Adele. CREDIT: AP

Adele is well entrenched on Atlanta radio with a third week at the top thanks to “Rolling in the Deep.”

It was spun 77 times more than the No. 2 song by Katy Perry (”E.T.”) and was heard on six local stations: B98.5 (24), Star 94 (50), V-103 (11), Wild (119), Q100 (82) and Dave FM (7).

As noted earlier, this is the rare song that is heard on both Dave FM and V-103.

V-103 morning host Frank Ski said it’s clear Adele’s soulful voice has helped her cross over to the hip-hop/R&B side. “People really want to hear good, live music and this sounds like a live track,” he said.

The fastest growing tracks this week were both by Lil Wayne: “How to Love” and “John,” both up 60 spins in one week thanks primarily to Hot 107.9.

Top 10 songs in Atlanta
1. Adele “Rolling in the Deep” 293 (+3)
2. Katy Perry “E.T.” 216 (-36)
3. Black Eyed Peas “Just Can’t Get Enough” 215 (+6)
4. Bruno Mars “Lazy Song” 199 (-5)
5. Marsha Ambrosius “Far Away” 178 (+26)
6. Lady Gaga “The Edge of …

Continue reading Adele’s ‘Rolling in the Deep’ spends third week on top on Atlanta radio »

V-103’s Frank Ski is opening a Buckhead restaurant in about a month called Frank Ski’s.

It’s where Vita used to be at 2110 Peachtree Road near Justin’s and Houston’s. (Before that, it was Mick’s.)

Steve Josovitz of The Shumacher Group, Inc. brokered a deal.

In an interview today, the morning host said it will be “sophisticated American food, what you’d find at Houston’s or South City Kitchen.”

It will also feature live music and have a lounge area. The kitchen will stay open until 11 p.m. or midnight. “Atlanta is way behind the curve,” he said, when it comes to go-to late-night restaurant spots compared to Miami, Vegas or New York.

Ski won’t be able to run the shop since he has a full-time job at V-103 so he hired a former Houston’s manager James Johnson. Houston’s, Ski said, runs such a tight ship. “I’d rather pay the best manager and be open awhile than be cheap on the manager and close quickly,” Ski said. “I don’t plan to fund this out of my V-103 salary.”

[UPDATE, …

Continue reading Frank Ski opening a restaurant under his name in Buckhead »

Doug and Ryan Stewart. CREDIT: 790/The Zone

The 2 Live Stews has lost its syndication deal with Sporting News Network as of July 1 but will remain on 790/The Zone from 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays.

“It allows them to be more involved with the local teams,” said their agent Norm Schrutt, trying to make the best of it. He also represents several other local personalities including 680/The Fan’s John Kincade and Dave FM’s Mara Davis.

Doug and Ryan Stewart started their syndication deal in early 2008 and amassed as many as 35 radio stations across the country. But Sporting News has been going through ownership changes and cost cuts. The Stews lost some affiliates, and a new contract didn’t pan out.

Sporting News replaced the Stews with a single talk-show host, which is certainly less costly.

“There are two Stews instead of one,” said Ryan. “They are a very good company but our time was up. There’s no love lost. Everything is good.”

Focusing exclusively on their metro Atlanta “dogs and …

Continue reading 2 Live Stews lose syndication deal with Sporting News Network »

Callie Thorne (left) with Marc Blucas. CREDIT: USA

New York’s USA Network battles Atlanta-based TNT as the country’s most popular basic cable network. Ironically, TNT doesn’t shoot any of its scripted shows here, but rival USA has taken advantage of Georgia tax breaks and brought its latest new series “Necessary Roughness” down to EUE/Screen Gems studios at Lakewood.

The drama, which debuts Wednesday at 10 p.m., stars Callie Thorne as a newly single mom and therapist for problematic football players and other high-profile people. Thorne is best known as the magnetically loud-mouthed Sheila Keefe on FX’s heralded “Rescue Me,” which concludes its seventh and final season this summer.

Her new character Dr. Dani isn’t nearly as volatile as Sheila but is plenty pugnacious, spunky and smart. “My specialties include chicken parmesan, behavioral cognitive therapy, hypnotherapy and kicking my patients’ butts,” Dr. Dani tells the head coach of the fictional New York Hawks. “Beyond that, …

Continue reading USA’s ‘Necessary Roughness’ turns Atlanta into Long Island (and brings along Callie Thorne) »

Jennifer Valdez, Brandon Rudat & Tracy Hutchins and those tatts on the billboard.

This fall, WGCL-TV, the CBS affiliate, will drop its noon newscast but add a 9 a.m. hour to its “Better Mornings” operation.

“Better Mornings” currently airs from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m., followed by two hours of the national show “The Early Show.” “People’s Court” is now the network’s 9 a.m. show, but GCL decided to take that hour local. In recent months, it has been heavily promoting its morning hosts – Brandon Rudat, Tracye Hutchins and Jennifer Valdez – on billboards around town.

“We see the 9am hour as an opportunity to build on the tremendous growth the Better Mornings brand has experienced in the past two years,” said News Director Eric Ludgood in a press release. “This expansion into the mid-mornings takes advantage of a time slot where there is only one other local news option for viewers. The show’s personalities Jennifer Valdez, Tracye Hutchins and Brandon Rudat offer a special blend of …

Continue reading CBS Atlanta (WGCL-TV) this fall to add 9 a.m. ‘Better Mornings’ hour, drops noon newscast »

Continue reading Video: Talking ‘The Voice,’ ‘AGT,’ ‘Single Ladies,’ ‘Teen Wolf’ »

Sarah Wayne Callies visits International Rescue Committee in Atlanta in May. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com

Last month, I met up with Sarah Wayne Callies, part of the cast of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” which is now in production all over metro Atlanta.

Callies, who plays Lori Grimes, the wife of the lead character Rick Grimes, had arrived early in town to get used to the hot weather, something the actors have to acclimate to since most of the shoots are outdoors. She, as a celebrity spokesman for the International Rescue Committee, visited the Atlanta operations, meeting with refugees from countries ranging from Iraq to Afghanistan. The organization helps people transition from their home country to the United States.

We toured English classes, the computer room, a day-care area and the store where refugees can pick up supplies for free. We also visited a couple of refugees from Congo and Afghanistan who were placed in apartments in Clarkston. (If you want more info about the …

Continue reading Interview with Sarah Wayne Callies, teaser from season 2 of ‘The Walking Dead’ »

Anna Graceman concluded last night's show. CREDIT: NBC

Yes, NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” first round auditions seem to drag on forever. They even go to cities twice.

Three weeks ago, “Talent” opened with Atlanta and they returned Tuesday. Nick Cannon opens in a tank in the Georgia Aquarium. Why? Why not? We get plenty of shots of the foyer of the Fox Theatre as the judges enter. The show taped over three days there in April. Piers noted that this was the largest audience “Talent” has ever seen. Go Atlanta (or as Nick dreadfully says multiple times, “Hotlanta.”)

And although much of the talent at the Fox Theatre was from elsewhere, it’s nice to be praised.

“Atlanta’s been fantastic,” Piers said.

“The amount of talent here in Atlanta is incredible” burbled Sharon.

“We can do the entire season here in Atlanta,” Howie said. “I talked to Piers who has been here from the beginning. This is the most talent we’ve ever gotten out of one city in the history of ‘America’s Got Talent.’ …

Continue reading ‘America’s Got Talent’ recap in Atlanta: more talent than any other city? »

CREDIT: Family Feud

Classic game show “Family Feud,” which is seen at noon weekdays locally on WPCH-TV, has moved production to Atlanta, starting next month.

Casting producer Sara Dansby is seeking families to be on the show, with a shot to win up to $100,000. Live auditions are here June 26. Candidates get to play a mock “Feud” game in front of cameras. To reserve a possible spot, email atlanta@familytryouts.com. She tells me what she’s looking for:

- Bring oodles of energy and personality. Be willing to say “Good answer!” even when the answer is clearly no good: “We need people who are clapping and smiling and high-fiving.”

- Engage with Atlanta-based comic and radio host Steve Harvey, who took over as host last season. “I want a family to be able to bounce things off of him and go back and forth with him. They don’t need to try to be a comedian. That’s his job. But they need to joke around with him and get his jokes.”

- Bring five family members, though she recommends a …

Continue reading Advice to get on ‘Family Feud’ »

Atlanta-based GMC used to be called Gospel Music Channel. Over the past 18 months, it has shifted to more “lifestyle” programming, much like CMT and other networks that began as a music network.

I haven’t heard much from the network lately, save for the Dove Awards. But the network had an outside publicist send me “America Sings,” a new show which features videos of interesting singing groups. It debuts Wednesday, June 22 at 9 p.m. Over eight episodes, about 100 groups from North America will be featured.

This is a low-budget affair. Drew Lachey, the host and former member of boy band 98 Degrees, sits in front of an obvious green screen with no audience. The videos are submitted. The winner, based on public vote, gets $10,000 (as opposed to, say, $100,000 if this had been on Bravo or $500,000 if it were on a broadcast network.)

“It’s not heavily produced,” Lachey acknowledges in an interview. “It’s more grassroots. A lot of other shows, people want to be famous. Here, people …

Continue reading A talk with Drew Lachey, host of GMC’s ‘America Sings,’ debuting June 22 »