Paul Brown, who runs Gallery 63, with employees Cindy Shook and Jon Hammond.

I wrote about Gallery 63, a local auction site in Atlanta, in March when Discovery was shooting a pilot for the network. The reality program (along the line of “Pawn Stars” or “Miami Ink”) has gotten a thumbs up for 14 episodes to air this fall and it has a new name. Originally “Auction King,” it now has the more pun-tensive name “Bidder Rivals.”

The cable network is now back at Gallery 63 shooting episodes all summer. So if you have something oddball or unusual you’d like to auction off (and also want to get on TV), come on in any time between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. The cameras will be rolling. And no worries: if you just want to bring stuff in to auction and don’t want to be filmed, you have that option as well.

“We are stoked,” said owner Paul Brown. Business is up significantly since word got out and he’s thinking of adding staff.

Here’s the address and contact number:

4577 Roswell Road …

Continue reading Gallery 63’s new Discovery show ‘Bidder Rivals’ to debut with 14 episodes this fall »

Jeff Hullinger this past Monday began his career as a political reporter on WXIA-TV after eight years off the air in local Atlanta broadcasting. He spent most of his time at WAGA-TV doing sports but has always aspired to do more. At WSB-AM radio most recently, he did broader based news.

Here is one of his first reports as one of the station’s “Bullfighters,” focusing on the Democratic Lt. Governor’s race.

Continue reading Jeff Hullinger is back on the air. Check out one of his first pieces »

Disgraced former New York governor Elliot Spitzer and Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Kathleen Parker will take over the 8 p.m. prime-time spot on CNN.

The show is set to start this fall. Spitzer’s name has been floating around as a possibility for weeks. Parker has conservative leanings as a syndicated columnist. The show, based on the initial press release, sounds a bit like “Crossfire,” which CNN dumped in 2005 in a deliberate effort to get away from loud, opinion shows, the very shows that have helped bolster its competitors Fox News, MSNBC and sister station HLN.

“Other cable news channels force-feed viewers one narrow, predictable point of view; in contrast, CNN will be offering a lively roundup of all the best ideas – presented by two of the most intelligent and outspoken figures in the country,” said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. in a press release. “Eliot and Kathleen are beholden to no vested interest – in fact, quite the opposite: they are renowned …

Continue reading Eliot Spitzer joins CNN, said he hopes people will look beyond the call-girl scandal »

I posted my Ruben Studdard interview from the Real Men Cook event Sunday over on the “Idol” blog almost immediately. Held at the Georgia Railroad Depot near Underground Atlanta, several thousand people sampled food by dozens of professional and amateur male cooks for charity.

Here are some leftover photos I took from the event as well.

Here is Sam Crenshaw, the sports anchor at WXIA-TV with cook Esther Caspino.

And Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga) in a chef’s cap.

His barbecue chicken was great!

Jason Ellis has survived four eliminations so far on Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen.”

Former WAOK-AM talk show host Shelley Wynter is still hoping to get back on Atlanta radio:

WSB-TV’s Jovita Moore and John Bachman did some MC work:

Supervising producer Roger Bobb of Tyler Perry Studios served lemon pepper wings:

Chef Jamika from the 2009 edition of “Next Food Network Star” did much of the MC work:

Here were the winners:

Appetizers (Professionals): Chef Desmond Fanning (Mango Shrimp), 33 total …

Continue reading Photos from Real Men Cook event: John Lewis, Jovita Moore, Jason Ellis »

Jake Pavelka on the set of "Drop Dead Diva" June 18, 2010. PHOTO CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Jake Pavelka, in town to tape a role on Lifetime’s “Drop Dead Diva,” has reportedly broken up with the gal he picked on “The Bachelor” earlier this year Vienna Girardi.

I visited the set of the show on Friday and he didn’t say anything about breaking up with her. I didn’t ask him directly but to another reporter, he skirted the issue about Vienna and marriage. He faced a lot of criticism from viewers about picking her, especially given how much the other women in the house disliked her. (And it appears ABC will take back the $42,000 ring.)

Girardi told Star magazine she dumped him and they hadn’t had sex in months.

Here’s a bit from a people.com story:

“Jake and Vienna have split,” says Janice Lee, a rep for the couple. “They appreciate the respect for their privacy at this time.”

No reason was given. After Pavelka, 32, was eliminated from “Dancing With the Stars” in late April, he …

Continue reading Jake Pavelka (’The Bachelor’) breaks it off with Vienna »

Kelly Stevens (left) and Alpha Trivette (right) CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

This past weekend, Kelly Stevens came back to his old haunt B98.5 without long-time on-air partner Alpha Trivette. It’s not a full-time job but it’s a step back into the game after two years unemployed.

He sent me this email:

I was asked to return to B98.5 to help with voice tracking on the weekends and to do vacation fill in. It’s part time but I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to what I love. It will be odd being on the air without Alpha (first time in over 20 years!) and in many ways it’s like starting my career all over again. I have to remind myself that there are a lot of us veterans of radio that might never be able to get back on the air, so again, I must keep being grateful for the chance that I’ve been given. I still hold out hope that Alpha and I can find something together…but it’s been sometime now and I’m ready to get back to doing what I love best…just thought I’d let …

Continue reading Half of Kelly & Alpha returns to B98.5 »

Usher has upended fellow Atlantan B.o.B. from the top spot on Atlanta radio with “OMG.”

The song is on six stations with 312 spins: The Beat (95), Hot 107.9 (58), Groove (65), V-103 (55), Q100 (40), Majic 107.5/97.5 (2).

B.o.B.’s stay at the top with “Nothin’ On You” lasted three weeks.

Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro” is runner up, 21 spins behind, which is impressive considering she is only on four stations (Hot and V-103 aren’t touching Lady Gaga.)

1. Usher “OMG” 312 (+29)
2. Lady Gaga “Alejandro” 291 (+26)
3. B.o.B. “Nothin’ on You” 271 (-45)
3. (tie) Rihanna “Rude Boy” 271 (+13)
5. Ke$ha “Your Love Is My Drug” 269 (-16)
6. Taio Cruz “Break Your Heart” 265 (-1)
7. Katy Perry “California Gurls” 231 (+12)
8. Jason DeRulo “In My Head” 184 (-3)
9. Alicia Keys “Unthinkable” 175 (+9)
10. Drake “Find Your Love” 174 (+27)

Source: Mediabase 24/7

Top 5 songs on select country and pop stations. (Next week: Hip/hop and rock)

Kicks 101.5
1. Brad Paisley “Water”
2. Carrie Underwood “Undo …

Continue reading Usher’s ‘OMG’ tops in Atlanta radio »

Jason Lee plays a cop with a boss played by Alfre Woodard

Last we saw Jason Lee, he and his signature 70s’-era ’stache ended the fourth season of “My Name is Earl” last year with “To be continued” embossed on the screen.

Instead, NBC canceled the sitcom, which saw its ratings drop off sharply in the 2008-09 season. Other networks (including TBS and TNT) considered keeping it alive, but the creators couldn’t justify the budget cuts they were being asked to make.

“I was surprised to have it canceled like that,” said Lee in a phone interview earlier this month.”We still have our fans.”

Lee quickly jumped back into scripted TV, this time opting for a cop drama called “Memphis Beat” debuting tonight on TBS at 10 p.m.

“I certainly would not have been interested in a typical formulaic cop drama,” he said. “I wouldn’t do a CSI show. No offense. That’s just not really my bag. This is more character driven. It’s every much about the people involved and the relationships and the …

Continue reading Jason Lee (’My Name is Earl’) plays cop in TNT drama ‘Memphis Beat’ »