Ryan Seacrest at the CES show last month. He is now a partner with Clear Channel Media. CREDIT: AP

If you didn’t already know that Dunwoody High School graduate Ryan Seacrest is far more than just an “American Idol” host, here’s the proof:

Clear Channel Media today announced it was becoming a minority partner in Ryan Seacrest Media, infusing up to $300 million into his business through its two major investors, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Bain Capital. That money will buy and develop companies, content and other properties.

Ryan Seacrest Media, in TV production, has had one big home run: the successful Kardashian shows on E! He also helps put together the New Year’s show with Dick Clark. Other less successful ventures include ABC’s “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” and E!’s “Denise Richards: It’s Complicated.” Two new shows are forthcoming: “Melissa and Tye: A New Reality” for CMT and Bravo’s “Shahs of Sunset.”

Seacrest already has deep ties with Clear Channel, which is …

Continue reading Ryan Seacrest gets $300 million for his business from Clear Channel »

TABATHA'S TAKEOVER — Pictured: Tabatha — Bravo Photo: Mitch Haaseth

Tabatha Coffey last year made her first foray into metro Atlanta, fixing up three businesses for her fourth season of the Bravo show “Tabatha Takes Over.”

The first one to air is tonight at 10 p.m. on Bravo: Pat’s Hair Shop in Douglasville, which has been run by the same person for 27 years.

Pat Duke, 55, founded the hair salon in 1985 without a big plan. It just worked. “I had fun,” she said in an interview last week. “I became part of this community. I watched kids grow up to have their own kids and their kids have kids. I loved the camaraderie of a group of women and doing good, honest work.”

But half her staff – mostly the veterans – walked out on her in 2010. She’s had to downsize and is in major financial trouble. She said she’s still confused about what had happened and has not recovered from it.

So did Tabatha save her salon when she came in last summer? It sure sounds like it. …

Continue reading Bravo’s Tabatha Coffey tries to fix up a Douglasville hair salon in tonight’s episode »

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Continue reading Video: talking Super Bowl, ‘Smash,’ Kim Kardashian on ‘Drop Dead Diva’ »

Evander Holyfield shows up on "All Star Dealers" tonight. CREDIT: AP

In tonight’s episode of new Discovery show “All Star Dealers,” Richie Russek, owner of a Long Island-based auction company Gray Flannel Auctions, visits the mansion of four-time heavyweight champ and Atlantan Evander Holyfield. He tries to convince Holyfield to consign a one-of-a-kind item from the boxer’s personal collection.

Check him out tonight at 8 p.m. There’s a video sample below, too.

Though plenty of auction/storage/pawn shows are doing great (”Storage Wars,” “Pawn Stars,” “Hardcore Pawn,” “Storage Hunters,” “Auction Kings” et. al), this particular sports-oriented show is not a hit. Last Tuesday, the two episodes drew 663,000 viewers and 591,000 viewers, respectively.

In comparison, “Storage Wars” last week on A&E brought in nearly 5 million viewers. “Pawn Stars” on History hit a whopping  7 million viewers last week. Atlanta-based TruTV’s “Hardcore Pawn” and “Storage Hunters” last week both …

Continue reading Atlanta’s Evander Holyfield on Discovery show ‘All Star Dealers’ tonight »

In this Dec. 22, 2011 file photo, television host Steve Jones poses on the red carpet at "The X Factor" Finale show in Los Angeles. Jones said on Twitter on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, that he wouldn’t be returning to host the show's second season. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, file)

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UPDATE at 7:47 a.m., January 31: Five hours ago, Nigel Lythgoe Tweeted that Simon Cowell has fired Paula Abdul? What?

UPDATE at 2:43 p.m.: Paula has officially confirmed the news with this statement:

“Yes, it’s true; I won’t be returning to The X Factor next season.  I’ve learned through my longevity in this industry that business decisions often times override personal considerations.  Simon and I, along with Fox and Fremantle, have been communicating about this for a while now, and I have absolute …

Continue reading Steve Jones, Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul out on ‘X Factor’ »

The Foo Fighters had been a core artist on Rock 100.5. CREDIT: AP

With ratings lagging behind the three other major signal rock stations in town, Rock 100.5 made a shift Saturday to significantly more current music – but then quickly reverted back to classic rock on Monday.

In another interesting shift, the Regular Guys Monday began playing rock music during their show, two songs per hour. On Monday, they played only recent songs by the likes of Papa Roach, Stone Sour and Theory of a Deadman. On Tuesday, they started mixing in older songs.

Over the weekend, songs from the past three years encompassed 30 percent of the music heard on the station, up from 10 percent on Friday.

Rock 100.5 had been gradually upping the percentage of new music in its mix since November, adding hits by the likes of Shinedown and Godsmack. The average age of a song October 15, 2011 was 1979. By last Friday, it was 1990. On Sunday, it was 1996.

Feedback must have been poor. On a Facebook poll the …

Continue reading Rock 100.5 adds songs to Regular Guys show, skewed younger over the weekend »

Elton John poses with "X Factor" winner Melanie Amaro during the shoot of a Pepsi ad. CREDIT: Pepsi

Part-time Atlantan Elton John will appear in a Super Bowl ad with “X Factor” winner Melanie Amaro.

Here’s a press release descriptive of the ad and boy, did the publicist who wrote this really “pour it on.”

Set in a rock-fantasy version of medieval times, the 60 second commercial features Melanie Amaro performing in front of a “royal court of rock,” including Elton John’s character, the King. The ad establishes Pepsi as the brand for people who are not afraid to take a chance, raise their voice and give it their all. It also highlights the fact that Pepsi has an irresistible taste worth challenging a king for. With epic Pepsi scale and a big dose of humor, the commercial ends with a twist and the tagline, “Where there’s Pepsi, There’s Music”.

Part of Amaro’s victory, besides $5 million, was a Pepsi ad.

And since the Super Bowl is now an all-day event, CMT …

Continue reading Elton John plays ‘king’ in Pepsi Super Bowl ad with ‘X Factor’ winner Melanie Amaro »

Madonna makes her debut at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis Sunday. CREDIT: AP

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This week, it’s all about the Super Bowl Sunday.

If you aren’t into the football, there’s “The Puppy Bowl” on Animal Planet. You can also catch Madonna during the half-time show (with rumors that Atlanta’s Cee Lo Green might join in).

TBS counter-programs with chick flicks such as “Mamma Mia!”  During the game, HBO airs “Titanic,” followed by a new episode of “Luck.” And Showtime runs its usual lineup of ‘Shameless,’ “House of Lies” and “Californication.”

And NBC is debuting one of its few non-football hits, “The Voice,” right after the game, hoping to capture new fans. (It’s the only time anybody gets a lead-in of 100 million-plus viewers! NBC will be thrilled if they …

Continue reading TV best bets with Super Bowl, ‘The Voice’ »

Marlo Hampton talks etiquette, then shows her etiquette during a verbal free for all with Sheree. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

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Honestly, most fans watch these “Housewives”-type shows for the silly cat fights. Sometimes, they get physical. Sometimes, they are simply verbal. But you can hear the mewing from miles away.

Tonight, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” has the verbal tussle of the season to date, courtesy of Sheree Whitfield and “Housewives” wannabe/plant Marlo Hampton during the start of their 10-day trip to South Africa.

Hampton is edited in the most unflattering way this episode. First of all, trip organizer Phaedra Parks and her posse, Kandi Burruss and Sheree, are annoyed by Hampton just showing up, invited by NeNe Leakes. Team Phaedra also find Marlo overly gabby and obsessed with “etiquette.” Heck, she even annoying tests …

Continue reading ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ recap: season 4, episode 12: Marlo vs. Sheree! »

Christina Gonzalez, Belinda Skelton and Neal Boortz dedicating a tree in Royal Marshall's name on WSB property. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Royal Marshall, Neal Boortz’s irrepressibly cheerful right-hand man for more than 17 years, died of a heart attack a year ago.

His closest friends, family and colleagues are still trying to pick up the pieces. At AM 750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB, Marshall’s workplace for nearly two decades, the station Friday honored him with a bronze plaque and tree planted in his name. The plaque will be placed in the control room, his second home.

“Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real,” said Belinda Skelton, Boortz’s producer. “I keep thinking he’s coming back from vacation. But every day, I feel his loss. I miss that laugh.”

Boortz told the group at the dedication when he started doing his show in Naples, Fla. more often, he couldn’t visually signal Marshall when he was ready to go. But he said Marshall knew him so well, “he always knew where my mind …

Continue reading A year later, Royal Marshall’s passing still haunts the Boortz team »