Radio & TV

TBS gives Conan O’Brien two more years

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Conan O’Brien has job security through April 2014 on TBS. CREDIT: AP TBS’s face of comedy Conan O’Brien has been assured two more years at what O’Brien fondly describes as a basic cable network. He is guaranteed a spot for his talk show at 11 p.m. until at least April, 2014. O’Brien joined TBS in November 2010 after a tumultuously brief stay on “The Tonight Show” on NBC. Team CoCo rallied around him after NBC ousted him and he happily landed on TBS. Though ratings weren’t quite as large as TBS executives had hoped, they have touted the youth of his audience (average… >>

Atlantan and UGA grad Hines Ward gets probation for DUI

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Pittsburgh Steeler and Atlanta resident Hines Ward has received a one-year probation after he was arrested last summer in DeKalb County for a DUI. I’m seeking comment from his manager Andrew Ree . Ward on July 9 was pulled over after police said they saw his Aston Martin weaving. The plea deal means Ward will receive 12 months probation, pay $2,000 in fines and court costs and will serve 80 hours of community service. TMZ broke the story this morning. My colleague Marcus Garner wrote a local version here . Ward, who just finished his 14th year with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a… >>

‘American Idol’ recap, season 11: the top 24 revealed, part 1

This is the holding spot for “American Idol” tonight when a portion of the top 24 are revealed. We’ll see a mixture of “reveals” for the 42 remaining contestants with segments of their final “sing for your life” audition. Randy, J. Lo and Steven will hem and haw to build faux suspense before giving the singers (mostly) good and (sometimes) bad news. We’ll get tears of joy (probably to a song like “Party Rock Anthem”) and tears of pain as someone leaves for good (sync a Coldplay song!). For folks familiar with the spoilers online, this will be an impressively non… >>

Catching up with Majic 107.5’s Michael Baisden

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Michael Baisden at the Mentoring Brothers in Action National Summit Feb. 10. CREDIT: Joi Pearson/Big Brothers Big Sisters Syndicated host Michael Baisden has been espousing the value of mentoring for years. And he puts his money where his mouth is: he donated $10,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America earlier this month in Atlanta for a Mentoring Brothers in Action National Summit. “Long-term mentoring is the fastest way to save these kids,” said Baisden in an interview before leaving for Miami. In 2009, he traveled to 72 cities to drum up support for mentoring. Baisden, who is heard in… >>

Moby returns on air on South 107.1 after cursing snafu

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Moby, syndicated morning host, was brought back on South 107.1 in Rome Monday, a week after he cursed on air, leading to a suspension. Randy Quick, general manager, said listeners “overwhelmingly wanted to keep him. The listeners spoke and we listened.” Moby said he thought the microphone was off last week when he was complaining to his producer about the heat in the studio and uttered a couple of unfortunate phrases, one which included the word “God” and not in a good way. He later apologized on air. “It goes back to the old saying that our grandparents told us… >>

Former Norcross resident Tamyra Gray (’Idol,’ season one) joins local play ‘Our Time Has Come’

Tamyra Gray returns to Atlanta to play the daughter of the future president in “Our Time Has Come.” Here, she is rehearsing her narration role at a Marietta theater Feb. 16, 2012. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com For fans of vintage “American Idol,” the name Tamyra Gray resonates. In 2002, the former Norcross and Stone Mountain resident was the first “surprise” ouster on the burgeoning hit show, leaving in fourth place, behind Nikki McKibbin, Justin Guarini and winner Kelly Clarkson . Many experts and fans at the time expected she would be competing with Kelly for the win – including a very… >>

Richard Blais (’Top Chef All Stars’ winner) promotes Campbell’s AdDress Your Heart, ready to open Spence

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Richard Blais earlier this month at his restaurant HD1 in Poncey-Highland. CREDIT: Bob Andres Atlanta’s Richard Blais won “Top Chef All Stars” last year with a mix of dogged determination and consummate skill. He also happens to have a TV-friendly persona and warm disposition to boot. He seems to be a decent businessman as well, creating three successful Flip Burger Boutiques and a new hot-dog specialty spot in Poncey-Highland called HD1 . And he’s getting ready to open his first high-end eatery, Spence, in April, and taping a food special for the Cooking Channel. Healthy changes… >>

TV best bets with the Academy Awards and season finale of ‘Royal Pains’

Billy Crystal hosts the Academy Awards for a ninth time. CREDIT: AP The Academy Awards is generally the most popular awards show of the year despite its bloated nature and required on-air awards like short-form documentary and costume design. That probably won’t happen this year. The Grammys, riding on Whitney Houston’s death and Adele’s super return from throat surgery, drew nearly 40 million viewers just a week ago. This Sunday, the awards show will bring back Billy Crystal after last year’s failed attempt at adding strained hipness to the affair by having James Franco and Anne Hathaway co host… >>

Clay Aiken debuts on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’

Clay Aiken is all business on “Celebrity Apprentice” Clay Aiken made his debut appearance last night on the latest crazy edition of “Celebrity Apprentice.” Rumors are that Aiken does quite well on the show, taped last fall. Working under project manager Paul Teutel Sr. selling celebrity sandwiches in Manhattan for the first challenge, he showed enough chutzpah to keep the rough-and-tumble “American Chopper” bike maker at bay. Aiken took money at the register and was quite savvy at upselling customers for more cash. In the end, it didn’t matter. Teutel had one big $300,000 donor in… >>

‘Real Housewives of Atlanta’ recap, season 4, episode 14: Kandi gets mad

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At the end of last week’s episode, the “Real Housewives of Atlanta” clan set aside their usual idiocies, jealousies and arguments after meeting with the poorest of the poor in South Africa. The afterglow continues during the first moments of tonight’s episode. “We are very blessed,” said a relaxed and unusually chipper NeNe Leakes . “Some of our squabbles are miniscule in comparison,” voice-of-reason Phaedra Parks said. “We forget how fortunate we are as individuals.” (Except for painfully self-absorbed Marlo Hampton , who complains about raw shrimp while Phaedra is uttering those lines.) But we… >>