Youngblood has left Kiss 104.1 after two decades doing the Spotlight Gold Saturday morning show.

Here’s part of a note posted by program director Jay Dixon on the Kiss website Monday:

I regret to inform you that Youngblood has made a decision to no longer host Spotlight Gold Saturday mornings on Kiss 104 after we couldn’t come to terms on an monetary agreement that worked for our station. We’ve enjoyed the many years Youngblood has worked for us and wish him well. We’ve also received feedback from our listeners about the music selection over the past two weeks on Spotlight Gold with Mixmaster Mitch. We feel strongly the program will continue to deliver an abundance of memorable, soulful classics mostly from the 60’s and 70’s that Spotlight Gold fans have come to hear every Saturday morning. We would never take away those golden oldies you know and love. I’m asking for your continued support for the show. There’s no question soul music is an …

Continue reading Youngblood leaves Kiss 104.1 »

There were no major format shifts in Atlanta the first quarter of 2011, but trends from the fourth quarter continued apace.

V-103 remains Atlanta’s steady top performer as usual while AM750 and now 95.5 FM News/Talk 750 remains a close second. In third, Praise 102.5 continues its amazing run as the nation’s most popular gospel station while Majic 107.5/97.5 pecks away at the aging Kiss 104.1 in the key 25-54 demographic, based on the most recent Arbitron ratings.

In the country arena, Kicks 101.5 has fended off a brief run last year from rival 94.9/The Bull while 92.9/Dave FM solidified its spot as the area’s top rock station. Both Q100 and Star 94 are well above their ratings numbers a year ago as well. And with 95.5/the Beat gone, Wild 105.7 (called the Groove in early 2010) is doing better among younger listeners.

Stations that have seen significant slippage in the first quarter of 2011 vs.  the first quarter of 2010: B98.5, Fish 104.7, 105.3/El Patron, 640/WGST-AM, …

Continue reading Majic, Praise, Kicks, Dave up in Arbitron ratings in first quarter 2011 »

 Loading …

Petra Nemcova, the supermodel whose fiance died in the  2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, was the fourth celebrity ousted on “Dancing With the Stars” tonight.

Her quickstep to “New York, New York” garnered her a 22 with two 7s and an 8. That’s pretty good but the final eight dancers are all pretty good. In fact, she tied for the lowest judges’ score with far more popular Ralph Macchio and reality star Kendra Wilkinson.

Over five dances, she had a higher average score than Kendra but ultimately a smaller fan base. On stage, her long legs and flowing lines helped her. Off stage, she seemed sweet but not terribly engaging.

Models in general don’t fare well on the show. Paulina Porizkova was ousted her first week season four. So was Josie Maran season five. Kathy Ireland was third out season nine.

Unless something odd happens next week, Kendra is probably next to go …

Continue reading Who is out fourth for ‘Dancing With the Stars’? »

Last year, the “Top Chef” tour stop in Atlanta featured the face off of two locals: season six runner-up Kevin Gillespie vs.  “All Stars” winner Richard Blais. This year, it’s going to be local season six finalist Eli Kirshtein (right) vs. season five winner and Colorado native Hosea Rosenberg.

It’s going to be held again at the Westside Urban Market at 1200 Howell Mill Road.

According to the Westside Provisions District web site:

• The demos are scheduled at 10:30am, 12pm, 1:30pm and 3pm.
• The majority of seats are still available on the day of the event. These seats are available on a first come, first served basis. All tickets are free.

Since these are cooking demonstrations, the competition is going to be a bit more muted than on the show itself. Still, it’s fun to actually sample something that’s cooked in front of you rather than have to guess how delicious it is by watching the dishes be made on TV.

Kershtein was memorable for his tense confrontations with Robin …

Continue reading Free ‘Top Chef’ tour coming to Westside Urban Market April 25 »

Xernona Clayton, Founder, President and CEO of the Trumpet Awards Foundation, Inc. smiles for cameras on the red carpet before the start of the Annual Trumpet Awards at Cobb Energy Centre on Saturday, 1/29/2011. Johnny Crawford/Jcrawford@ajc.com

On Easter Sunday, TV One will be airing the 19th annual Trumpet Awards rewarding high achievement in the African-American community.

What I always find odd is this show was taped at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in late January. Why wait nearly three months to air it? Here’s the explanation from publicist Lynn McReynolds:

It’s become a tradition to air the Trumpet Awards on TV One on Easter Sunday; it’s an uplifting show with a positive message and it’s popular with a family audience, which makes it the kind of show that’s popular on Easter Sunday. Of course, there are many years when Easter occurs in March. Easter just happens to be really late this year.

AJC took pictures that day.

Awards were handed out as …

Continue reading TV One airing Trumpet Awards Easter Sunday, April 24 »

AP

Hot 107.9’s 16th Annual Birthday Bash at Philips Arena will feature the controversial hitmaker Chris Brown and Atlanta’s own Keri Hilson.

Lloyd is the third act named so far. More acts will be announced in coming weeks. The show, which is set for June 18, sells out virtually year.

Tickets on Ticketmaster range from $70.35 to $117.55 after fees.

Brown, who is promoting his new album “FAME,” already has four hit singles from the album: “Yeah 3X,” “Look At Me Now,” “Beautiful People” and his current “She Ain’t You.”  He got a bit of unfortunate publicity last month when he broke a window in an anger fit after a “Good Morning America” interview.

And in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Mike Vick gave him the following advice:

“Just put your faith in God. Don’t worry about what people say about you. Words will never hurt you. The things that people can say out of their mouth can cut you deep. And sometimes a tongue can be sharper than a knife. But at the same …

Continue reading Hot 107.9’s Birthday Bash headliners include Chris Brown, Keri Hilson »

Malcolm-Jamal Warner arrives at the 2011 TV Land Awards on Sunday, April 10, 2011, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)

I had accidentally scheduled this to post on my vacation day Monday without actually finishing the item. Here it is in complete form:

BET will be creating a third sitcom starring Tracee Ellis Ross (”Girlfriends”) and Malcolm Jamal-Warner (”The Cosby Show,” “Malcolm & Eddie”) called “Reed Between the Lines.”

And Atlanta will  be the home of the show when it gets shot here later this year. Where has not been determined. Their two other scripted shows, “Let’s Stay Together” and “The Game,” are shot here. And BET uses Atlanta as home to two annual awards shows (”BET Hip Hop Awards,” “Soul Train Awards”), a talk show (”The Mo’Nique Show”) and reality shows (currently, “Toya: A Family Affair”).

This all makes sense since Atlanta is has the second largest black population in the United States and draws some of the network’s biggest audiences for its programming. …

Continue reading New Malcolm Jamal-Warner BET sitcom ‘Reed Between the Lines’ to shoot in Atlanta »

I’m on vacation so no recap this week.

I am writing this before “Celebrity Apprentice” airs Sunday night but it’s fair to say that with Gary Busey as the project manager for the men’s team, it’s an easy bet he’s finally going home. If I’m wrong, well, Donald Trump is letting drama overtake rational thought and who ever thought that was possible?

Anyway, without a recap (but a place to comment below), here are my thoughts on the remaining contestants and how far I think they’re going to go:

- Gary Busey. It’s hard to say how much of the actor’s attention deficit disorder and oddball behavior has to do with his motorcycle accident many years ago but clearly he lacks traditional leadership skills that would make him a good teammate. He makes entertaining TV, but Trump himself already has put him on notice.

- John Rich. The country star could win the show. He has the personality traits that Trump appreciates: passion, drive, connections. He uses his songwriting skills to his …

Continue reading Who is out on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’? »

Kate Middleton is played by Camilla Luddington and Prince William is played by Nico Evers-Swindell in the "William & Kate" film on Lifetime Monday night at 9 p.m. SOURCE: Lifetime

The Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding isn’t until April 29 but you’ll have plenty of TV programming to get yourself prepared – if you care.

TLC is running specials about the upcoming nuptials all week, covering everything from the dress to the food.  Lifetime is airing its scripted take on their relationship Monday.

And this doesn’t even count all the pre-coverage by the broadcast and cable news shows. (The wedding airs April 29.) By next week, major talent from the networks, from CBS’s Katie Couric to ABC’s Barbara Walters to NBC’s Brian Williams will report from London. CNN plans to bring in at least 125 reporters there, according to the Los Angeles Times.

If that isn’t your cup of tea, there’s always the NBA basketball playoffs on ESPN and TNT this week.

MONDAY

“Chuck” 8 p.m. NBC — …

Continue reading TV best bets with Lifetime, TLC focused on William & Kate wedding »

Former Stone Mountain resident RonReaco Lee has an interesting resume that goes beyond his current job as Jamal on BET’s sitcom “Let’s Stay Together,” shot in Atlanta.

He was a child actor in metro Atlanta, doing news for Turner and gaining parts in shows like “I’ll Fly Away” and “In the Heat of the Night.” As a young adult, he nabbed a regular role on “Sister, Sister.” Then he spent a decade taking small jobs on big shows like “E.R.,” “The Shield” and “Monk.”

He also found himself in short-lived TV show after short-lived TV show.

Their brevity of existence would test the most hardened TV trivia nut as he bounced from broadcast network to broadcast network: “All About the Andersons” on the WB in 2004, “Committed” on NBC in 2005, “Do Not Disturb” on Fox in 2008, “Worst Week” on CBS in 2008-09 and “In the Motherhood” on ABC in 2009 and “The Good Guys” on Fox (again) in 2010.

Lee, in an interview Thursday at Steve Harvey’s studios in Buckhead, said he’s just glad he’s gotten …

Continue reading Actor RonReaco Lee (’Let’s Stay Together’) moving to Powder Springs »