what we want. You put five people together like that, there will be a couple of disagreements. At the end of the day, we’re like a family, like sisters.”
Show starts Sept. 16, but there’s a 30-minute preview tonight at midnight (or, technically, tomorrow) right after “Project Runway.”
-Kristen Gates, formerly of Star and Kicks 101.5, said she joined 94.9/The Bull earlier this month with part-time/weekend fill-in status in hopes of getting a full-time gig. She didn’t realize how quickly it would happen.
Thanks to Jamie Massey’s move to Phoenix, Gates has taken over as the female sidekick to Cledus T. Judd. Although she started last week without Cledus, he returned Monday. She knew him going back to the days when he would visit her in the studios at South 107 in Rome and they’d see each other at roundtables and awards shows. “He was one of the first people to call me the day the firings happened” at Kicks Feb. 29.
“I’ve known her forever,” Cledus said after the second day they started working together at the Bull. “It’s like having an old friend in there. When I got the job at the Bull, she was supportive, wished me the best. I never thought I’d be able to work with her. She’s the consummate professional— funny, obnoxious, makes my job easier. She is definitely one of the guys.”
Kristen said being at the Clear Channel building “is like a breath of fresh air. It’s such a healthy environment.” (That is perhaps the first time I’ve ever heard someone say that!)
“Slam and I are here to guide the show and deal with the business aspects,” she said. “All Cledus has to do is be entertaining and be himself.” The show’s new producer, Todd Veal, used to work with Rhubarb.
In just two days, she said, “it’s been a very smooth transition. We’ve instantly gelled.”
- NBC’s “Baby Borrowers” ends with a snoozer of an episode tonight with the teens learning from some seniors. Here’s the Buzz item I sent over to Richard after talking to the two Dunwoody teens:
The reality show stirred controversy because it featured parents giving up their babies and toddlers to teenagers they had never met.
Some critics said it would damage the kids psychologically. The two Dunwoody teens who took part in the show, which ends its six-episode run tonight at 9 p.m.(7/30), pooh-poohed this line of argument.
“It was literally safer than day care,” said Austin Trizzino, 19, a rising sophomore at Auburn University. “Any given time, you had 10 people watching a single kid. There was an EMT there.” In the end, nobody needed the EMT, he added.
Neither he nor his girlfriend during the show, Kelly Young, now 20 and a rising junior at Auburn, regretted taking part, even though Kelly went into an emotional tizzy a couple of times. She doesn’t even recall why she got mad the second time and started screaming at Austin in a tirade so over the top, E! comedy show “The Soup” mocked it last week.
“We were extremely stressed out,” Kelly said. “We had been questioning our relationship before we went on the show. During the interviews [with producers,] we were kind of egged on.”
The show was taped a year ago. Austin and Kelly broke up, got back together, then broke up again three weeks ago. Such is life with young couples. Both remain friends and agree: No kids anytime soon for either of them.
“I learned I was a lot more patient than I expected,” Austin said. “But I also learned I like being young and having the freedom to sleep eight straight hours.”
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7/29: V-103’s Frank Ski and Wanda Smith show to be simulcast on CW affiliate/69
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Frank Ski and Wanda Smith are going to get some love on TV, thanks to CW-69.
The CW affiliate will air at 11 p.m. a half hour “best of” show with nine HD cameras. V-103’s morning show, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary in town this fall.
“Now people can not just hear us but see us,” said Smith.
But won’t this mean the morning crew will now have to dress up? “I need an endorsement for some clothes!” she joked. (Miss Sophia will probably want one, too!)
“I always dress up anyway,” Ski noted. “I’m always camera ready.” He did say the HD cameras during tests reveal even bits of dust on his mustache so he says he’s going to have to make sure he’s immaculate when the show starts until it ends.
Tom Canedo, the general manager for the CW, said he thinks many viewers who watch his station listen to Frank and Wanda. The radio morning show draws about 440,000 listeners a week, No. 2 in Atlanta only behind WSB-AM. “It’s a great way to localize the [TV] station,” Canedo said.
Billboards are coming and teasers that have already been airing on the station which will get more explicit this week. The show is scheduled to debut August 18. It will replace “The Bernie Mac Show,” which will be pushed back a half hour, along with the other shows. They’ll simply cut out a half-hour of infomercials in the middle of the night. “Bernie” usually draws about 30,000 to 35,000 viewers a night.
This is unlikely to unseat WSB-TV’s nightly news in the ratings, but it should draw a good young demographic. He said advertisers are already showing interest and he’s excited to have a local-content show, even if it’s leveraging off a fundamentally different medium that relies more on the intimacy of radio.
The CW has hired a producer who will watch the four hours of the show and cull the best 22 minutes each day.
For a couple of years earlier this decade, Turner South aired the Rick & Bubba show out of Birmingham until Fox Sports took over the network and got rid of all non-sports programming. The show is now heard in Atlanta on radio in a “best of” format on Sunday afternoons on WSB-AM.
The other morning show in town that is televised is 790/The Zone’s “Mayhem in the AM” from 7 to 8 a.m. each morning on CSS.
-Access Atlanta is doing the annual “Best of the A List.” We have a separate blog where you can vote for your favorite morning show. I’m personally confused why it’s not a straight poll; rather, it’s set up so you type in your favorite. I guess someone is going to tally it up or something like that. Here you can go to vote..
In past years, some shows have lobbied to win because they would get money for charity. I don’t know if that’s the case this year. (I need to go check.) Clearly, 104.7/The Fish’s Kevin & Taylor mentioned it on air because their fans voted heavily during the 9 a.m. hour. The Bert Show didn’t even get a vote until 10:31 a.m. after about 50 votes for Kevin & Taylor. Frank and Wanda got their first vote at 11:39 a.m. They picked up many more votes later in the day, though—almost 50.
Steve Harvey didn’t get his first vote until 1:22 p.m. but had about 20 by the end of the day. The new Morning Mess show on Star 94 as of 12:35 a.m. Tuesday had two votes that I can ascertain. Ditto with the A Team over at Hot 107.9. I haven’t seen any votes yet for Dave FM’s Zack Tyler morning show. Howard Stern has a few votes, as does NPR’s Morning Edition. Scott Slade over at WSB-AM got very few but that’s more of a news show.
Based on a quick early check of votes, Kevin & Taylor appear to have a substantial lead followed by Steve & Vikki, Bert and Frank & Wanda. The Regular Guys so far have gotten fewer votes than I had expected though they’re still in the running. The country fans have not come out in force because Cadillac and Cletus have gotten few votes so far. The sports guys at 680 and 790 haven’t gotten many votes either.
Demographically, it appears more women are voting than guys.
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Project Runway: Christian Siriano on Bluefly.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week on Bluefly.com, “Project Runway” Season 4 winner Christian Siriano debuted his first collection. (Since his big win, Siriano has designed prom dresses and has also signed on to create 15 pieces for Sportswear company Puma.) Click here to see the entire Bluefly.com collection.
If you saw the Season 4 finale, you saw the seeds of Siriano’s Bluefly work. Dramatic jackets with exaggerated shoulders, super-skinny pants — great party pieces — and a sort of feminine rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic are the hallmarks. A few pieces already seem to be sold out (remember, the collection only went up for sale on Wednesday).
That’s impressive, because the mini-collection is not cheap. The jackets cost in the $500-$600 range, pants $280, and a T-shirt, plain except for ruffled shoulders, costs $96.
What do you think of his mini-collection? Is it what you expected? Would you wear it?
Photo: Business Wire
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7/25: Autism flap costs Michael Savage sponsors including Home Depot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New York syndicated radio host Michael Savage, heard locally at night on WSB-AM, has been losing sponsors and affiliates after comments about autism caught the ear of activisits. Atlanta-based Home Depot is one of the sponsors who dropped him, according to Newsday. The New York Times noted that Columbus-based Aflac has ditched him, too.
The irascible conservative Savage was on for a couple of years in the evenings in Atlanta on WSB but was bumped earlier this year to late night since his ratings were pretty bad. Herman Cain now has his slot here.
One of his more damaging quotes:
“I’ll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases it’sa brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out.
Here’s a bit from the New York Times story:
On his Web site, Michaelsavage.com, the host posted a letter on Monday in which he iterated the central point he said he had been trying to make on his July 16 program: that autism is too often misdiagnosed in the cases of children, or falsely diagnosed, at least partly as a means of wringing resources. “Let the truly autistic be treated,” he wrote. “Let the falsely diagnosed be free.” On July 16, Mr. Savage, above, referred to autism as “a fraud, a racket,” and asserted that what “99 percent” of children with autism most needed was a parent willing to tell them things like, “Don’t act like a moron.”
Dan Kearney, general manager at WSB-AM, said he’s been inundated with emails complaining about Savage but most are coming from outside activist groups, not Atlanta listeners. He said he is meeting with a local autism group next week to talk about the Savage controversy.
And on another note, Kearney told me when Hannity’s contract is up: 2012. So he will indeed be contractually obligated to WSB for quite a long time coming.
-I wrote a story for the print edition today about Mark Kanov, who worked at Star 94 for 40 years, starting on July 26, 1968 and retiring today on July 25, 2008. He was the first full-time sales guy at the FM station WQXI in 1968, moved up the ranks to eventually run the shop the last 15 years.
He ran a great station, a station with fiercely loyal employees, a consistent and advertiser-friendly brand and an amazing sales team that helped prop up revenues this decade even as ratings dropped.
By dumping Steve & Vikki last year, he’s taken a huge gamble just as he’s walking out the door by bringing in the relatively inexperienced Morning Mess team from Indianapolis. Unfortunately, for the Mess, Kanov was one of the trio’s biggest supporters. Will his replacement prop them up if they don’t quickly build an audience to replace that of Steve & Vikki, now at B98.5? That’s the big question for them.
Spring ratings, which are considered more important than winter, come out next week. We’ll get a better handle on how all the morning shows are doing then.
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7/24: Kristen Gates gets Jamie Massey’s gig at 94.9/The Bull, Billy Bush joins Q100, XM/Sirius merger close to approval
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No surprise here: Kristen Gates, formerly the co-host with Cadillac Jack at Kicks 101.5, has nabbed the co-hosting gig with Cledus T. Judd at 94.9/The Bull. She replaces Jamie Massey, who has left the Bull to move to Phoenix to be with her boyfriend.
The timing worked great for Gates. She was ousted from Kicks along with more than a dozen others when Citadel dumped a huge amount of talent to save money at both Kicks and Eagle (now True Oldies) on Feb. 29. She recently joined the Bull on a part-time basis but Massey’s departure was Gates’ gain. She was the most obvious replacement for Massey and the Bull grabbed her.
Gates has already started. I’m at a convention in Chicago right now and am not working every second of the day but I’ll try to reach Gates and update this blog entry with her comments.
-Billy Bush, co-host of “Access Hollywood” on TV, is jumping into radio syndication with a late-night show that will be heard on Q100 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. This doesn’t affect Q100’s regular lineup since the station has been using part-time help during that time period, but it gives the station access to a man known for connections to Hollywood.
Since this is one of the first major markets for Bush’s syndication, he will provide special local content (or at least an acknowledgment he’s on Q100) for the station. I don’t think that means he’ll be giving shout outs to folks in Gwinnett County but Bush is an amiable fellow. Q100 will still play a lot of music since there are fewer ads at that hour anyway but he’ll do some celebrity dirt-type news and insert some snippets of interviews he does with A list talent.
Rob Roberts, the Q100 operations manager, said the show will start in a couple of weeks.
-The XM/Sirius merger is close to approval by the Federal Communications Commission, according to the New York Times last Wednesday night..
Deborah Taylor Tate, a Republican member of the F.C.C., appeared ready on Wednesday to vote in favor of the deal, which would break a deadlock along party lines among the other four commissioners. She would join Kevin J. Martin, the chairman, in supporting the merger, with certain conditions. Mr. Martin, a Republican, had publicly said that he was in favor of it.
Do you think this is a good idea in the end? Will it help save the two companies?
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Project Runway: Ugly Brown Fabric
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The high: The realization that in a season of strong personalities, nobody on “Project Runway’s” Season 5 annoys me — yet. Surely I must have mellowed in my old age?
The low: The misconception that brown is ugly.
Tonight’s designers seemed to knock on the color brown. Or are we just too sensitive? (Ever since our days spent in the tutelage of really old nuns have we been fascinated by brown. Back then, the nuns wore brown; our uniforms were brown; the entire school seemed to be festooned in brown ribbons and craft paper.)
We prefer to think Joe’s, Leanne’s and Wesley’s designs (below) goofed because of the thin, ripply satin, and not the color.
But what about the “green” part? We couldn’t tell what difference “eco-friendly” fabric made in this challenge.
The winner: Suede, whose innovation with champagne satin (right) won him a fan in actress and guest judge Natalie Portman.
The loser: Forget the dress. Didja see Wesley’s shorts? Leave the legs to the models, Stork Boy.
We also looooved neurotic, nasal-y Stella’s one-armed, lace-up sheath, but thought it was poorly styled. It needed some Doc Martens, not Mary Janes, and tougher hair, not the Jerry Hall special (which is to say, lopsided).
Do you agree?
By the way, Nina Garcia, recently shown the door at Elle (because we’re not above shameless gossip, here’s what Gawker.com had to say on the matter), has a new title of “editor at large,” but that is apparently a temporary situation. She reportedly has signed on Marie Claire’s dotted line, and will take the reins as fashion director in September.
We haven’t read Marie Claire since, well, the last time we wore brown pleated skirts and saddle oxfords, but we’re still willing to give it a shot. Best of luck, Nina.
Photos: www.bravotv.com
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7/23: Stephen Colbert disses Canton, Larry Wachs reax to Janet fine turnabout, radio stations helping babies
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Award-winning talk show host/satirist Stephen Colbert dissed Canton Georgia during his Monday night show. It was mildly amusing - at least for the folks in Canton, Ohio.
He was complaining that the media was so focused on Barack Obama’s worldwide tour, why not get “super jazzed” about John McCain’s “fiscally responsible staycation”?
“I’ve got his schedule right here,” Colbert noted. “This week, Sen. McCain is rocking through Kennebunkport, Maine, Rochester, New Hampshire, Baltimore Maryland. That means crabcakes! And Canton. And not the crappy Canton in Georgia. I’m talking about Canton, Ohio! Where he is hosting a… finance reception.”
Here’s the video (the joke is at about the 5 minute point.)
On the Colbert web boards, one Canton resident didn’t take kindly to this:
Dear Mr. Colbert
We, the good citizens of Canton, Georgia, do NOT appreciate your disparaging reference to our fine, God-fearing town as the “crappy” Canton! After all, to take second fiddle to Canton, Ohio? What were you thinking? I know you are a native South Carolinian, which by all means, casts a superior light of unbearable being on your shallow soul; however, have you ever actually been to Canton (aka - the crappy one)? As president of the Historic Canton Homeowners Association, I officially invite you to our next “Mint Juelp Party on the Porch” gathering, and I double dog DARE you to actually show up with your stage make-up and camera crew in tow! Show us what you are made of, or are you actually afraid that you may hurt your wrist or scar your pretty on-camera face in the process? Make no mistake, I have been a huge fan, up until tonight, but crappy Canton boy now says, “die, you gravy-sucking pig!” Have your people contact my people, and we will go from there. Now, I think I shall retire to my crappy bed in crappy Canton, Georgia…
I look forward to your crappy response.
Sincerely,
Bill Grant
Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood, a Cherokee County native, took the joke in good humor.
“He’s probably never been to quote ‘crappy’ Canton,” Hobgood said Wednesday morning. “Had he been, he probably wouldn’t have said that. It wouldn’t have been funny.”
Then I gave him a chance to sell Canton, which has about 17,000 people in it. “It’s one of the fastest growing cities in the nation,” he noted, nearly tripling in size since 1990. “Obviously it has a lot going on for it else people wouldn’t be moving here in droves.”
He noted the revitalization of downtown and on the same night Colbert made the comments, someone requested that a thousand acres be annexed to the city of Canton for 2,300 homes and commercial properties. “I doubt Canton, Ohio has done that!” he said, admitting he has never been to that Ohio city.
Indeed, the city of Canton, Ohio has about 80,000 people, based on the 2000 census but a 2006 census estimate had Canton shrinking to about 78,000.
Hobgood noted that newcomers to Canton are ironically more resistant to some of the growth in the city because many had come to the city to get away from the traffic and hassle. And he said people who move to Canton are from all over — even the North. “We have a few Yankees here,” he said, adding lightly: “Some are actually nice folks!”
-Larry Wachs of the Regular Guys on Rock 100.5 was not amused by the news Monday that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia overturned a $550,000 FCC fine against CBS for the Janet Jackson breast slip during the Super Bowl in 2004.
“I’m going to be writing a letter to the FCC to tell them what I think,” he said. “They put so many people through so much misery for nothing — including me.”
He said he didn’t even realize CBS had appealed the original fine. “I wish Clear Channel had the [cojones] to do the same thing but of course they didn’t. They didn’t have the courage of their convictions.”
Wachs and the Regular Guys soon after the “incident,” were trotted out by Clear Channel and 96rock (now Project 9-6-1) as a great example of “edgy” radio that wouldn’t cross the line. Then in April, Wachs accidentally did so while proving a point about the silliness of the censorship by trying to air backwards porn. But while recording it, some naughty words got caught on air during a car ad. After the show, Clear Channel suspended them, then took them off the air.
After they came back in 2005, the show minus “Southside” Steve Rickman wasn’t the same. Wachs sounded angry and Eric Von Haessler wasn’t fully engaged. The ratings never quite returned to their glory times. They were fired in 2006 for a problem unrelated to the FCC and indecency. But Cumulus has given them a third shot this year. And with Rickman part of the team again, they sound much happier.
Wachs notes that the Parents Television Council and other conservative groups have cut back on filing complaints lately. “The witchhunt is off,” he noted, as Congress and the public are focused on more crucial issues such as rising oil prices and the mortgage mess.
On the air Tuesday morning, he said my call dredged up bitter feelings from the past. “I started getting angry,” he said. “I gave him so many foul-language filled quotes, he probably can’t use them. Irony of ironies!”
-All morning shows on virtually every major radio station in Atlanta is participating July 29 in the second annual March of Dimes fundraiser. This is a repeat of last year’s efforts. Though it didn’t raised that much money compared to the Achievement in Radio Awards for the March of Dimes (or many multi-day station-only fundraisers), it is an impressive cooperative effort among competitors.
Here’s a segment from the press release:
All stations will direct listeners to make donations by calling the toll free number 1-866-MOD BABY (663-2229) or by going online at www.marchofdimes.com/georgia.. Certain pledge amounts will earn listeners prizes such as AirTran Airways business class tickets for domestic travel; two-night stays at Beau Rivage Resort on the scenic Mississippi Gulf Coast; Vacation Express travel packages to Oasis Hotels and Resorts in Cancun, Mexico and dinner for two at some of Atlanta’s most popular restaurants.
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7/22: Interview with former Grant Park man Ty Pennington, Sean Hannity and WSB-AM
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I feel out of breath after a 10 minute interview with former Atlanta boy Ty Pennington, the whirling dervish of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”
He’s in town today to promote a new drug Vyvanse for adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, better known as ADHD. And he has no complaints about the heat. {“I love it super moist!” he said.)
Pennington said he grew up with ADHD, known at the time as hyperactivity. He had a tough time focusing on one thought, idea or project at a time.
“My mom was studying child psychology when I was a kid and she asked for the worst child in the class to observe. That ended up being me!” he said. “While she watched, I probably jumped on my desk, swung from the blinders and set a small fire in the back of the room. Let’s just say I was a bit of a distraction.”
She even tried a bribery system to keep him in line but he wasn’t stupid: he quickly realized the trinkets were in a particular closet. He didn’t get medication until college and he has managed, for better or worse, with various meds since then including Adderall. “It was like someone literally put glasses on my eyes for the first time. I could see clearly!”
Two months ago, he switched to Vyvanse and said it has improved his ability to focus. “I don’t know about everybody else but it works for me. And I need something that works. Now I can finish a thought, finish a sentence.” (Note that the pharmaceutical company Shire is now paying Pennington to sing the drug’s praises.)
Even with the medicine, Pennington still talks a mile a minute.
“I work countless hours, long hours, traveling, juggling two rooms I’m designing simultaneously and the next two around the corner for next week and doing a magazine and a book and designing things at Sears.”
But he has no regrets. “I have the best job in the world,” he said. “I’m really stoked I can do what I do. What other show can I be creative as an artist and change someone’s life, too?”
During his time with TLC’s “Trading Spaces,” he lived in Grant Park but moved to Los Angeles in 2002, soon nabbing what would become his signature gig at “Extreme Makeover” the next year.
He no longer owns real estate here but still misses his friends and family. “I miss the nice rhythm and pace. People appreciate the quality of life.” He’ll be back in Atlanta for Labor Day to sign books at the Atlanta Journal Constitution Decatur Book Festival. His new book culls stories from his past few years dubbed “Good Design Can Change Your Life: Beautiful Rooms, Inspiring Stories.” “We have only 40 minutes on the show to tell a story so we can get into more details here,” he said.
You can get more details of the book and order it here.
And for a quick laugh, here’s a facetious clip from “The Soup” related to Ty Pennington on the show:
-Pete Spriggs, the program director at WSB-AM, got back to me today about Sean Hannity and whether the new deal between him, ABC Radio and Premiere will affect his presence on WSB-AM. For now, no. But Spriggs won’t tell me when the contract is up with any level of specificity: “The new deal with Sean Hannity doesn’t change anything with our relationshp with him. We will be a Sean Hannity affiliate here for a long long time to come.”
“I talked to Sean this morning,” he noted. “Sean works in New York. But our relationship with him is one where we feel he’s a member of the WSB team. He’s good friends with Neal Boortz, Clark Howard and Scott Slade.” Expect Sean’s next visit to Atlanta to be on Sept. 5, a public event with Neal Boortz, place TBD.
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7/21: Sean Hannity gets a new contract, Real Housewives of Atlanta date set
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Syndicated talker Sean Hannity, heard locally on WSB-AM, has signed an unusual contract between his original syndicator ABC Radio and Premiere, which handles the likes of Rush Limbaugh. Plus, he gets some profits himself. So it’s worth at least $100 million over five years, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Hannity is the No. 2 radio talk-show host in the country behind only Limbaugh, with audience estimates ranging from 11 to 13 million a week. ABC will handle his syndication on ABC-owned stations while Premiere will take care of the other stations, including WSB-AM. This is a huge pay increase for Hannity.
I’ve left messages with the bigwigs at WSB-AM to see what impact this might have locally. I’m not sure how long Hannity’s contract is with the station. Effectively, its rival Clear Channel, which owns WGST-AM, will be overseeing the syndication come December. That could be awkward.
But WSB-AM is the flamethrower in Atlanta and I can’t see why Hannity would ever want to leave it. (See what happened to Dr. Laura when Premiere moved her over to GST? Her ratings dropped by half and she was eventually booted off the station.) Ironically, Hannity worked at GST from 1992 to 1996 before he went to Fox News and hit the syndication route.
Locally, Hannity’s ratings from 4 to 7 p.m. generally lag behind those of his brethren, local syndicated hosts Neal Boortz and Clark Howard, but he’s still a solid No. 1 among men 25 to 54. Hannity has been on WSB since 2001.
This contract does not affect his “Hannity & Colmes” Fox News TV show, which airs live on weekdays at 9 p.m.
-The five members of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” showed up at the NBC party for TV critics out in Los Angeles. I hope to meet with them soon, but the show doesn’t debut until Sept. 16 so there’s no rush:
-Mark your calendars: Jay Leno’s last day as host of “The Tonight Show” before Conan O’Brien takes over is May 29, 2009. In the meantime, where he goes is still up in the air.
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7/20: XM and former NPR man Bob Edwards visits Atlanta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABOVE: Bob Edwards at the Latitudes Lounge & Bistro in the Omni Hotel downtown Saturday with producer Andy Danyo before his Atlanta Press Club appearance. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/Staff
I had the honor Saturday to speak briefly to the man with the most mellifluous voice in radio, Bob Edwards, in town as keynote speaker for the Atlanta Press Club.
We met at the Omni Hotel before the event, where he drained two Jim Beams, looking blissful and relaxed.
From 1979 until 2004, Edwards was the morning host of National Public Radio’s signature show “Morning Edition,” which is heard by 13 million-plus listeners a week. He was shoved aside amidst much controversy - and he sounds quite happy today that his two NPR “nemesis” Kenneth Stern and Jay Kernis were eventually ousted.
He quickly got a gig at XM Satellite Radio with his own daily show, heard at 8 a.m. live daily out of XM’s Washington D.C. studios. While he is only heard by a small fraction of listeners there, he gets to do what he wants and he has gotten a raft of awards on top of what he already collected at NPR. Most recently, he received an Edward R. Murrow Award for a piece about homeless children. He also recently visited Kentucky for a week to do a piece about coal mining by stripping mountain tops.
And he’s back on public radio now thanks to NPR rival Public Radio International, which distributes a weekend “best of “show now to 105 radio stations, including WABE-FM at noon Sundays.
“Yes, I’m happy,” he said. “It turned out to be a very good thing. We’re doing our best work now.”
He thought NPR had calcified: “It’s very micromanaged. It got very big and deadly serious.” Nonetheless, he thinks public radio in general is in good shape. “They’ve never sounded better to me,” he said, noting he is a contributor to the local NPR-affiliated station in Washington D.C. “There’s no alternative to it.”
Given that he’s back on WABE-FM and other stations, the average listener thinks he’s back with NPR per se, which amuses him. He is on stations that take NPR programming such as WABE but is distributed by PRI.
But he is understandably worried about the future of XM, which was hot for awhile but its appeal has cooled as people realized satellite radio was a niche product that would never quite draw huge audiences the way, say, DVDs or basic cable or even iPods are.
“I’m concerned,” he said, about the XM/Sirius merger and what that may mean for him down the road. “If we need to merge to survive, I’m all for it.” If it fails, “I’ll be as bummed as anybody.” His contract is up in 2010.
He feels he’s valuable to XM because the show is in-house produced and earns money for the operation through its syndicated show. “We also earn awards in areas XM normally doesn’t get attention,” he said.
Ironically, Edwards actually catches “Morning Edition” on his way to work each morning and enjoys it. On the way home, he listens to music. He especially likes XM’s “alt country” station, which features “naughty people” such as Lucinda Williams and Steve Earle. He’s also a big Allman Brothers fan.
While it’s unlikely you’ll hear him chasing Brad Pitt or Miley Cyrus, he has no problem chasing down authors such as Gore Vidal and Philip Roth (though he never nabbed Kurt Vonnegut before he passed.). And he gets to interview folks for far longer than he did when he was at NPR.
He also is working on a story about an Atlanta company while in town called Homestar Runner, which is a popular animated online site. And he’s also working on a piece on the 100th anniversary of the death of Joel Chandler Harris, the creator of the Uncle Remus tales.
I recall him smoking a few years back after a book signing. Does he still smoke? Is he worried that would change the smokiness of his voice? “I’m afraid to stop to find out!” he said.
I did a quick followup call to him Sunday afternoon and he said he enjoyed the Atlanta Press Club Eyeshade Awards Saturday night at the Commerce Club, where he noted some good investigative work (including work done by this publication) was awarded. His topic included how blogging (ahem) does not replace investigative reporting.
And Rolling Stones keyboardist and local resident Chuck Leavell stopped by to say hey. Edwards said he and Leavell have gotten to know each other over the years. He asked Chuck about his trees, rather than Mick and Keith. “Everyone else probably does,” he said. Here’s an interview he did with Chuck back in 2002.
I’m listening to Edwards’ show on WABE-FM right now and funny —- he’s interviewing our local boy Ben Jones, formerly Cooter on “Dukes of Hazzard.”
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7/18: Lexie Kaye is out at the River, Jamie Massey’s last day, Star 94 GM going away party
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chris Miller, program director at the River, dropped me an email this morning to tell me Lexie Kaye has been let go as morning host of the classic hits station after about two years. No explanation given and no comments forthcoming beyond what they are seeking for a replacement:
We’ll be looking for a new morning air talent who can shine within our limited-talk format, add great content to our website and interact well with listeners at stations appearances and events.
Lexie Kaye was a nice gal. I had lunch with her once. But like former B98.5 morning hosts Kelly & Alpha, she wasn’t given a lot to do so she wasn’t ever able to really become a true “personality.”
One of the bloggers noted below that the River still calls itself “new.” I think Cox Radio just does that. 95.5/The Beat was new for seemingly years after it launched, too. The River is now 2 years, six months, three weeks old. “At some point, we’ll drop new,” Miller said. “But we have no plans to drop it now. New has a good connotation for people. And we talk to people all the time who are just discovering us.” This reminds me of this NBC promotion during the summer for repeats in which the concept was, if you haven’t seen it yet, “it’s new to you.”
-790/The Zone raised $350,000 this week for Camp Twin Lakes, a camping facility for children with chronic illnesses and diseases, based in Rutledge.
-I stopped by to wish Jamie Massey off on her last day at 94.9/The Bull. After eight years on the radio at Star 94, Q100 and the Bull, she’s off to Phoenix to be with her boyfriend Chad Jennings. She leaves tomorrow for Wyoming to hang with her dad at a ranch before she leaves in early August to the dry heat and a country station out West. She told listeners she can be found at myspace.. At 8:30 a.m., the station played “Take This Job and Shove It.” But that wasn’t the song for her. Rather, the morning show played “By The Time I Get to Phoenix” by Glen Campbell. Cledus T. Judd was actually off today. He got hitched this past Tuesday for a fourth time.
Here is Jamie Massey with former co-host Slam Duncan this morning:
-On Thursday night, I checked out the going away party for the general manager at Star 94 Mark Kanov, who worked at the station for a whopping 40 years. Among the attendees at the Mansion in Buckhead: former 94Q morning host Gary McKee, long-time Star vet (until recently) Tommy Sullivan, former 99Xer Jimmy Baron (right), “Better Mornings” reporter Corinna Allen, former station manager Jerry Blum and the entire Star on-air staff including Tripp West, Cindy and Ray, the Morning Mess and the new night guy Darik Kristopher. No shows: Steve and Vikki. I’m going to add photos I took below:
ABOVE: Superphat Mikey (left) and Marco Orem (right) sandwiched by their agent Norm Schrutt, who also reps Mara Davis, the 2 Live Stews, John Kincade, Christopher Rude, Cindy & Ray and a host of others.
ABOVE: Tommy Sullivan with former Star 94 promotions manager Maren Sprowls, who now works at AOL.
The new night-time jock at Star 94 Darik Kristopher, who last worked in Denver and grew up in Iowa.
Tripp West, the mid-day guy at Star. He’s really really tall, though this photo doesn’t really help make that clear.
ABOVE: Mark Kanov, the man of the hour, who received original seats from the Omni as a going away present from his son.
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7/17: Catching up with a post-election Dale Cardwell, Steve Craig’s farewell on 99X.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former WSB-TV investigative reporter Dale Cardwell, who lost in his bid for a Senate seat in the Democratic primaries Tuesday, spent yesterday responding to emails and phone calls from supporters and well wishers.
“I’m very satisfied,” he said, of his third place finish behind Jim Martin and Vernon Jones, with about 77,000 votes or 16 percent of the state’s voters. “I worked very hard to bring people the truth and stand up for every day Georgians. I didn’t take PAC money. I actually did far better than anybody could have imagined.”
Cardwell, 45, left WSB-TV in June 2007 and immediately ran for office. His name recognition didn’t hurt although he had a very limited budget to run ads. In January, in a bid for publicity, he spent a month on top of a tower, like a radio DJ. He ended up raising about $166,000, a relative pittance compared to Martin or Jones.
He has endorsed Martin over Jones. Martin, he says, “has a 35 year of public service and moral integrity.” Jones, in his opinion, “has a lengthy record of a lack of integrity.”
His next step? He’s not sure. “I have no golden parachute, no deals,” he said. But he is pondering ideas because he has two mortgages and a family to feed.
Former WAGA-TV reporter and blogger Doug Richards mused that Cardwell’s quest was a bit quixotic since he never struck him as overtly political. And Cardwell was never a fan of Jones.
“Cardwell did numerous stories with a common theme: Vernon Jones is a menace. When Cardwell jumped in the race, it almost seemed to stem from his professional antagonism against Jones, extended to the political arena,” Richards wrote.
-And it was bittersweet to hear Steve Craig’s final “Retroplex” today on 99x.com. The specialty program was actually dropped last year from 99X a few months before the station itself was moved off the FM dial and online only.
Craig sat out for a few months but was still under contract with Cumulus Broadcasting so recently, he’s been doing a shift at 99X.com as the clock ran out. He now has a gig doing mid-days at WRXP-FM in New York, run by Leslie Fram. His first day there is July 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“I’m fighting back the tears,” he told online listeners today. “I never thought I’d be the last of the original cast sitting here.”
The Retroplex, in its various forms, aired from 1992 to 2007 on 99X during the noon hour. It was definitely Steve’s signature show, one he had complete freedom over, one that many people loved long after they lost their love for the rest of the station.
On Thursday, he started his final 99X ’80s/’90s nostalgia trip through alternative music with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears. Like the old days, he played old clips from classic ’80s films such as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Die Hard.
He spun his final “Wheel of Ramones.” It landed on… “Rockaway Beach.” “And now I get to see Rockaway Beach!” he noted. He did a “what happened on this date” from 1997 when Lollapalooza was launched. Among the songs he chose included “Kiss Them For Me” by Siouxshie and the Banshees; “Forgotten Years” by Midnight Oil; the first song he ever played on 99X in 1992 “All Together Now” by the Farm; and “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds, a definitive ’80s song.
Craig finished the two hours with Sid Vicious’ take on Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” then used Oingo Boingo’s “Goodbye Goodbye” for his departing credits, so to speak, just like in the film “Fast Times.”
“Literally, this was the highlight of every day I got up,” Craig said, before thanking all his past interns and bidding adieu to the Retroplex once and for all.
The cool thing about his new job at WRXP-FM: he’ll be one of the few jocks in a major market who will get to program his own show. That’s a true coup for him.
I was curious about how 99X.com has been doing so I asked the boss Gary Lewis what the numbers are. But he said they are “between counters” and don’t have a current number. He says most recently he said they were getting 50,000 people a week worldwide, which isn’t half bad. 99X had 250,000 to 300,000 mostly local listeners a week toward the end of its life on the FM dial.
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7/17: Dexter, Damages and Mad Men break through in Emmy noms
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While there were plenty of usual suspects in the Emmy nominations, a few newer shows in cable land snuck through, including Showtime’s “Dexter,” FX’s “Damages” and AMC’s “Mad Men” for best drama.
In fact, this is the first year ever that this many best drama nominations were from cable, not broadcast TV, which only got in Fox’s “House,” my favorite ABC’s “Lost” and perennial Emmy favorite “Boston Legal.”
Four of the six lead actor nominations in drama were also from cable: Gabriel Byrne for HBO’s “In Treatment,” Bryan Cranston in the excellent AMC show “Breaking Bad,” Michael C. Hall in “Dexter” and Jon Hamm from “Mad Men.” Past Emmy winners Hugh Laurie (“House”) and James Spader (“Boston Legal”) also made it in.
ABC favorites “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Desperate Housewives” were locked out of major categories, save for supporting actress for Chandra Wilson and Sandra Oh in “Grey’s.” And last year’s favorite “Ugly Betty” was blocked out this time around for best drama.
HBO’s “John Adams” had the most nominations with 23, followed by “30 Rock” with 17. Although HBO failed to get a drama series nomination for the first time in a decade but did get the most overall nominations with 85. (“Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Entourage” did grab best comedy series nominations.)
Full nomination list available here.
Atlanta’s TNT received 10 nominations, the most of any local network. The two most prominent ones were Kyra Sedgwick in “The Closer” (her second nom) and Holly Hunter (“Saving Grace”) for best female actress in a drama. They face off against the formidable Sally Field, last year’s winner from “Brothers and Sisters,” Glenn Close in “Damages” and previous winner Mariska Hargitay from “Law & Order: SVU.”
Dunwoody High School grad and “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest was naturally nominated in the new category, best host in a reality show, competing with Tom Bergeron (“Dancing With the Stars”), Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”), Howie Mandel (“Deal or No Deal”) and Jeff Probst (“Survivor”).
Atlanta’s Kenny Leon should be thrilled, too, because his film version of “A Raisin in the Sun” was nominated for best made-for-TV movie and Phylicia Rashad nabbed a nomination for best female actress in a miniseries or movie.
Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken” was nominated for best animated program (under an hour.) The Cartoon Network also was nominated in a minor category for “Camp Lazio” and “Chowder.” TNT’s “The Company” was nominated for six categories including best casting, best music composition, main title design, best directing and outstanding cinematography for a miniseries, movie or special. HBO’s “John Adams” will probably win a lot of those categories.
“Saving Grace” from TNT also was nominated for best original main title theme music. And TNT nabbed a nom for outstanding music direction for “Christmas in Washington.”
The female actress in a comedy category was fairly predictable with Christina Applegate (“Samantha Who?”) a newbie with her new ABC series taking Felicity Huffman’s spot from a year ago. The other four were repeats with America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”), Mary Louise-Parker (“Weeds”), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“New Adventures of Old Christine”) and Tina Fey (“30 Rock”).
The big surprise in the male actor in a comedy is the delightful Lee Pace in the new ABC show “Pushing Daisies.” He took the spot filled by last year’s winner Ricky Gervais in “Extras.” The other four were the same as a year earlier: Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”), Steve Carell (“The Office”), Tony Shalhoub (“Monk”) and Ch