I took a couple weeks off from tracking Nielsen TV ratings. It’s a bit of a quiet time. But it’s time to see how some of the summer shows are doing. Here’s a quick assessment of a sampling of summer shows. (We’re still awaiting the returns of “Mad Men” on AMC and “Jersey Shore” on MTV.)

WINNERS (so far)

“Deadliest Catch” Discovery – The death of Phil Harris has certainly boosted the numbers for the network’s top show. Last week, the episode featuring his death drew 8.5 million viewers, the third most ever for the network.

“America’s Got Talent” NBC  – For at least the fourth year in a row, this is the most popular TV summer series, averaging about 11 to 12 million viewers per episode. So far, Howie Mandel has made a good replacement for David Hasselhoff as a judge.

Continue reading Which summer shows are sizzling, which ones are fizzling? »

Rodney Ho has decided that talking in third person is deeply amusing, especially from politicians and athletes and even the occasional puppet.

On Live Apartment Fire, WXIA-TV reporter Jeff Hullinger (right) mused about how Gubernatorial candidates Nathan Deal and John Oxendine were prone to talking about themselves using their own names rather than “I.”

I’m certain I’ve interviewed celebrities before who have referred to themselves this way but sadly, I can’t recall.

Bob Dole is one of the most famous politicians to employ this, to the point of self parody. A bit from a 1988 Time magazine story:

As Dole toured the South late last week, he seemed depressed and distracted. His press entourage had dwindled. Rally crowds were thin. In a Florida address, the ordinarily aggressive Senator was on the defensive. “Whatever you see on TV ads, Bob Dole is not going to raise taxes,” he said, once again employing the third-person syntax that is beginning to sound like self-parody. …

Continue reading Talking in the third person »

During the past couple of years, most of the local radio stations have raised money for the March of Dimes at the same time on their own stations.

This time, the stations are cooperating with Simon Malls: Lenox Square, Town Center at Cobb and Mall of Georgia. Stations, from Dave to WSB-AM, will air live from those three malls over August 6 and 7 to encourage shoppers to give money to the March of Dimes, which funds research and programs aimed at preventing prematurity, birth defects and infant mortality.

More from the press release:

Shoppers will have the opportunity to learn about the ABC’s of prenatal wellness and baby health from medical experts onsite, and March of Dimes miracle children will star in a Purple It! Fashion Show at all three malls on August 7 at 3 p.m. The Fashion Show at Lenox Square, presented by Macy’s, will feature the latest in maternity wear and children’s clothes.

The on-air radio campaign will officially kick off on July 26 with public …

Continue reading Atlanta radio stations in March of Dimes benefit at local malls August 6-7 »

First, Frankie and Neffe of the show of the same name has split up, leaving Neffe on BET and Frankie in VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab.”

Now, “Tiny and Toya” is over. BET’s Tameka “Tiny” Cottle, T.I.’s squeeze, has been snuffed out. T.I. hasn’t exactly been a fan of her doing the show. It recently ended its second season with disappointing ratings.

“Tiny and Toya” averaged about 1.8 million viewers season one but dropped to 1.2 million season two.

Antonia “Toya” Carter, ex-wife of currently incarcerated Lil Wayne, will go solo.

This from a eurweb story:

“We just decided to kind of part ways because she is doing her own thing with her music career, her kids and she’s about to get married,” Carter said in a recent interview with radio/TV personality Ms. Drama. “Some things you have to just keep private and I understand that as a friend.”

Continue reading Bye bye Tiny. Toya left on her own in BET spinoff »

Regis & Kelly came up with a great promotion to get hundreds of radio stations to talk about… Regis & Kelly.

They are holding a “female cohost” contest in which a female radio jock will co-host the show with Regis Philbin at some future date. Many jocks in Atlanta solicited for fans to submit nominations to the show and three ended up making the top 100 list:

- Jenn Hobby, Q100’s “Bert Show” (She just Tweeted: JennHobby

I ♥ twitter! This is how I just found out about Regis + Kelly! Made the Top 100. Wow, excited!)

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- Cindy Simmons, Star 94’s “Cindy & Ray Show” (Cindy’s Tweet: I made the TOP 100! RT @Regis_and_Kelly WOMEN OF RADIO CO-HOST 4 A DAY SEARCH TOP 100! Comment on their FB page!!! http://bit.ly/au5Swb)

- Elle Duncan, V-103, morning co-host on the “Frank and Wanda …

Continue reading Regis & Kelly’s co-host contest includes three Atlanta jocks »

Oh my gosh, Usher is at the top again with his single “OMG” on Atlanta radio stations.

His stranglehold on the top is now five weeks and running.

The No. 2 single “California Gurls” by Katy Perry is 22 spins behind, handicapped by being played on only four stations. All four stations are giving it top spin consideration for that respective station: The Beat’s 100 spins, Star’s 73, Groove’s 69 and Q100’s 73.

Usher’s song has urban support as well: V-103’s 50 spins, Hot’s 46, the Beat’s 94, Majic’s 3, Groove’s 65 and Q100’s 79.

There doesn’t appear to be a song on the horizon to take over the top slot anytime soon. The only new song in the top 10? Usher’s “There Goes My Baby,” which has not crossed over to top 40 yet.

The top movers are two relatively new songs: Taio Cruz’s next single “Dynamite” is up to 93 spins, up 58 in one week while Kenny Chesney’s new single “The Boys of Fall” is already getting five to six spins a day on Kicks and the Bull (73 total, up 58).

Top 10 …

Continue reading Five weeks at top for Usher’s ‘OMG’ in Atlanta radio »

VH1 gave Usher the “Behind the Music” treatment Monday night. Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, his ex girlfriend, is amazing in the special, giving great quotes.

Here’s a recap in case you missed it:

It’s June 2010, Usher is shooting his video in Malibu for “There Goes My Baby.”

He mentions how much he loves women and loving being single.

“I’m not saying I’m 100% giving up on love,” he said, “but I’m not rushing to get married any time soon.”

Jonnetta Patton, Usher’s mom, raised him in Chattanooga. His bad-boy, drugged-up father left when Usher was a baby. Usher had no contact with his dad. “I can remember still wondering, ‘Am I not good enough? Does he not want to know me? Doesn’t he know we have the same name?… I’d write him but couldn’t make that connection. He was always at arm’s reach but I couldn’t get to it.”

He sang at his mom’s choir. At age 10, he joined a local boy band New Beginnings. “That’s when I saw star potential,” Jonnetta said.

In 1990, she moved him to Atlanta to …

Continue reading Usher says no marriage any time soon in VH1′Behind the Music’ »

Holla! Atlanta’s own Frankie Lons, R&B singer Keyshia Cole’s mom, will be on the next edition of VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew.”

Frankie came to celebrity-dom thanks to Cole’s reality show, which aired on BET from 2006 to 2008 and was a big hit. Frankie had just finished a long stint in prison for drug possession and Cole moved her from California to Atlanta to help her transition into the real world. She had her hair done and new teeth put in. Along with her daughter Neffe, Frankie became far more interesting to watch from a reality-show standpoint than Cole herself. Her favorite sayings? “Man Down!” and “Holla!”

The pair was able to spin out their own reality show last year called “Frankie & Neffe.” It didn’t do quite as well and with Frankie going to “Celebrity Rehab,” it appears BET may simply spin off the spin off and focus on Neffe alone.

The press release does not say what Frankie is entering rehab for but it’s likely to be drugs.

Here is video I took of Frankie …

Continue reading Frankie Lons of BET’s ‘Frankie & Neffe’ fame and Keyshia Cole’s mom going on VH1’s ‘Celebrity Rehab’ »

Brianna Jenkins was supported by two of her best friends Jillian Nathan (left) and Mia Johnson (right)

For the past few weeks, enterprising Herb Mesa has been hosting weekly viewing parties for “Next Food Network Star.” I decided to stop by the one held last night at Room at Twelve near downtown Atlanta.

Both local contestants, including caterer Brianna Jenkins, attended the party Sunday night screening with friends and family. Unfortunately, both contestants struggled during the episode and landed in the bottom three.

In the end, Brianna was eliminated after failing yet again to engage the audience or the judges, especially when the camera was rolling.

“To relive it is just emotional,” Brianna told the crowd moments after the elimination.”If you see Herb and I shed a tear, I’m sorry. The experience taught me so much about myself, to knock out those walls, to open up and share with people even the darkest moments of my life and connect with that. That was what was tough for …

Continue reading Who was eliminated on ‘Next Food Network Star?’ »

The steady slide continues for news/talk station WSB-AM.

In April, 2009, WSB-AM had an 8.4 rating, ranked second in the city, according to Arbitron figures. Last month, the news/talk station hit a 5.5, the lowest in many years and down 35 percent in just over a year. Among 25-to-54 year olds, the station fell to a tie for 10th with rock station Dave FM, behind stations such as top 40 Q100, Christian pop Fish 104.7 and R&B/hip-hop Hot 107.9.

There is no obvious explanation because the station itself hasn’t changed its core weekday lineup in years, which features Scott Slade, Neal Boortz, Clark Howard and Sean Hannity. But that could also be a problem. Its audience is aging and shrinking at the same time.

WSB-AM Assistant Program Director Condace Pressley had no ready explanation for the drop off. But she said the station has no plans to make any changes to what has been a very successful formula.

“We’re staying the course,” she said. “We believe very strongly we have a very …

Continue reading Hot times for Hot 107.9, chilly times for WSB-AM in June Arbitron ratings »