Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer will be at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Dec. 1. CREDIT: Fox

Metro Atlanta didn’t have a single representative on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” over its first seven seasons.

Then the floodgates opened last year with two finalists, including winner Melanie Moore from Marietta. This year, for season nine, three more locals made the finals, with Duluth resident Cyrus “Glitch” Spencer landing in the finals, just missing the $100,000 prize.

The top 10 dancers, including Spencer, will perform their best dances from the show, plus a few originals, at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

“I haven’t been home since I started the show,” Spencer says in a phone interview earlier this month. “I’m crazy excited coming back.”

Spencer, a 2008 Creekside High School graduate, stood out from his very first audition at the Fox Theatre earlier this year. He improvised a pop-and-lock robotics routine that mesmerized the judges. …

Continue reading See Cyrus ‘Glitch’ Spencer on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ tour Dec. 1 at Cobb Energy »

TLC didn't provide me a caption so I don't know who is who here but they are part of TLC's new "Sisterhood" series. CREDIT: TLC

Will this be heaven sent or a devil’s wish?

In the latest twist on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,”  a new TLC show focuses on a quintet of women whose husbands are preachers.

Dubbed “The Sisterhood,” TLC’s new show will debut Jan. 1 at 9 p.m. (Back in February, the original working title of the show was “Preacher Wives.”) The network shot eight episodes for the first season.

Conceptually, these women are known as “First Ladies” and are set to a higher standard because they are preachers’ wives. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t human with foibles and skeletons in their closet.

People.com received an exclusive teaser video you can watch here.

The publicity department only provided the first names of this diverse set of women so I did quick background checks on each one. Interestingly, two of the women don’t even have technical congregations to …

Continue reading Atlanta preacher wives are coming to TLC in ‘The Sisterhood’ Jan. 1 »

Buck Belue, Fan radio host was the Dawgs quarterback in 1980, the only time they've won the national championship. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

The excitement is building towards the big SEC championship game at the Georgia Dome Saturday and the local sports talk stations are jockeying to position themselves as the place to go to talk Dawgs.

“I’ve been doing sports radio since 1995 and this is by far the biggest week ever,” said John Kincade, early afternoon host on 680/The Fan who also does work for ESPN Radio. “It’s been 30 years since Georgia ever went into a game knowing if they win two games, they have a national championship. It’s three decades in the making.”

Better yet, his co-host Buck Belue is living history as the quarterback of the last Bulldogs football team to win the national championship in 1980. “It’s stirring up some great memories,” Belue said.

Kincade marvels over how gracious and humble Belue is about his role, always saying it was the whole team’s …

Continue reading The Bulldogs/Crimson Tide SEC Championship: how local radio stations are handling the big game »

Sari Rose was let go from Kicks 101.5 Wednesday. CREDIT: Kicks

A good source tells me Sari Rose, mid-day host on Kicks 101.5, was let go Wednesday.

A good sign this is true: her name has been wiped off the front page of the Kicks web site.

Rose joined the country station as a fill in in 2007 and became  a full-time mid-day host a couple years later.

Who will replace her? Jenn Hobby of Q100’s Bert Show! The rationale: she wants a new challenge. (”I’m jealous of all the sleep you’re going to get,” Bert Weiss said.)  She announced to the Bert Show Monday that she was leaving after nearly a decade.

Jenn made the announcement this morning at 7:50 a.m. and expressed excitement working with country artists. “I can stand on my own,” she said.

“I’m nervous to do something without you guys,” Jenn added. “You’re my security blanket.” But she’s okay with those nerves.

“I’m so happy to have everyone’s support,” she then said, her voice breaking.

Jenn Hobby is moving about 25 feet to a …

Continue reading Bert Show’s Jenn Hobby’s new gig: mid-day host at Kicks 101.5, replacing Sari Rose »

Who the heck is voting for CeCe Frey anyway? CREDIT: Fox

I totally blew the call tonight. I thought CeCe Frey and Fifth Harmony were goners. I couldn’t have been more wrong! Neither of them was even in the bottom three.

Instead, doomed R&B singer Paige Thomas was cut after what I thought was her best performance last night. But she never had a chance to win anyway.

Diamond White and Vino Alan competed for the sixth and final spot.

Vino slipped from third place to elimination in the end. L.A. Reid did him no favors giving him that Righteous Brothers song. It did not work and he lost votes.

The showdown featured White working Beyonce and Alan opting for Ray LaMontagne. The judges favored White.

Based on the votes below, it’s clear Carly Rose Sonenclar is solidifying herself as the favorite to win the $5 million contract. She was tops, ahead of Tate Stevens, for a second week in a row.

The top six:

1. Carly Rose (1st last week)
2. Tate Stevens (2nd last week)
3. Emblem3 (up from …

Continue reading ‘The X Factor’ top 8 results show recap: what the…? »

Jeff Zucker has taken over as president of CNN. CREDIT: AP

Atlanta-based CNN today named former NBCUniversal president Jeff Zucker as president of the worldwide network, replacing Jim Walton.

Zucker will take over in January and report to CEO Phil Kent.

The New York Times broke the story of Zucker’s arrival on Tuesday. His name was posed as a likely candidate in the Times after Walton announced his pending departure in July.

Zucker, who will remain in New York and not be based in Atlanta, built up NBC’s “The Today Show” as executive producer in the 1990s when Katie Couric was a co host. He was president of NBC Entertainment in 2000, then moved up the ranks, eventually taking over for all of NBCUniversal in 2007.

Although the basic cable networks owned by NBCUniversal such as Bravo, Syfy and USA thrived under his watch (as well as MSNBC), the broadcast network suffered an ignominious fall in the prime-time ratings. The clumsy handling of the Jay Leno/Conan O’Brien situation …

Continue reading Jeff Zucker named president of CNN »

THE X FACTOR: TOP 8: Emblem3 performs live on THE X FACTOR, Wednesday, November 28 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. CR: Ray Mickshaw / FOX.

Here’s the holding spot for tonight’s live “X Factor” top 8 performance recap.

Stretching eight performances over two hours? Unfortunately, that’s what viewers watching live had to suffer through. At least the performances were longer, giving us closer to a full song, though it also meant longer intros and longer judges’ comments. (One of the Fifth Harmony’s grandfather died!)

CeCe Frey is a goner, as Simon Cowell said. I think Fifth Harmony is out, too.

Paige Thomas surprised me with a decent performance that may have saved her for a week. But as usual, my favorite by far is Carly Rose Sonenclar. She is a star, pure and simple.

1) Diamond White (”I Wanna Dance With Somebody” Whitney Houston/ Britney’s team) – For some reason, this song exposed Diamond’s vocals as not quite ready for stardom. Somehow, she missed the joyous nature of Whitney’s …

Continue reading ‘X Factor’ top 8 performance recap: I’m a believer in Carly Rose Sonenclar »

Steven Tyler questioned Nicki Minaj's judging abilities without having ever seen them, which peeved Nicki. CREDIT: AP

Steven Tyler recently told MTV that he thought new judge Nicki Minaj would not like Bob Dylan if he had competed on “American Idol.” In fact, he said, she would “had him sent to the cornfield.”

That type of statement has been said for years, that Dylan would do poorly on the show period. That part is hardly controversial.  But he made it sound like his crew (with Jennifer Lopez) would have nurtured Dylan like they did singer songwriter and Georgia resident Phillip Phillips.

So sweet Nicki went on Twitter and flamed out Tyler over three Tweets combined here: “Steven Tyler said I would have sent Bob Dylan to a cornfield??? Steven, you haven’t seen me judge one single solitary contestant yet! I understand you really wanted to keep your job but take that up with the producers. I haven’t done anything to you. That’s a racist comment. You assume that I …

Continue reading ‘Idol’ bits: Steven Tyler apologies to Nicki Minaj over rant; Phillip Phillips’ album opens at No. 4 »

Fox 5’s Amanda Davis had her first court hearing Monday in Atlanta traffic court following her November 11 arrest on charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving.

Her attorney William Head told the judge they needed more time to investigate the facts of the incident and a new hearing date was set for January 9, 2013, according to Fox 5.

Davis, who has worked with WAGA-TV since 1986, has not been on the air since the arrest. Mike McClain, a Fox 5 vice president, provided a brief statement: “Amanda Davis is currently away from the television station handling personal matters.”

Again, I give credit to Fox 5 for even covering a sensitive story about their own beloved veteran reporter who placed herself in such a tough situation.

The question we do not know: will Davis ever be back on the air?

I left a message with Davis, who has not yet publicly commented about the situation or even release a statement.

“Client not speaking to press,” her attorney Head texted. “It …

Continue reading Fox 5’s Amanda Davis has DUI court hearing »

Jamie Dukes is one of the best-known radio hosts on 92.9/The Game with strong local ties. CREDIT: NFL Network

Of all the regular daytime hosts on the new sports station 92.9/The Game, only one has worked for both rival stations 680/The Fan and 790/The Zone: former NFL player Jamie Dukes.

Since the Game launched Oct. 24, Dukes works 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays with Jerome Jurenovich, a Fox Sports South host and reporter.

Dukes, an  Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman from 1986 to 1993, began his radio hosting career on the Zone with a late-night show called “Dukes After Dark” in the late 1990s, then worked mid days. Later, the Fan general manager David Dickey approached Dukes in 2002 to co-host a new morning show with former 96rock jock Christopher Rude. “It was great working with Chris, a radio professional,” Dukes said in a recent interview. “He taught me a lot of things about the business.”

In 2006, Dukes joined the NFL Network and continues to work with them. The network …

Continue reading Catching up with Jamie Dukes, new 92.9/The Game mid-day host »