Markina Brown on the set of CBS46. CREDIT: CBS46

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Sunday, July 17, 2016

Meteorologist Markina Brown, who voluntarily left CBS46 after four years in late 2014, has landed a job at the CBS affiliate KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.

Based on what’s available online, it appears to be a weekend meteorology gig. I left a text with her seeking more information.

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She moved to Hollywood from Atlanta to pursue an acting career but her credits have been light so far, based on her imdb.com resume.

Brown worked at CW-affiliated KTLA-TV in Los Angeles before she came to Atlanta in 2010. She has also worked at TV stations in Cleveland, Chicago, St. Louis and Lansing, Mich. in the past.

She has been receiving plaudits from Twitter as fans have noticed her return to the L.A. TV airwaves:

Here’s her forecast from Sunday:

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Jarrett Hill, the media observer who first flagged the similarities between elements of Melania Trump’s speech last night with that of Michelle Obama in 2008, has plenty of Atlanta ties.

And like many people in the media world nowadays, he has been itinerant over the past decade.

According to his Linkedin page, the northern California native is a Kennesaw State University graduate who worked as a production assistant and camera operator at the local NBC affiliate 11 Alive (WXIA-TV) from 2006 to 2010. He interned at PR firm Fletcher Martin and CNN and produced a Sirius/XM radio show before moving to Los Angeles in 2010. He was also a strategic marketer for AIDS Walk Atlanta for several years.

Once on the West Coast, he did some post production for “America’s Next Top Model,” was a cruise director for Celebrity Cruises and became a production assistant for the briefly revived “Ricki Lake Show.” He also did casting for TBS’s Howie Mandel reality show “Deal With It.”

He worked briefly in Tampa Bay as a digital producer in 2014 and 2015 and has contributed to Huffington Post as a blogger for several years on subjects such as homophobia and the Orlando shootings. He has also hosted a podcast called Back2Reality.

Hill started his own interior design firm last year Jarrett Hill Design. On his Twitter page, he also describes himself as a “DIY enthusiast” and “Dope Cook.”

I reached out to him via email and Facebook but he’s obviously busy. He did speak to the New York Times and said he had been recently laid off. He was in a Los Angeles Starbucks watching the speech and one of Melania Trump’s lines –   “strength of your dreams” – reminded him of Michelle Obama’s 2008 convention speech.

“I thought, ‘That’s legit plagiarism,’” said Hill, who described himself as a supporter of President Obama. “‘Someone took this piece and plugged in their own information.’”

With all the heat following his discovery, he spent the day interacting with media, including visits to CNN, “Access Hollywood” and KTLA-TV.

“He’s a really sharp guy,” said Shawn Reynolds, who worked at 11 Alive with Hill in the late 2000s. “We Facebook message from time to time. I was on Twitter last night and noticed people re-tweeting him. I always knew he was destined for bigger things but who knew he’d change the narrative on the first night of the RNC?”

The story was still leading the New York Times website Tuesday afternoon. And it was a prime topic on news networks Tuesday morning.

Evelyn Mims, who worked at 11Alive for almost 39 years until 2014 as a producer and community relations specialist, remembered Hill was bursting with ideas and was very enthusiastic about social media in its relative early days. “He worked all the shifts,” she said. “But he realized he couldn’t move up. So he left. He’s in a better place.”

Former education reporter Donna Lowry, who took a buyout in the spring, in a text recalled he was a good writer and very funny to boot.

Fellow reporter Keith Whitney, who also left at the same time as Lowry, called him “one of those brilliant creative young people that you’re glad to see get into journalism. Loved working with him! He was a floor director then. Funny and passionate. We will be hearing more from him in the future.”

Here’s Hill’s Tweet that caused the ruckus:

Alyse Eady will join the “Good Day Atlanta’ team in late August. CREDIT: Fox 5

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, July 21, 2016

Fox 5 has named Alyse Eady as its newest member of the “Good Day Atlanta” team after the departure of Gurvir Dhindsa in April. She will start in late August.

Eady recently left an anchoring job in Little Rock at the CBS affiliate KTHV-TV, where she worked for four years. On social media, she revealed last week she was coming to Atlanta as an anchor without specifying where.

That led to a round of speculation where she would land. There were three openings: Erin Coleman‘s afternoon slot at Channel 2 Action News, Lisa Rayam‘s mid-day and afternoon anchoring post at Fox 5 and Dhindsa’s spot on “Good Day Atlanta.”

Here’s her 2014 demo reel:

Previously, Eady was Miss Arkansas and named first runner up representing the state in the 2011 Miss America pageant. Her talent was singing ventriloquism and involved yodeling. (I am not kidding. Watch below.)

(L-R) Alyse Eady, Buck Lanford, Karen Graham, Joanne Feldman, Ron Gant and Katie Beasley. CREDIT: Fox 5

Dhindsa left in late April after five years in her second stint at Fox 5 without any explicit explanation and has not commented publicly about her departure.

Her last social media note was on Twitter:

Don Stewart was in Atlanta media over five different decades.. PHOTO: Contributed

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Don Stewart, a broadcaster on WSB-TV and host on Peach 94.9, has passed at age 84.

He died on over the weekend but why is not clear. His daughter Sheri Mann Stewart said it was likely from complications regarding diabetes.

A Michigan native, he moved to Atlanta after graduating Michigan State University. He was a newscaster at WSB-TV from 1956 to 1966. His marriage with Connie Ward Stewart was televised on the news in 1958.

He later became an announcer at beautiful music station WPCH-FM from 1979 to 1991, part of it during mornings. He also did some acting work, including in Long John Silver’s commercials. “He was a night owl,” she said. “It fit his lifestyle.”

Stewart had an impressive memory, Sheri Mann said. For years, he held seminars teaching people how to improve their memories. He offered his techniques to major politicians and business people, she said.

On his Facebook page, David Patterson wrote:

He invited me to come along with him after work one night to a presentation he was making in a local auditorium. He and I stood at the back of the room where the participants entered. He introduced himself to each person as they came in. The people of course chose their seats at random. During the presentation, Don said “Let me show you how effective these memory techniques can be.” He then asked the first two rows of people to stand. He told them to sit down as he called their name. He pointed to each person along the row and called them by their full name. It was stunning then, and it is stunning now to remember that scene in my mind.

Steve Goss, who worked with him at Peach and considered him a mentor, said he was an incredibly social guy. “He loved to emcee events,” he said. “He was a very funny guy, very clever at putting together puns and one liners. He was a born entertainer.”

He became a band leader and continued up to recent weeks to perform regularly at the piano bar at McKinnon’s and other Atlanta piano bars, entertaining his loyal fans and friends. “He had a beautiful crooner type of voice,” his daughter Sheri Mann said. “He had a huge repertoire of songs.”

Daria Willson, a friend of his, called him the “bravest” person she knew. He had been legally blind for 10 years and lost a leg due to amputation. Yet she said he would go out every week and perform, no matter what. She said he met many famous people but seldom provided details.

“He didn’t have to brag,” Willson said. “He was too busy living life.”

He was also an active member of Mensa. Willson said for 10 years, she would call Stewart  late at night every week or so and they’d play a word association game. “Keep our brains sharp,” she said. She said he was of sound mind – if not body – until his death.

Nancy Gerber on Facebook wrote:

Just learned this morning that our dear friend and passionate lover of music Don Stewart has left us. He was a fine gent and a huge supporter of music & performers here in Atlanta. He was a fixture at our monthly Singers Jam for many years. He had an amazing repository of musical knowledge and experience in his head. I used to tease him that he probably knew every song ever written. I learned so much from him. He will be missed by so many. May his memory be a blessing.

He is survived by his ex wife Connie, his beloved grandsons Tendal and Royce Mann, daughter Sheri Mann Stewart and son-in-law Barry Stewart Mann, all of Atlanta, as well as brother Bob Stewart of Salt Lake City.

Donations in Don’s memory may be made to:

http://www.musiciansoncall.org,

http://www.atlantamusicproject.org,

mealsonwheelsatlanta.org/

http://journalists.org/programs/mj-bear-fellowship/mj-bear-fellow-hall-of-fame/

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, August 11, 2016

Channel 2 Action News has hired Justin Wilfon to replace Matt Belanger as a weekend anchor starting Sept. 12.

Belanger left in May without explanation after just a year at the station.

Wilfon will join Sophia Choi at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays and do reporting during the week. 

He last worked in Kansas City at KSHB-TV, a Scripps-owned television station. He has also worked in Yakima, Wash.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Louisville, Ky. 

“It’s a thrill to join a legendary station that’s done so much not only for the people of Atlanta but also for television journalism,” Wilfon said in a press release. “It’s great to arrive in Atlanta at such an exciting time for the area. I can’t wait to cover the emergence of Georgia as a potential battleground state in the presidential election and the opening of the new Braves and Falcons stadiums.”

He is married with a 9-month-old daughter. 

The station is still seeking a replacement for Erin Coleman, a weekday anchor who left for her hometown of Philadelphia last month.

Channel 2 Action News and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group. 

Fred Blankenship (left) and Linda Stouffer (right) garner some of the highest local TV news ratings in town. CREDIT: WSB-TV

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, August 15, 2016

For many years, Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News has been the top performer in TV viewership, followed by Fox 5, then 11 Alive and CBS46.

In 2016 so far, that trend remains the same though WSB-TV has shown mild ratings erosion compared to the first seven months of 2015.

Fox 5 (WAGA-TV), which came in a strong second head to head against WSB, saw some increases in mornings and afternoons but its stand-alone 10 a.m. newscast lost viewers. 11 Alive (WXIA-TV), which came in third, showed the most consistent ratings improvement across the board. CBS46 (WGCL-TV), despite a significant change in management and anchors, remained in fourth with a mixed bag performance. CBS saw modest ratings improvement in the mornings, was fairly flat in the afternoon and early evenings and dropped sharply at 11 p.m., which has been its strongest time slot.

WSB-TV led every hour in ratings in metro Atlanta except 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., when Fox 5 brought in bigger ratings with “The Steve Harvey Show” and “Judge Judy”

The top-rated program in any hour – outside of prime time – was ABC’s “World News Tonight” on WSB-TV at 7 p.m. weekdays.

Fox 5’s most popular program outside of its prime-time shows was its 10 p.m. newscast. 11 Alive brought in the most non-prime-time viewers when “Jeopardy” airs at 7:30 p.m. And CBS46 hit its non-prime-time peak at 11 a.m. when “The Price is Right” airs.

Ratings figures from 2015 vs. 2014. 

Top 10 most popular news telecasts in Atlanta, covering January 1 through July 31, 2016, based on household ratings compiled by Nielsen Media Research:

1 (tie) Channel 2 Action News at 6 a.m. with Fred Blankenship and Linda Stouffer 6.2

1 (tie) Channel 2 Action News at 6 p.m. with Jovita Moore and Justin Farmer 6.2

3. Channel 2 Action News at 5 p.m. with Jovita Moore and Justin Farmer 5.5

4. Channel 2 Action News at noon with Fred Blankenship and Carol Sbarge 5.0

5. Channel 2 Action News at 11 p.m. with Jovita Moore and Justin Farmer 4.9

6. Fox 5 News at 10 p.m. with Russ Spencer and Cynne Simpson, 4.6

7. Channel 2 Action News at 5 a.m. with Fred Blankenship and Linda Stouffer 4.4

8. Fox 5 News at 6 p.m. with Russ Spencer 4.3

9.  Fox 5 News at 5 p.m. with Tom Haynes and Cynne Simpson 4.2

10. Channel 2 Action News at 4 p.m. with Craig Lucie and Erin Coleman (who left last month) 3.9

WSB-TV and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group.

Here is a hour-by-hour breakdown from 4:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays focused on the four primary broadcast networks with info about the CW, WATL-TV and Peachtree TV thrown in. This does not include cable ratings.

4:30 a.m.: Channel 2 Action News opened the day with an average 2.9 rating, double the ratings of Fox 5’s Good Day Atlanta with 1.4. 11 Alive”s Atlanta Alive drew a 0.5 and CBS46 had a 0.3. Compared to the same period in 2015, the rankings remained the same though WSB, WAGA and WXIA each saw slight drops in ratings.

5 a.m.: Channel 2 Action News pulled in a 4.3 rating, down from 4.5 a year earlier. Good Day Atlanta moved up to a 2.5 from a 2. Atlanta Alive saw an increase from 0.8 to a 1.0. CBS46 also saw an increase from 0.3 to 0.4. Overall local TV news viewership increased from 7.6 to 8.2.

6 a.m.: Channel 2 Action News again led with a 6.2 (down from 6.7), followed by Fox’s Good Day Atlanta (3.2 vs. 3.7 same period 2015), WXIA’s Atlanta Alive (1.4 vs. 1.7) and CBS46 (0.9 vs. 0.7). Overall local TV news viewership dropped from 12.8 to 11.7 year over year with only CBS46 showing growth.

7 a.m.-9 a.m.: Three of the stations go national while Fox 5 remains local. ABC’s “Good Morning America” enjoyed a 6.1 rating (down from 7.2 a year ago), followed by Fox’s Good Day Atlanta at 3.8 (holding steady year over year), NBC’s “Today Show” at 1.6 (down from 1.9) and CBS This Morning 1.0 (up from 0.8). Total viewership was down from 13.7 to 12.5.

9 a.m.: WSB’s “Kelly & Michael” (which for now is only “Kelly”) leads the hour with a 5.0 (vs. 5.6 a year ago), followed by Fox’s Good Day Atlanta 3.4 (up from 3.1) and NBC’s “Today” at 1.4 (down from 1.5). CBS46’s now airs “700 Club” at 0.2 (which used to be on CW69 where it pulled in a 0.1. CBS a year ago aired a local “Better Mornings” show that had a 0.3). WATL’s Steve Wilkos holds at 0.5 year over year while CW69 now runs “People’s Court” and garners a 0.7.

10 a.m. WSB’s “The Doctors” reigns with a 3.4 (down from 3.9) followed by Fox’s “Wendy Williams” at 2.5 (down from 2.9). CBS’s “Let’s Make a Deal” comes in third with a 1.6 (down from 1.8) with NBC’s fourth hour of “Today” pulling in a 1.2 (down from 1.3). WATL’s Maury Povich is up sharply with a 0.9 (from 0.6) while CW’s “America’s Court” doubled its numbers to a 0.8 (up from 0.4)

11 a.m. WSB’s “The View” is tops at 3.5 (vs. 3.8 a year ago) with CBS’s “The Price is Right” second at 2.6 (up from 2.4). Fox’s “The Real” is third at 1.8 (down from 2.0). WXIA’s pay-for-play “Atlanta & Company” is at 0.5, up from 0.4. Over on the CW, “People’s Court” gets a 0.9 (up from 0.5), Peachtree TV’s “Law & Order CI” is at  0.7 (up from 0.6 for “Law & Order SVU” a year ago) and WATL’s “Springer” holds at 0.7

noon WSB’s Channel 2 Action News dominated the hour with a 5.0 rating (down from 5.7 a year ago). Fox5 News at noon drew a 2.3 (up from 2.1). A combination of WXIA’s Atlanta & Company & “Corrupt Crimes” brought in a 0.6 (vs. 0.4 for Atl & Co. and “Jeopardy”).  CBS News at noon had a 1.4 (up from 1.2) followed by “Atlanta Unplugged” at 0.6 (up from 0.5).  WATL’s “Maury Povich” is down a bit (0.8 vs. 0.9), Peachtree TV’s “Hot Bench” improved upon “Millionaire” (0.7 vs. 0.6) and the CW’s  “Judge Mathis is up again (1.4 vs. 1.0)

1 p.m.: WSB’s “The Chew” drew the hour’s biggest ratings with a 3.4 (holding steady year over year).  Fox 5’s “Access Hollywood” brought in 1.7  followed by “South of Wilshire” at 1.1 (vs. Access at 1.8 and “TMZ” at 1.4 a year ago). WXIA’s “Days of Our Lives” is far hotter than it was in 2015 with a 1.5 (up from 0.9). After paid programming at 1 p.m., CBS’s 1:30 p.m. airing of “The Bold and the Beautiful” garnered a 1.2 (down from 1.3). WATL’s “Springer” tied CBS with a 1.2 (up from 0.9).  Peachtree TV’s “Judge Mablean” 0.7 drew comparable numbers as “Divorce Court” in 2015. CW69’s “Paternity Court with Lauren Lake” (shot in Atlanta) saw an uptick to 1.3 from 1.2.

2 p.m.: WSB’s lone soap opera “General Hospital” leads the hour with a 2.8 (up from 2.7). Fox 5’s TMZ Live is second at 1.6 (down from 1.7). The CW’s ‘Judge Mathis” is third at 1.3, up from 1.0. CBS’s “The Talk” comes in fourth at 1.2 (down from 1.4). Next is WATL’s “Steve Wilkos” at 1.0, down from 1.1. WXIA’s “Rachael Ray,” which is going away this fall, is at a 0.9 (up from 0.7). , Peachtree TV’s “Divorce Court” 0.7 (down from 0.8 for”Judge Mablean” in 2015).

3 p.m.: For the first hour of the day, WSB isn’t the local ratings leader. Fox 5’s “Steve Harvey Show” pulls in a 2.5 (up from 2.4 a year ago). WSB’s “Dr. Oz” brings in a 2.0 (down from 2.2). WXIA’s “Dr. Phil” made a big jump to a 1.6 from 1.1 for third place. CBS’s “The Young & the Restless” took a massive tumble, from 2.2 to 1.3. WATL’s “Cheaters” is at 1.0 (down from 1.2).  The CW’s “Bill Cunningham” holds at  0.7. Peachtree TV’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire is at 0.5 (vs. 0.6 for “Hot Bench” a year ago)

4 p.m. Fox 5’s “Judge Judy” takes over the top spot with a 4.1 (up from 3.7) while WSB’s Channel 2 Action News slips to second at 3.9 (down from 4.4).  WXIA’s “Ellen” rose sharply from 1.7 to 2.4. CBS News at 4 edges up from 1.1 to 1.2. WATL’s “Jerry Springer” holds at 1.1. The CW’s “Family Feud” is at 0.6, up from 0.4 for repeats of “Paternity Court” a year ago. Peachtree TV’s “Crimewatch Daily” is at 0.4 (down from “King of Queens” airing a year ago at 0.6).

5 p.m. WSB’s Channel 2 Action News at 5 showed dominance with a 5.5 rating (down from 6.4 a year ago). Fox5 News at 5 edges up to 4.2 from 4.1 for a strong second. 11 Alive at 5 shows some improvement, moving to a 2.2 from 1.8. WATL’s “Maury Povich” came in fourth with a 1.4 (up from 1.3). CBS News at 5 slipped back to a 1.0 from 1.1. Peachtree TV’s King of Queens 0.7 (comparable to “The Middle” a year ago at 0.8). CW 69’s 2 Broke Girls (0.5) is doing better than “Rules of Engagement” (0.3) a year ago while “How I Met Your Mother” is up from 0.2 to 0.4.

6 p.m. WSB’s Channel 2 Action News at 6 is top dog during the crucial 6 p.m. hour with a 6.2 rating (down from 7.4 a year ago). Fox5 News at 6 held steady at 4.3. 11 News at 6 p.m (3.0, up from 2.7) and NBC Nightly News (4.2, up from 3.8) both showed upward momentum. Despite a lot of billboard promotions, CBS46 News at 6 p.m. slipped to a 1.2 from 1.4 while CBS Evening News at 6:30 p.m. fell from 1.9 to 1.5. WATL’s repeat of Dr. Phil is up to a 1.3 from 1.1. Peachtree TV’s Modern Family (1.2) is up from the “Seinfeld”/”Modern Family” combo a year ago (1.0).  CW69’s Mike & Molly at 6 p.m. (0.7, up from 0.4) and Celebrity Name Game at 6:30 (0.6, up from 0.5) both brought in more viewers.

7 p.m. ABC World News captured the hour with an 8.4 rating (down from 9.7). NBC’s ‘Wheel of Fortune” saw strong improvement year over year, from 3.9 to 5.0. Fox 5’s ‘Dish Nation” (which features Rickey Smiley) moved up to a 3.1. from 2.4. Peachtree TV’s ‘Big Bang Theory” brought in a 2.1, coming in fourth, up from 1.5 a year ago. It jumped ahead of the CW’s “Family Feud” (1.4 vs. 1.6 a year ago). Interest in CBS46’s “Inside Edition” slid from 1.6 to 1.1. And WATL’s ‘Andy Griffith” (talk about a show with lasting power!) carried a 0.9 vs 1.0 a year ago.

7:30 p.m. WSB’s Entertainment Tonight led the pack at a 6.2 (down from 6.8), ahead of 11 Alive’s ‘Jeopardy” at 5.6  (up from 4.9) and Fox 5’s TMZ at 3.0 (up from 2.7).  Peachtree TV’s ‘The Big Bang Theory” grew from 1.8 to 2.3. The CW’s “Family Feud” dropped from 2.3 to 2.0.  WATL’s “Andy Griffith” fell from 1.5 to 1.4. CBS’s “Insider” came down from 1.1 .to 0.9.

8-11 p.m. primetime (except Fox, 8 to 10 p.m.). Live viewership at prime-time fell across the board. WSB led in prime-time, averaging a 4.4 (down from 4.5), followed by Fox 5 at 3.0 (down from 3.3), CBS 46 at 2.8 (down from 2.9), WXIA-TV at 2.5 (down from 2.7) and the CW at 0.7 (same).

10 p.m. Fox5 News at 10 drew a 4.6 rating, down sharply from 5.5 a year ago.

11 p.m. WSB’s Channel 2 Action News was the hour leader with a 4.9 (down from 5.7). Fox5 News Edge brought in a 3.6, down slightly from 3.7. 11Alive was the only network to see an increase, from 1.8 to 2. CBS46 fell from a 2.0 to a 1.5. Both Peachtree TV’s “Family Guy” and CW69’s “Two and a Half Men” brought in a 0.8. For “Family Guy,” that was no change. For the CW, “Two and a Half Men” did better than last year’s ‘Rules of Engagement” (0.5). WATL’s “Corrupt Crimes” (0.4) did better than last year’s “Cougartown” (0.3)

11:30 p.m. WSB’s ‘The Jimmy Kimmel Show” fell to 2.9 from 3.5 year over year in its first half hour, essentially tying Fox 5’s new 11:30 edition of News Edge at 2.9 (which is better than the 2.6 “Access Hollywood” had there a year ago). The first half-hour of “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon’ drew a 1.6, about the same as a year ago. CBS’s “Late Night With Stephen Colbert” drew a 0.9, far below the last few months of “David Letterman” at 1.4. Peachtree TV’s “American Dad” brought in a 0.7 (vs. 0.7 a year ago), same as the CW’s “Anger Management” (up from “Two and a Half Men” at 0.5 a year ago). WATL’s “Forensic Files’ had a 0.4, double what “CougarTown” drew a year ago.

midnight The second half-hour of Jimmy Kimmel brought the highest ratings of the hour with a 2.4 (down from 2.7). Fox 5’s repeat of “TMZ” dropped from a 2.1 to a 2.0. The second half hour of Fallon brought in a 1.3 (down from 1.4) while Colbert dropped to a 0.7 (vs. 1.1 for Letterman last year.) WATL’s “Hot in Cleveland” held at 0.2. Peachtree TV’s “Family Guy” (0.8) drew about the same as “American Dad” (0.7) a year ago. The CW’s “Two and a Half Men” (0.7) is outpacing “Anger Management” a year ago (0.4).

12:30 a.m.: ABC’s “Nightline” brought in a 2.0 (down from 2.3). Fox 5’s “Dish Nation” was second with a 1.6 (down from 1.7. The first half hour of “Seth Meyers” on NBC drew a 1.0 rating, same as a year ago. James Cordon on CBS46 dropped from 0.6 to 0.5. WATL’s “CougarTown” had a 0.2 (same as “Raising Hope” a year ago). PeachtreeTV’s “American Dad” drew a 0.7 (up from 0.6). CW69’s “Anger Management” brought in a 0.6 (up from 0.4 with “Two and a Half Men” in the slot a year ago).

Stephany Fisher left CBS46 last year. CREDIT: CBS46

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Stephany Fisher, who left CBS46 last year after 12 years, announced on Facebook that she is going to be a freelance reporter in Atlanta for The Washington Post.

She wrote a short note, noting, “Let’s see if this old dog can still hunt.”

Fisher, who was a primary evening anchor for CBS46, didn’t provide any details on what she will do for the Post. Like every media operation, she will surely be asked to do multi-media work as well as traditional print stories. (The Post has a freelance “Talent Network.”)

Since she departed CBS46 about a year ago, she has been teaching news writing at Georgia State University, according to her Linkedin page. Fisher has worked in news broadcasting for more than 20 years in markets such as Greenville, S.C. and Portland, Ore.

There are two openings in the Atlanta local news market: Lisa Rayam’s spot on Fox 5 and Erin Coleman’s post at Channel 2 Action News.

LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 16: (L-R) Tv personality Evelyn Braxton, record producer Vincent Herbert, and singer Tamar Braxton attend the BET Celebration of Gospel 2013 at Orpheum Theatre on March 16, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for BET)

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Sunday, August 28, 2016

While I was on vacation this past week, my colleague Jennifer Brett on AJC Buzz covered a few items on my behalf. Here they are, in case you missed them. I’ll be posting fresh items of news that happened this past week that she didn’t catch starting tomorrow. 

TUESDAY AUGUST 23

R&B singer and reality star Tamar Braxton and her manager husband Vince Herbert got into a sparring match at the Ritz-Carlton in Buckhead. TMZ reported that he bit her finger.

And Star 94.1 morning host Jenn Hobby published a note thanking Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for its wonderful care of her 11-month-old daughter Reese, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this month.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24

Ed Hartwell sold his home for a major loss amid his divorce to Keshia Knight Pulliam, a story that just keeps going on and on.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

Some folks criticized Tyler Perry for casting his latest TV show “Too Close to Home”with mostly non-black actors, the first time he has ever done so with a TV series.

“Stop asking me that damn question. People are people!” he said on Tom Joyner’s morning show heard on Kiss 104.1.

The drama, the first one on TLC, debuted August 22.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 26

Former Miss Arkansas Alyse Eady joined Fox 5’s “Good Day Atlanta” team last week, taking over for Gurvir Dhindsa.

I had previously reported her pending arrival in July.

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Monday, August 29, 2016

Sports anchor David Wilkinson has left NBC affiliate 11 Alive after two years.

He said in an interview he left voluntarily after his contract was up August 6.

He was a weekend sports anchor and reporter, who also did some work on weeknights.

Wilkinson is now working at Kennesaw-based the Impact Partnership as a TV producer. The marketing production company provides TV and radio services mostly for financial, retirement and real estate business professionals who create pay-for-play radio and TV shows.

The Smyrna resident said he was not sure if he was going to renew his contract with 11 Alive (WXIA-TV) when he met someone from Impact Partnership at church and found out they were hiring. He and his wife were about to have their third child and he wanted a job with more consistent hours. So he decided to take the leap.

“It was a tough decision,” he said.

But his new job, he said, has been great so far, enabling him to use his TV skills in a different arena: “I like the company. I like the culture. I like the hours. I’m blessed this door opened.”

11 Alive is seeking a replacement for Wilkinson. The timing of his departure is tough because the football season has just begun.

Impact Partnership is the same place where Randy Cook and Spiff Carner (formerly Fox 97.1’s Randy & Spiff morning team) preside. 

Several other professionals from Atlanta radio work there as well including Jessica Forkel (former B98.5 morning show producer), Kevin Steele (Kicks 101.5, NewsRadio 106.7), Mark Richards (Cox and Cumulus in management), Michelle Wright (NewsRadio 106.7), Mike Macho (Kicks 101.5), Kristen Charles (Kicks) and Jennifer Perry (NewsRadio 106.7).

Wilkinson, a 2002 Woodward Academy and 2006 Samford University graduate, was in TV news for about a decade, working in Columbus, Ohio; Waco, Texas; and Montgomery, Alabama before coming to 11 Alive.

“I grew up watching Fred Kalil on Friday nights,” said Wilkinson, referencing the long-time 11 Alive sports anchor who left last year to go to CBS46 after 22 years. “My parents always watched 11 Alive. It was really cool to be at the station.”

11 Alive in a span of 18 months from 2013 to 2015 lost their three veteran sports anchors – Kalil, Sam Crenshaw and Randy Waters. They still have Jeff Hullinger, who has been primarily news anchoring but has decades of knowledge in the sports field and does sports anchoring as well on weeknights. They also recently hired Decatur native Kim Smith as a sports reporter.

Waters retired after 29 years at the station. Crenshaw, who worked at 11 Alive for 16 years, has been doing freelance TV work (including Fox 5) and hosts a morning weekend radio show on 92.9/The Game.

If Wilkinson does return to local TV, the standard non-compete is six months so he wouldn’t be able to do so until February 6, 2017.

Karen Graham, who has been a morning host for Fox 5’s “Good Day Atlanta” since 2009 and a broadcaster at the station since 2000, is leaving September 7.

She broke the news this morning on her public Fox 5 Facebook page.

Graham said “Fox 5 did not force me out. In fact, my bosses tried everything to convince me to stay. And I mean everything.”

She said her departure was her choice and she has an unspecified new “game changer” of a job forthcoming. It’s likely related to the deaf community. (She did a sign language video of her going away message.)

This is the third major departure from Fox 5 (WAGA-TV) this year, following Lisa Rayam and Gurvir Dhindsa. Fox 5 has filled Dhindsa’s spot with Alysa Eady from Arkansas. She started last week.

Was she popular? Her approval rating below in this poll, however unscientific, would be the envy of any politician – or human being for that matter.

Rayam’s spot is still open.

Graham came to Atlanta in 2000 from Charlotte and was a weekend sports anchor and reporter at Fox 5 from 2000 to 2009.

On “Good Day Atlanta,” she produces the weekly “Wednesday’s Child” segment to recruit foster families for children in the foster care system. She also produces “Hot Topics” segments during the 8 a.m. hour, does live interviews and builds graphics for the show.

“We will miss Karen both personally and professionally,” her boss Mike McClain said in a statement. “She was a delight to work with and we were lucky to have her;  we wish her much success in this next chapter.”

An Atlanta native, Graham graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She is fluent in sign language.

Here’s Graham’s note in full.

Hello everyone!

I have really exciting news to share with you. After a lot of thinking and praying I have decided it’s time for me to leave Good Day Atlanta.

Now hold on! Before the gossip starts – no – FOX 5 did not force me out. In fact, my bosses tried everything to convince me to stay. And I mean everything.

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Channel 2 Action News investigative reporter Erica Byfield is leaving the station, she announced today during the 6 p.m. newscast.

Byfield joined WSB-TV in 2010.

She’s moving to New York to get married and work as a reporter at WNBC-TV.

“We have loved having Erica at Channel 2 Action News and wish her and her future husband great happiness and success. WNBC got a good one,” said Misti Turnbull, news director.

“I am really going to miss Erica,” said Dave Huddleston, a reporter/anchor at WSB-TV. “She was one of the best reporters we have, and when she became an investigative reporter she really took off! The investigative pieces stories she did in DeKalb county and the city of Atlanta really showed her skill and tenacity for digging for the truth.”

Byfield, a California native, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2005. She worked in St. Louis before coming to Atlanta.

Channel 2 Action News and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group. 

Kevin Rowson has left TV after 30-plus years and joined the FBI as a public affairs officer. CREDIT: Twitter profile photo

Kevin Rowson covered hundreds, if not thousands, of crime stories over 30-plus years on TV, including 22 years at 11 Alive.

Now he’s jumped over to the other side as a public affairs specialist at the FBI office in Atlanta.

“It’s a great transition for me from doing crime and law enforcement my whole career as a journalist to taking a step to the other side,” said Rowson, who began his job a month ago.

Rowson said special agents had been handling his job but they decided to hire a civilian so agents can focus on their primary jobs.

He left 11 Alive (WXIA-TV) as part of a buyout in April. “I’ve always had a back-up plan,’ he said. “I’ve always explored these kinds of opportunities.”

Rowson said he likes having set hours, knowing he’ll be home at a particular hour every night. And having worked nights for years, he’s had to adjust to a more normal schedule. “One nice thing is I was able to spend Labor Day weekend off and not have to fight or beg for the time off,” he said.

Kevin Rowson with Brenda Wood at an 11 Alive going away party for those who took the buyout this spring. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

Rowson started in radio 40 years ago. He said he began on TV around 1984 in Charleston, S.C. before moving to New York. He came to Atlanta in 1994 at 11 Alive.

“I’m thankful for all the opportunities in journalism because quite frankly, it had a lot to do with why I got this job,” he said.

He will receive a Silver Circle Award for longevity in the broadcast business on Friday from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Southeast, along with former Fox 5 host Lisa Rayam.

Rowson said his most memorable story at 11 Alive was covering the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing and the aftermath until Eric Rudolph was captured and imprisoned.

Donna Lowry, the long-time education reporter at 11 Alive, took the buyout as well. She recently nabbed a job handling public affairs for Cobb County public schools.

Keith Whitney, another reporter who took advantage of the buyout, has decided for now to enjoy his severance before moving on to his next job.

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, September 8, 2016

Holly Morris (right), a Fox 5 anchor in D.C., in a podcast spilled the beans about her then husband Tom Sater (left) (now at CNNI in Atlanta) cheating on her with her co-anchor at the time Gurvir Dhindsa (center). CREDIT: publicity photos

I noticed a spike in page views today regarding my story about Gurvir Dhindsa leaving Fox 5’s “Good Day Atlanta” earlier this year. It took a Google News search for me to figure out why:

When given the opportunity to get more personal about her life in a Fox 5 sanctioned podcast called “I Still Have a Key Card,” D.C. anchor Holly Morris decided to spill the beans about how her former co-anchor hooked up with her then husband.

She didn’t name names but the Washington Post said it was obvious she was referencing Gurvir Dhindsa, who left Fox 5 Atlanta earlier this year without any clear explanation. Dhindsa worked side by side with Morris for several years at the D.C. Fox affiliate as fellow morning co-anchors. For quite awhile, Morris said she had no idea her then husband Tom Sater, now a meteorologist at CNN International in Atlanta, was cheating on her with Dhindsa.

Morris, who has been at the station for 18 years, said people knew about the affair before she did. She has no regrets offering her story via podcast, telling the Post’s Emily Heil: “This was a way to tell the story in its entirety — not chopped up and parts left out.”

Once she found out about the affair, she and Sater divorced. Morris and Dhindsa worked side by side for years even after Morris divorced Sater. Awkward!

Sater and Dhindsa eventually got married. Dhindsa left D.C. in 2011 and came back to “Good Day Atlanta” where she was a host for five years. Sater came to Atlanta freelancing at first but eventually nabbed his CNN job.

I left Dhindsa a message on her personal Facebook page seeking comment. I also left a message with CNN to find out if Sater wanted to say anything. I can’t imagine either would want to.

The podcast is available on iTunes and Google Play.

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Friday, September 9, 2016

Kim Passoth, who took over for Jocelyn Connell on CBS46 at noon weekdays, has been moved to weekends at 11 p.m.. CREDIT: CBS46

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Sunday, September 11, 2016

Kim Passoth, who came to CBS46 last year from Oklahoma city as a noon weekday anchor, has been shifted to weekends at 11 p.m.

She is now working with Mike Dunston, who welcomed her on air to her new role this weekend.

General Manager Mark Pimental said in an email that the expanded weekend news programming at 11 p.m. was a reason to bring Passoth aboard.  “The other is giving our morning team additional exposure,” he wrote.  “A majority of morning anchor teams also anchor the noon and Frank Volpicella our new news director made these moves.”

The morning team featuring Gloria Neal, Bobby Kaple and Jennifer Valdez will now handle the weekday noon telecast.

Passoth replaced Jocelyn Connell in May 2015 as part of a vast shift in anchors at the CBS affiliate(WGCL-TV).

Based on a look at ratings from the first seven months of this year vs. the same period in 2015, CBS46 has not seen a significant  improvement in viewers, remaining in third or fourth place in most time slots most days.

The CBS46 noon telecast anchored by Passoth did see an improvement of a 1.4 rating vs. 1.2 from the same time period a year earlier. It was in third place during that time period behind Channel 2 Action News (5.0) and Fox5 (2.3).

Fox 5 has added Constance Jones from Miami to its “Good Day Atlanta” team, replacing the recently departed Karen Graham.

Jones has spent the past nine years at the ABC affiliate in Miami WPLG Local 10 where she has been a reporter/anchor.

Her launch date at Fox 5 has not been set. She appears to still be working at WPLG, which still has her profile up.

According to her Linkedin page, Jones has covered the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, President Barack Obama‘s election campaign, the BP Gulf oil spill, along with devastating hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and ice storms.

Her WPLG bio notes that she was born in Stuttgart, Germany, and spent most of her childhood oversea. She is conversational in German and has also lived in Timisoara, Romania.

Other markets she has been in include New York City, Oklahoma City and Houston. She worked with Dan Rather on “CBS Evening News.”

Here’s a sampling of her work:

And she even rappelled down a building in Miami for charity:

This is the second major change on the morning show this year. Gurvir Dhindsa left earlier this year and was replaced recently by Alyse Eady from Arkansas.

Graham left Fox 5 after a 16-year run just a couple of weeks ago.

Jones will join the current team, which includes Eady, Joanne Feldman, Katie Beasley, Ron Gant and Buck Lanford.

“Good Day Atlanta” usually finishes a solid second place behind WSB-TV programming from 4:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday September 13, 2016

Mike Marino spent a brief time as morning producer for Jeff and Jenn before returning recently to afternoons. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ rho@ajc.com

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Thursday, September 15, 2016

Star 94.1’s afternoon host Mike Marino has signed a new three-year contract, ensuring he’ll be around through 2019. He joined the station in 2013 as an afternoon jock.

Earlier this year, when Jeff Dauler and Jenn Hobby took over mornings, the existing team of Drex, Cassiday and Tingle were moved to afternoons. This forced Marino to move briefly to the producer role until Star 94.1 dropped Drex, Cassiday and Tingle over the summer.

He is now on air from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Star also solidified its morning show. JP Allen, who has served as interim show director , is now stepping into the role full time.

Kelly “Cheese” Cheesborough, who previously worked as a jock at what was briefly X107.1 for Cox Media Group, was named the full-time executive producer for the Jeff and Jenn show. She began as an assistant producer in March.

***

FYI is shooting a spin-off of its reality show “Married at First Sight” in metro Atlanta, dubbing it “Married at First Sight: Second Chances.” One of the previous seasons of the original show was shot here as well.

***

You’d think the whole “Toddlers & Tiaras” concept is played out. But TLC doesn’t think so. It’s testing a four-run season of “Little Miss Atlanta” starting October 5 on the same night as “Toddlers  & Tiaras.”

Here’s the network synopsis:

Shot in Atlanta, each episode of LITTLE MISS ATLANTA follows three young African-American pageant contestants and their mothers as they prepare to compete in the intense world of pageantry. The girls, who range in age from three-years-old to 10-years-old, are always in it to win it, but their stage moms are the ones who eat, sleep and breathe pageants. Whether it’s spending $15,000 on a single competition or leaving the pageant hall in a rage, these moms will stop at nothing to make sure their daughter leaves a winner.

According to people.com:

The reality show will also star Jasmine Crowe and Kim Anderson, who co-founded the Little Miss Black US pageant system in an effort to celebrate African-American girls and young women.

***

TV One is hosting its annual Triumph Awards in Atlanta as it did last year. The show will be taped at the Tabernacle this Sunday to air next month on October 2. Tichina Arnold, who shoots Starz’s “Survivor’s Remorse” here, will host again.

The honorees:

Rap impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs, film-making legend (and Morehouse grad) Spike Lee, Atlanta hip-hop producer Jermaine Dupri, attorney Benjamin Crump (who represented Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown), FedEx senior VP Gina Adams and Mastercard.

***

The readers of Creative Loafing voted Bert Weiss as radio personality of the year this year, an honor he has pocketed several times, along with best morning show. WABE-FM won best radio station, best talk radio station and best non-commercial station. 94.9/The Bull won best country station, Radio 105.7 won best rock radio station and in an upset, OG 97.9 took home best urban station. Album 88 was considered the best Internet station (as opposed to the daytime programming on FM 88.5 run by GPB.). Carl Dukes and Mike Bell were named best sports talk show on 92.9/The Game. Best podcast is Hot Breath! where Joel Byers interviews comics.

The best local TV news anchor? Jovita Moore of Channel 2 Action News. Best meteorologist: Chesley McNeil of 11 Alive.

And no surprise on best TV show shot in Atlanta: “The Walking Dead.”

Plus, my colleague Bill Torpy was named “Biggest Thorn in the Mayor’s Side” by the Loaf critics.

MEET THE PRESS —  Erick Erickson, Founder, Resurgent, right, appeared on “Meet the Press” in Washington, D.C., Sunday Feb. 28, 2016. (Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Erick Erickson, radio host for Atlanta’s News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB, said his essay last week reasserting his inability to support Donald Trump was one of his most read pieces ever. (And no, he is no fan of Hillary Clinton either.)

He emailed me:

The feedback has been tremendous.  Probably the most widely read piece I’ve ever written.  Between the Washington Post hits and The Resurgent, I’m guessing well over a million people have clicked on it since last week.  There’ve been 734,441 unique clicks on it at The Resurgent as of right now.

The most interesting thing is that there’ve been numerous Christian responses to it and I can recall only one that cited scripture in response.

As for the debate Monday night, he believed more Americans would have preferred “a colonoscopy without anesthesia.”

“It was painful to be yelled at for 1.5 hours by Trump,” he wrote. “I conducted a panel of voters discussion after the debate. The room was overwhelming voting Trump, either enthusiastically or begrudgingly.  But almost all of them thought Clinton came across better in the debate and was more prepared.  That didn’t change most minds, however.  Interestingly, 5 of the panelists became more undecided after the debate.”

He concluded: “I’m just ready for 2017.”

***

NEW YORK, NY – MAY 11: Sean Hannity appears on FOX News Channel’s “Hannity” at FOX Studios on May 11, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images)

In the most recent four-week Nielsen Audio radio ratings covering August 11 through September 7, WSB again led the market. The news/talk station has ridden the presidential race to the top the entire calendar year.

Among other stations having strong years so far: Christian pop station Fish 104.7 has gotten its sea legs in 2016 after a slow start, pulling in five straight months of top 5 finishes. Among 25 to 54 year olds, it landed at its highest point ever: second place, only behind V-103.

Kicks 101.5 had an unusually strong four weeks, jumping from 3.9 to 5.2. That’s its best one-month rating since April, 2011. It was also its strongest margin of victory over 94.9/The Bull since June of 2011. The Bull until recently had been regularly beating Kicks going back to late 2013 after Kicks had a long run of dominance.

Hot 107.9’s Rickey Smiley came in first for the second time in three months among 25 to 54 year olds but Ryan Cameron and Wanda Smith won 18 to 34 year olds over Smiley in a tight race.

In the pop station wars, Star 94 won among 25 to 54 year olds and 18 to 34 year olds for the first time in several years, fueled by its morning show Jeff Dauler and Jenn Hobby, which has been mostly trending upward since its debut in March. Star has seen its 25-to-54 morning ratings jump from a 2.6 with the previous Drex, Cassiday and Tingle in August 2015, good for 15th place, to a 4.8 this past month for Jeff and Jenn, good for eighth place. While B98.5 won overall listeners with a 4.8 rating, Q100 dropped off, finishing at 3.4, matching its worst performance in years from April. Power 96.1 had its weakest book of the year, with a 4 share.

Over in sports talk land, the gap between 92.9/The Game and 680/The Fan is the smallest since February. I can’t cite The Fan’s ratings because they don’t subscribe to Nielsen but the station had its best month this year. Still, The Game’s mid-day and afternoon numbers among 25 to 54 year olds are now in the top 10.

And the presidential race is helping 90.1/WABE as well, with its best ratings of the year at 3.5 and a 4.1 among 25 to 54 year olds. It also had its strongest mid-day numbers since the format switch early last year to news/talk and away from classical music: a 3.3, good for 15th place.

Paradoxically, NewsRadio 106.7 had its worst month (1.1) since its early days in late 2012 despite solid numbers from its mid-day hosts Shannon Burke and Kim “The Kimmer” Peterson.

And Majic picked up a half-share from  3.2 to 3.7 after adding back 97.5 but as a result, old-school rap station Boom fell from 1.1 to 0.6 after losing the same signal (while keeping the weaker 102.9.) Boom had been competitive with rival OG97.9, which remains at a 1.4 for the third month in a row.

***

The top song of the week in Atlanta radio was Twenty One Pilots’ “Heathens,” ousting Shawn Mendes‘ “Treat You Better.” And the Chainsmokers have two songs in the top 10.

1. Twenty One Pilots “Heathens”
2. Shawn Mendes “Treat You Better”
3. The Chainsmokers “Closer” featuring Halsey
4. Major Lazer “Cold Water” w/ Justin Bieber
5. Sia “Cheap Thrills”
6. Calvin Harris “This is What You Came For” with Rihanna
7. Drake “Controlla”
8. The Chainsmokers “Don’t Le Me Down” with Daya
9. YFN Lucci “Key to the Streets”
10. Rihanna “Needed Me”

Top songs at various local radio stations over the past seven days, covering September 20 through September 26.

V-103: Usher “No Limit”

Hot 107.9: DJ Drama “Wishing”

Streetz 94.5: YFN Lucci “Key to the Streets”

Kiss 104.1:  Jazmine Sullivan “Let it Burn”

Majic 107.5/97.5: Ro James “Permission”

Power 96.1: Twenty One Pilots “Heathens”

B98.5: Pink “Just Like Fire”

Q100: Twenty One Pilots “Heathens”

Star 94: Calvin Harris “This is What You Came For”

Fish 104.7: Jeremy Camp “Christ in Me’

Praise 102.5: Tamela Mann “God Provides”

94.9/The Bull: LoCash “I Know Somebody”

Kicks 101.5: Kelsea Ballerini “Peter Pan”

Radio 105.7: Twenty One Pilots “Heathens”

Rock 100.5: Van Halen “Runnin’ With the Devil”/ ZZTop “Cheap Sunglasses”/ George Thorogood “Who Do You Love’

97.1/The River: John Mellencamp “Hurts So Good”/ Eagles “Take it Easy”/ INXS “Devil Inside”/ Kiss “Rock and Roll All Nite,” Pete Townshend “Let My Love Open The Door,” Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” (all spun 10 times each)

SOURCE: Mediabase 24/7

Channel 2 Action News celebrated Karen Minton today for her 30 years of service at the station.

Minton, 63, arrived at WSB-TV September 30, 1986 after two years at The Weather Channel.

The morning show surprised her today with a video tribute, which included some photos from her modeling days as well as highlights of her career covering every major storm and weather event that has passed through metro Atlanta. They then held a luncheon for her at Chops Lobster Bar.

“I got a bit emotional,” she admitted afterwards when they showed the video. “My throat caught. It’s such a special place. I love it so much and it just touched my heart they would do that.”

She said she has no immediate plans to retire either, enjoying workdays that typically go from 2 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Chief meteorologist Glenn Burns, who came to WSB-TV five years before Minton in 1981, loves that she takes her job so seriously. “She makes the forecast easy to understand,” he said in an email. “People can see she is genuinely concerned for their welfare and they appreciate that.” He also loves the chemistry she has with anchors Linda Stouffer and Fred Blankenship.

He also loves her humility, “a rare thing in this business.” He encouraged WSB-TV bosses to hire her in 1986 after seeing her on The Weather Channel. “She continues to shine as the First Lady of Atlanta weather,” he wrote.

Here’s the tribute video:

Minton said when she first arrived at WSB, she took a learning posture, with hopes to eventually go to ABC’s “Good Morning America.” But after a divorce in 1992, she felt as a single mom, she needed to stay in Atlanta.

“I couldn’t imagine packing up my two children and going to a strange city,” Minton said. “At this point, I had friends and relationships. WSB was very very good to me. I chose to stay. My parents ended up moving out here to help out with the kids until they were old enough and I got to do so many things with WSB. It was a family, not just a workplace.”

In fact, she said it feels like even more of a family operation than ever before. “We are there for each other,” she said. “I can’t imagine going anywhere else.”

Fox 5’s Ken Cook lasted 35 years at that station until her retired in 2014. Chris Holcomb over the summer marked his 25th year at 11 Alive, the NBC affiliate (WXIA-TV.)

WSB-TV and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group.

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Friday, September 30, 2016

Former Channel 2 Action News anchor Erin Coleman has joined the NBC affiliate in her hometown of Philadelphia WCAU-TV.

Coleman will be co-anchoring the 5 p.m. news and reporting for other newscasts. She begins next week.

She left WSB-TV in late June after seven years as an anchor and reporter. 

“Erin’s extensive news background, coupled with her passion for storytelling and connecting with the community, will be a great addition to NBC10 News,” said Anzio Williams, vice president of news for NBC10 and Telemundo62, in a prepared statement. “We look forward to having her on our team.”

Coleman, who was pregnant when she left WSB-TV, now has a healthy baby daughter, her second child. On her WSB-TV Facebook page, which is still around, she posted a photo of her on September 12.

WSB-TV and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group. 

By RODNEY HO/ rho@ajc.com, originally filed Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Nobody ever said radio was a stable business. Star 94.1 has been through eight night jocks over the past decade. The latest arrival is bow-tie wearing Zakk Babb, who has started from 8 to midnight.

Among the folks who have manned the night air at Star: Nudge (2004-2008. Remember “Hot mom check in… what, what?”), Darik Kristofer (2008-2011), former Dave FM jock Tim Orff (2011-2013), Sari Rose (2013), Ali Mac (2013-14) , Donny Michaels (2014-2015) and most recently Andrew Hart (2016).

Babb comes from WRWM (93.9/The Beat) in Indianapolis. (Star hired the Morning Mess from Indianapolis back in 2008. That only lasted a year. That was also before the ownership change. Entercom took over last year from Lincoln Financial.)

And look on the bright side; Star actually has a live jock on at nights. That isn’t always the case in this day and age.

***

Speaking of Star 94.1, former Star morning host Steve Tingle has landed a new job, reuniting with a former host in Chicago Brian Sherman. They will be working at classic rock station WDRV-FM / The Drive starting October 31.

Sherman and Tingle had previously worked at a Chicago station from 2007 to 2011.

Tingle worked with Drex and Cassiday Proctor for about 18 months at Star 94.1. But they were the victims of bad fortune. They were hired by Lincoln Financial but found out the day they signed their contracts that Lincoln was selling to Entercom.

New management came in mid year in 2015 and soon hired Jeff Dauler and Jenn Hobby, bumping the team to afternoons. This past summer,  Star let them go with several months left on their contracts so they could get on with their lives and find new jobs since it was clear Star was not going to keep them around. Both Drex and Cassiday are still hunting for new jobs.

***

Melissa Carter, morning co host at B98.5, will be representing the pop station at this weekend’s 46th annual Atlanta Pride Festival at Piedmont Park, an event she has been attending for more than 20 years.

She was the first openly gay morning host in Atlanta while working at 99X, then Q100 with the Bert Show, which she departed in 2011 after a decade. She joined B98.5 in 2013.

Carter was Grand Marshal in 2002 before she had her kidney transplant. She recalled in an interview today having to place Band Aids on her arms to cover up bruises from her dialysis treatment, lest people think she was a drug addict.

“It’s getting out there and letting people know I’m still on the radio,” Carter said. “Just inspire people and be present and be visible. I think that as many strides as we’ve made in the gay community, I’d like to see in media more gay people out there sharing their lives and being professional and inspiring others. For me, that’s a responsibility I think for all gay people to try their best to be there for the next generation and show them they can do anything.”

Carter said she has seen the festival get larger over the years and more diverse, as well as more family oriented. “Pride began as a protest but now I enjoy the fact it’s more inclusive. I have far more straight friends who go as part of their yearly festival calendar. There was a time when they’d say, ‘Am I allowed to come?’ Now nobody thinks twice about it. It’s great.”

B98.5 and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution are part of Cox Media Group. 

***

October 2, 2016 Atlanta: Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers in the Georgia Dome Sunday October 2, 2016. BRANT SANDERLIN/BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

The CW69 has signed a deal to extend their current TV contract with the Atlanta Falcons for another three years. The network will continue to air Falcons pre-season games and air two hours of weekly Falcons-themed content during the regular season.

Here’s what they offer:

“Rise Up Weekly” airs Saturdays from 11-11:30 p.m. and is hosted by radio host Rashan Ali and former Falcon player D.J. Shockley. “Rise Up Weekly” is an entertaining and light-hearted look at the players off the field.

The station also produces post-game shows during the preseason. Former NFL player and 790/The Zone host Dave Archer goes “Inside The Locker Room” to talk with coaches and players and get immediate reaction after each preseason game. During the regular season, “Inside The Locker Room” moves to a pre-game show format and its regular
time slot at 11 a.m. on Sundays. Randy Waters, D.J. Shockley, Wes Durham and Dave Archer break down the upcoming game and take an in-depth look at the opponent.
“Falcons Playback” airs Monday nights at 6 p.m. and looks back at the previous day’s game with highlights, analysis and play breakdowns. Randy Waters and D.J. Shockley host and Melanie Snare has fan and social media reaction.