Originally posted by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB raised $1.67 million from its listeners for its 18th annual Careathon to raise funds for the AFLAC Cancer Center at Scottish Rite.
That is the second highest total in the fundraiser’s history, just shy of last year’s $1.75 million.
Over two days, the radio hosts from the station got together in different combos for charity. And Neal Boortz made his annual return with Belinda Skelton.
WSB and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution are both part of Cox Media Group.
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Alannah "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson of Hampton, who is already seen weekly on WE-TV's "From Not to Hot" with her mom June, will try her hand at ballroom dance for a special "Dancing With the Stars: Juniors" competition.
The show will be pre-taped in August and start airing Sunday, October 7 on ABC.
It will be hosted by former DWTS stars Frankie Muniz and Jordan Fisher.
Judges will be reigning "DWTS" winner and figure skating star Adam Rippon, award-winning choreographer Mandy Moore (not the "This is Us" star) and two-time "DWTS" winning pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy.
UPDATE: TMZ received Thompson’s contract, which has to be released to the public in California since she is under age. She receives $50,000 for showing up and more if she lasts longer. If she wins, she could pocket a total of $130,000.
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"Bossip on WE," a weekly gossip show, was shot last summer out of Atlanta. This year, they decided to move it to Los Angeles. It returns Thursday, August 2 at 10 p.m.
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Rapper Sharaya J of Kennesaw is the only original singer on "The Four" who has not been eliminated at all as we enter the season two finals Thursday. So it's no surprise that she's the odds-on favorite to win. (The show has been pre-taped, by the way, so there is no public vote.)
She is joined by fellow metro Atlantan and R&B singer Whitney Reign, who won a chair spot week two but was ousted by Ali Caldwell two weeks later. She managed to get her way back in via last week's "comeback" episode and is now in the finals. A second original James Graham also got himself back into the competition. Leah Jenea is the only latter entrant to survive to the finals.
Sharaya has been the story of the season given that she is being treated for breast cancer and going through chemo. That’s why she has no hair and why her voice got roughed up partway through the competition. But she has hung in there, writing her own lyrics and showing a fierce determination that has impressed the judges and audiences.
Whitney, 25, who grew up in Chicago, has lived in Atlanta for nine years. She currently lives in Sandy Springs. Her most recent job was at Tropical Smoothie. In an interview, Whitney said she felt vindication and validation last week when she was able to get her seat back from Caldwell. “I had that gasp of air,” she said. “I broke down. I didn’t know who was going to win.”
She was still stinging at the time from Diddy saying he “smelled fear” in her performance when Caldwell defeated her. “I’m always a fighter,” she said. “That was hard to hear. I wanted to prove I’m not scared, that I’m fearless.”
She said this show, being more cutthroat and in your face than its obvious rivals “American Idol” and “The Voice,” is a more realistic rendition of the “dog-eat-dog” music business as a whole. “It’s molding us, preparing us,” she said.
Win or lose, “I’m praying for a record deal, make some albums and get into acting,” Whitney said.
The winner gets a recording contract with Republic Records and is named an iHeartRadio’s “On the Verge” artist.
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Paul Ossmann started his Atlanta broadcasting career 30 years ago August 1, 1988 at WAGA-TV, then a CBS affiliate that became a Fox affiliate in the mid-1990s. He is now chief meteorologist at CBS46, now (obviously) a CBS affiliate.
He posted several historical shots of himself on Facebook Wednesday to celebrate including photos with James Brown, Tom Hanks, Magic Johnson, George Foreman, Jim Carrey, David Cassidy, Chuck Norris, TLC, Arnold Schwarzeneggar and Muhammad Ali as well as those with the late Amanda Davis (in the 1990s and just last year.)
And yes, he made it in Peach Buzz once with Randy & Spiff!
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