I'm Back

So what did I miss while I was gone on vacation? From reading the postings on my blog, sounded like not much – except for catty comments and sniping from Anonymous folks…
I’m still trying to get caught up to everything, but here are some quick hits:

--The hype machine fires up today for Cris Collinsworth, and for NBC’s Sunday night NFL games this fall. He’s on "The Tonight Show" tonight, and Ch 5’s Ken Broo soon will be taping promos with him. You might see a lot of Collinsworth on Ch 5 this fall, since he’ll do satellite interviews with NBC stations from Ch 5 throughout the season.

--NBC’s "Deal or No Deal" holds an open casting call 9-5 Saturday in Lexington, at Freedom Dodge, 1560 East New Circle Road. A spokesman for host NBC affiliate WLEX-TV (Channel 18) told me that anyone in line by 1 p.m. will be allowed to interview. Theyr'e expecting big crowds.
No reservations required. For information, go towww.wlextv.com.

--No surprise that WVMX-FM (MIX94.1) is picking up the Whoopi Goldberg morning show from parent Clear Channel’s Premiere Networks. I figured all along they’d pick up Whoopi, even when station managers said they weren’t interested in May when the show was announced. The station has to do something to get some traction.

--On the other hand, I was surprised that WCVG-AM (1320) – a weak AM daytime station – would sell for $1.9 million, to become the area’s first Latino station. As usual, Cincinnati is behind the times. Louisville has had three Latino stations for several years – two of them are FMs, and one is owned by Clear Channel. Indianapolis and Lexington also already have full-time Hispanic stations.

NBC fall previews

NBC has cut a deal with Netflix so subscribers can see advance copies of two new fall series, Aaron Sorkin’s "Studio 50 on the Sunset Strip" (a behind-the-scenes drama at a "SNL"-like show -- or "SportsNight?" show -- with Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford) and "Kidnapped" (with Dana Delany, Jeremy Sisto and Mykelti Williamson). NBC, which was 4th last year in prime-time, will let Netflix customers rent DVDs of the debut episodes starting Aug. 5, about seven weeks before the fall TV season officially starts.

Studio 89 reminder
If you want to see Danny Tate's "Studio 89" concert at WNKU-FM on the Northern Kentucky University campus 9 p.m. Monday, better make a reservation soon at www.wnku.org or by calling 859-572-6500. Tate wrote Rick Springfield's "Affair of the Heart," and songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Billy Ray Cyrus, Patti LaBelle, Lynryd Skinner, Jeff Healey, the Oak Ridge Boys and others. Or you can catch the concert live Monday on WNKU-FM (89.7) and live on the web.

Gotta go. Keep the comments coming.