Jim Axel, a veteran WAGA-TV anchor for 34 years, died Saturday after a long battle with lung cancer, according to WAGA-TV.

Axel worked at WAGA-TV from 1962 until he retired in 1996.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer four years ago, the WAGA-TV story said. And he credited his wife for holding up as well as he did in an interview with his former station last year.

“I would hate to be where I am without her,” he said at the time. “She’s been wonderful. She makes sure the family gets through it. I can’t tell you enough what it has meant to have her. She’s supportive. She’s demanding. She’ll tell me what I need to have done whether I want to do it or not.”

Doug Richards, who works at WXIA-TV but spent many years at WAGA-TV, offered kind words about Axel on his Live Apartment Fire blog:

Axel was smart, passionate, occasionally surly and uncompromising in his standards of journalism. He had a twenty-plus year head-start on me, career-wise. If he could do it, I figured — …

Continue reading Former WAGA anchor Jim Axel, 75, passes »

Lifetime’s first season of “Project Runway” has been sorely lacking in delicious drama but it’s coming to an end Thursday.

Heather Locklear returns to “Melrose Place” to try to resuscitate the lowest rated show on broadcast network. Locklear entered “Melrose” back in the early 1990s and helped pump that version to life but can she do it again?

Check her out here in an exclusive clip from people.com.

The first two of many many Christmas specials also hit the airwaves – one naughty (Larry the Cable Guy on CMT) and one nice (Madagascar!).

MONDAY, November 16, 2009
“Dancing With the Stars” 8 p.m. ABC — You’ve got graceful but dull Mya and Joanna Krupa vs. less graceful but more interesting Donny Osmond and Kelly Osbourne.
“House” 8 p.m. Fox — House gets his medical license back and angles to form a dream team.
“Inside the Actor’s Studio: Bon Jovi” 8 p.m. Bravo — Bon Jovi is all over NBC-owned properties as part of a special promotional deal.
“How I Met …

Continue reading TV best bets with season finale of ‘Project Runway,’ return of Heather Locklear on ‘Melrose’ »

DailyFinance reports that Lou Dobbs will have his first post-CNN interview with Bill O’Reilly on Fox News Monday.

O’Reilly defended Dobbs over the summer over the “birthers” controversy. The New York Post, citing unnamed sources, said this was the last straw for both Dobbs and CNN brass. He is giving up $9 million by leaving early, the Post said.

It’s unclear if Dobbs has a non-compete clause in his contract that prevents him from working immediately with Fox News or its sister station Fox Business.

Continue reading Dobbs first post-CNN interview will be with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly »

It’s been one of those days I can’t reach anybody but here are bits I’ve gleaned from the folks at radio-info.com:

- 92.5 The Bear, a country station on the south side, has dropped Moby’s syndicated show. He remains on South 107.1 in Rome and WNGC in Athens.

-Cadillac Jack is starting a syndicated afternoon show for Citadel (which is cost cutting like mad) on top of his Kicks 101.5 morning show. His afternoon show will be heard in smaller markets elsewhere. It won’t include Dallas McCade. It will be voice-tracked ahead of time after he finishes his morning show and resemble the afternoon show he used to do on Kicks before he went to mornings.

-100.1, which has been simulcasting La Raza 102.3 is now running a Viva-like Hispanic pop station instead of La Raza’s regional Mexican format. Many years ago, 100.1 (owned by Davis Broadcasting) was Sunny 100.1, an oldies station. The station covers the north side of Atlanta.

- Groove 105.7 just ended its 10,000 songs in a row. The …

Continue reading Radio bits: 100.1 shifts format; Moby off 92.5 the Bear; Cadillac Jack adds syndicated show, new PD at Groove 105.7 »

Hispanic network Telemundo Atlanta will launch on Comcast channel 18 on Monday, November 16.

The national Telemundo feed is now on Comcast 73 and will stay there through the end of the year.

Channel 18 is currently not being used. Comcast isn’t sure how it’s going to use Channel 73 in the future.

Telemundo Atlanta airs mostly the same programs as Telemundo but incorporates local news briefs in the evening and some local weekend programming.

Continue reading Telemundo adding local content, moving dial on Comcast »

Althea’s designs that apparently look too old and matronly.

Then again, I know how this show goes. Case in point: The “surprise” 13th look, which I’m sure actually takes no one by surprise.

There was no challenge to critique and discuss tonight, so let’s look at the chances that each designer has to win. Feel free to add pros and cons for each designer.

Althea

Pros: Has won several challenges; experiments with unusual silhouettes; has been described as an expert tailor.

Cons: When she goes astray, which is rare, she really seems to go off the rails. Tim seemed unimpressed by her collection, almost concerned.

Carol Hannah

Pros: Has identified her niche, creating gowns; has also moved outside her comfort zone with her 12-piece collection, by designing pants and edgier pieces.

Cons: Has only won one challenge; shows the least diversity of the three remaining designers; started the challenge while sick and feeling tired.

Irina

Pros: Has won several …

Continue reading Project Runway: Finale, Part 1 »

The insertion of John King to replace Lou Dobbs cements a long-term strategy CNN has embraced despite slipping ratings: toe the center line.

King, a CNN newscaster and reporter for 12 years, will replace Dobbs early next year with a 7 p.m. weekday show focused on politics.

“John embodies what we are striving for at CNN – he is steadfast in his objective and nonpartisan political reporting and has the passion for chasing down stories that really matter to Americans,” CNN President Jon Klein wrote in an e-mail message to colleagues, obtained by The New York Times.

King, in an interview Thursday just before boarding a plane from Helena, Mont. to his home in Washington D.C., said he was told he might be replacing Dobbs just a few days ago.

“I won’t take sides,” he said. “We’ll have a lot of fun. I’ll steer the conversation, not dictate it. We want it to be fair, objective, interesting.”

He feels there’s still a home for this type of programming. “There’s room for …

Continue reading CNN going ’straight and narrow’ with John King, post Lou Dobbs »

ABC’s “V,” after a huge debut of 14.3 million and 387,000 locally, shed 25 percent of its total audience this past Tuesday and 29 percent of its 18-49 demographic, the largest drop of any new show this year.

That’s not a good sign for ABC after such an ebullient opening. Science fiction is always a tricky area for mainstream networks and a difficult one to keep around.

Otherwise, football was the big draw as usual. The Falcons-Saints game on ESPN and CBS Nov. 2 drew about 800,000 viewers combined. The NBC Sunday night matchup between the Eagles and Cowboys brought in 492,000.

The top scripted show in Atlanta was “Desperate Housewives” again, with 396,000. The World Series game 6 on Fox was the top national show with 22.3 million.

“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” reunion show last Thursday drew a relatively low 2.44 million viewers nationally. It was probably a combination of no drama and the fact it aired an hour earlier than normal thanks to the new “Real Housewives of …

Continue reading V starts big, loses steam week 2 in TV ratings; Muse, Jay-Z are among top Atlanta radio songs »

This was clearly Taylor Swift’s night at the Country Music Awards. She was not only the youngest person to ever win Entertainer of the Year at age 19 but she was the first female solo artist to take home the award since Shania Twain in 1999.

“Everything I”ve ever wanted just happened to me,” a teary-eyed Swift said.

Among Georgians, Sugarland and Lady Antebellum’s (above) were winners.

Lady Antebellum, which features two UGA grads and Augustans, took home Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year, beating out the likes of North Georgia’s the Zac Brown Band, Little Big Town (which includes a Georgian), Rascal Flatts and the Eagles.

Atlanta’s own Sugarland also won vocal duo of the year for the third year in a row.

The first Georgia reference came during a parody version of Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” in which co-hosts Carrie Underwood and Brad Praisley duet. It was about Brooks & Dunn’s planned breakup. The pair won the best duo CMA award 14 times. Thus, the …

Continue reading CMA Awards give Lady Antebellum, Sugarland plenty of love; Zac Brown shut out »

Lou Dobbs, a veteran CNN anchor whose anti-immigration stance in recent years angered many Latino groups, left the network today in a surprise announcement.

Dobbs, who has been at the network for much of its 29-year existence, alluded to the maelstrom that has been building against him in recent months for his outspoken advocacy against illegal immigration:

Over the past six months it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us, and some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem solving as well as to contribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible.

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You can read his …

Continue reading Lou Dobbs quits CNN »