Carrie Underwood will join Tony Bennett in a duet of “It Had To Be You” during the Grammys Sunday.

- Michael Slezak, with Melinda Doolittle, compares three weeks of “Idol” auditions and how the process 11 seasons in is like a tea bag used once too often. There’s not much flavor left to extract from it. He has a great idea: kill the city auditions. Perhaps categorize potential singers into “country divas,” “rockers,” and “R&B crooners.” He suggested “sob stories.” Not such a good idea, Melinda said.

- Season 8’s Jamar Rogers, a friend of Danny Gokey’s, popped up on “The Voice” last night. Cee Lo Green picked him.

- “Smash” finally aired last night on NBC starring Katharine McPhee. UPDATE: Ratings were solid at 11.5 million viewers and a 3.8 18-49 rating. (I took a www.tvbythenumbers.com poll and guessed correctly on the 18-49 rating.) But it only did a so-so job holding “The Voice” audience. About 64 percent of “The Voice” viewers stuck around and 58 percent of those …

Continue reading ‘Idol’ bits: Carrie Underwood, Casey Abrams, Kelly Clarkson notes »

CBS Atlanta meteorologist Markina Brown has been off the air the past month.

CBS officials have only told me she’s on medical leave but provided no specifics. Good news: she will be back on February 14.

The Detroit native has been relatively inactive on her Facebook page the past month, though people have been asking about her status. The only postings she’s made the past couple of weeks were asking folks to vote for her in the Creative Loafing annual “Lust List” survey which features women around Atlanta. (Singer Keri Hilson ended up winning.)

I’ve emailed Brown on Facebook and am awaiting a response.

Brown joined CBS Atlanta in October 2010 after stints in Lansing, Mich., St. Louis, Cleveland, Chicago and Los Angeles. Brown replaced Dagmar Midcap, who broke her contract to leave Atlanta, citing health issues related to the suicide of a former boyfriend. Midcap is now a weather forecaster in San Diego.

Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.

Tweet

By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV …

Continue reading Where is CBS Atlanta’s Markina Brown? »

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass against the New England Patriots during the first half of the NFL Super Bowl XLVI football game, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The DVR-proof Super Bowl last night pulled in its best ratings in nearly 30 years, going back to 1986. And more people viewed the game than ever before.

About 111.3 million people were watching the game on average at any one moment, beating 2011’s record 111 million. The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots in a very close game, with viewership peaking at nearly 118 million in the final half hour of the game.

The half-time show featuring Madonna drew 114 million viewers.

The 47.0 household rating meant 47 percent of all TVs (even counting those that were not even turned on ) had the game on last night.  That’s the sixth highest in Super Bowl history. The 71 share meant of all TVs that were on, 71 percent were tuned to the Super …

Continue reading Super Bowl 2012 garnered most viewers in history »

Monica Pearson. CREDIT: Channel 2 Action News

Monica Pearson announced during the 4 p.m. news program today that she will retire in July after 37 years on the air on Channel 2 Action News.

“I’ve  earned the right to rest,” she told viewers at about 4:12 p.m. “No more breaking news. No more working on holidays.”

But she added, “I will miss you the viewers.”

She plans to write a book, go to grad school and work on a travel website.

Then Pearson joked to her co-anchor John Bachman: I’m old enough to be your mama!”

Her final day will be July 25.

A photo gallery of Monica’s farewell announcement today.

“Wow!” said Pearson on WSB-TV’s website. “Thirty-seven years is a long time to have gone by so quickly. I am thankful for this job every day and for the supreme good fortune to have been allowed to pursue my life’s calling in such an honorable place as Channel 2.”

Pearson, 64, is the longest-running anchor in the market, working through seven presidencies, six …

Continue reading Monica Pearson announces retirement in July after 37 years on the air »

Pauley Perrette's quirky Abby character is one of the most popular on TV. CREDIT: CBS

The most popular scripted show for the past several years has been CBS’s “NCIS,” a sturdy performer since 2003.

It celebrates its 200th episode Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on top of the TV world.

Pauley Perrette, who plays forensics expert Abby Sciuto on the show, spent nine years in Atlanta and graduated from the now demolished Crestwood High School. She’s an email buddy of mine. I asked her to tease us on what’s going to happen tomorrow:

The episode is crazy with a bunch of characters we haven’t seen for a while returning.

They were calling it the “What If…” episode, so there are all these different scenarios that might have happened if any aspect of the past had been altered.

Fascinating!

Is it Tuesday yet?

Perrette, by the way, has the highest Q rating (a marketing measurement of popularity) of any TV performer out there. And advertisers such as Volkswagen and Expedia have used her in …

Continue reading Former Atlantan Pauley Perrette teases 200th episode of CBS’s ‘NCIS’ Feb. 7 »

Active rock station Project 9-6-1 is bringing back its annual big Cinco Party for a sixth year, this time featuring three of its big core artists: Shinedown, Chevelle and Five Finger Death Punch.

The concert will be at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Sunday, May 6, with tickets on sale this Saturday.

Project 9-6-1 has been a steady, strong performer among 18 to 34 year olds over its five years of existence, usually finishing in the top 5. Last year, it added a new personality-based morning show led by Kidd Chris, who has beaten the Regular Guys over at Rock 100.5 among 18 to 34 year olds five of the past six months.

Here are some acts from recent lineups:

2011: Avenged Sevenfold, Seether, Alterbridge

2010: Three Days Grace, Chevelle

Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.

Tweet

By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk

Continue reading Project 9-6-1 brings back its growing Cinco Party with Shinedown, Chevelle, Five Finger Death Punch »

Katharine McPhee stars in tonight's "Smash" on NBC. CREDIT: NBC

NBC’s hyped drama “Smash” about a new Broadway production of Marilyn Monroe debuts tonight if you haven’t already seen the pilot already on demand or online.

By releasing the show early, NBC is hoping to replicate the success of Fox’s “New Girl.” (Zooey Deschanel, the star of that show, will be hosting “Saturday Night Live.”)

[Read my interview with star Katharine McPhee here.]

The other big show this week is the Grammys on Sunday on CBS, which features the return of Adele after throat surgery. The British soul singer is expected to win all the big awards.

And Atlanta’s own Alton Brown closes shop forever on “Good Eats” with a special Friday on dark chocolate, in time for Valentine’s Day.  Believe me, it will be delicious!

MONDAY

“The Bachelor” 8 p.m. ABC — Ben escorts the nine remaining women to Panama.
“House” 8 p.m. Fox — Following a violent incident involving a patient, House and the team are …

Continue reading TV best bets with ‘Smash,’ the Grammys, ‘Good Eats’ farewell »

The trapeze dude is trying to bring back the white afro. CREDIT: AP

 Loading …

Madonna brought out all the stops but no wardrobe malfunctions during tonight’s half-time show of the 46th edition of the Super Bowl.

Sure, it was mostly lip-synced. (”Like a Prayer” sounded the closest to live.) Some of her dance moves were a bit wobbly. The cheerleader bit with Nicki Minaj and MIA rapping felt like a blatant attempt to draw a younger demographic that cares less than nothing about her.

Still, I enjoyed the music mix as Madonna sampled a bit from each of the four decades she’s been a star, including a passably catchy and self-referential new song “Give Me All Your Luvin.’ ”

Check out our photo gallery of tonight’s entertainment, which also included married country …

Continue reading What did you think of the Madonna half-time show featuring Atlanta’s Cee Lo Green? »

No cast has been set for "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta" but this is the cast from season two of the original.

The reality shows featuring bickering women keep on coming because honestly, the ratings keep on coming.

After a couple of rather dry years, VH1 has hit a ratings geyser with its soap-operatic reality shows such as “Basketball Wives,” “Mob Wives” and New York-based “Love and Hip Hop.” They’ve already spun off “Basketball Wives” into “Baseball Wives.” Now VH1 has confirmed that they are doing a “Love and Hip Hop” featuring Atlanta hip-hop ladies.

The second season of ‘Love and Hip Hop” just came to a close and a “reunion” show is set for Feb. 6. (Apparently, it’s not a true reunion but interviews with each individual ladies because some didn’t want to be in the same room together.) It drew comparable ratings to “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,’ averaging close to 3 million viewers. The January 23 episode drew 3.15 million viewers. For VH1, that’s huge.

Atlanta, of …

Continue reading VH1 confirms an Atlanta spinoff of ‘Love & Hip Hop’ »

Chilli is hosting a Bounce TV celebration of Don Cornelius Saturday. CREDIT: Ben Evans, courtesy of Trea Day

Bounce TV, the new Atlanta-based broadcast network targeting blacks, is holding a special seven-hour “Soul Train” marathon Saturday from 7 to 2 a.m. in honor of the late Don Cornelius, who was found dead Tuesday with a gunshot in his head.

Police have ruled it a suicide.

This sad ending to a legend’s life hasn’t dimmed people’s memories of him and the impact his show has had on blacks and society at large.

The network hired Atlanta’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas of TLC as the host, providing interesting facts and memories of Cornelius. Her segments, which will close and open each episode, were taped Thursday. Some of the acts you’ll see include Kool & the Gang, Gladys Knight & the Pips and En Vogue.

“I put a little of my Chilli sauce on it,” she said by phone today. “I did my best impression of Don Cornelius.  I can’t my voice that low but I tried!”

Chilli remembers growing …

Continue reading Atlanta-based Bounce TV, Chilli of TLC, celebrates Don Cornelius Saturday »