Several of you noticed I was gone for a week earlier this month. It’s nice to be missed. What I was doing was practicing for retirement. I wanted to see what it would be like. I’ve been working non-stop since I was 18. I loved it. So today is my final day at the Sun Sentinel. This hasn’t been a secret. I posted it on Facebook a week ago. To what I’m sure will be the chagrin of Miami Mike (and his many aliases) and Tomwellmissyou (who will), I am leaving on my terms with my head up and a smile on my face. My wife and I are finally going to get to go to Hawaii, a lifelong dream. Then we’re going to Las ... Continue reading →

What didn’t Johnny Keyser do right? It appears we’ll never know. The singing waiter from Pompano Beach was a shocking cut from the Las Vegas round of “American Idol” Thursday. Each of his performances drew raves from the Gang of Three. But the audience never did get to see him perform his final song, which apparently was considered not good enough to keep him around. Considering the high marks he earned throughout the early stages, “Idol” owed it to the audience to show them what Keyser did wrong. Is there any chance Randy, Steven or J-Lo will visit his home and tell them they made a “massive mistake.” Am I off base on this? Continue reading →

Nothing like a macabre sideshow to goose TV ratings. Sunday’s Grammy Awards, taking place one day after Whitney Houston’s death shocked the world, attracted more than 39 million viewers, according to preliminary Nielsen ratings. This was the biggest tune-in for the music industry’s annual awards show since 1984 (essentially the pre-cable era) and the second largest TV audience ever. The demographics also went through the roof, ringing up the biggest numbers in the 18-49 category since 1990. The triumphant return of Adele was a big story but is there any doubt the difference-maker was viewers who tuned in to see and hear what would be said about Houston’s death? Continue reading →

Could Broward County score a back-to-back double on Fox’s talent competitions. Johnny Keyser, a 22-year-old waiter from Pompano Beach, appears to have the chops to do on “American Idol” what Melanie Amaro did on “The X Factor.” Keyser blew away Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez with his rendition of “A Change Is Gonna Come” at the St. Louis auditions. He impressed them again as the leadoff singer–always a good sign–with “Dreaming” at Wednesday’s first Hollywood Week phase. We still haven’t gotten to the stage where the performances are live and America votes but Keyser has everything it takes to win, including the fact he’s really cute (see Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze and Scotty McCreery). What do you think of Keyser’s chances? Continue reading →

There will be a second season of “Real Housewives of Miami” afterall, according to the Hollywood Reporter. The low-rated South Florida edition of the Bravo franchise had been given up for dead after it averaged only about a million viewers. This compares badly to “RH of Atlanta,” which did more than 3 million. Details of how many original cast members, if any, will return and the identity of newcomers will be released shortly, according to the report. Continue reading →

“House” is over. The series about the cantankerous physician, brilliantly played by Huge Laurie, will end its eight-season run on Fox this spring. The announcement was made by the producers and Fox Wednesday. When the final curtain drops, 177 episodes will have been produced. Is it time for “House” to end or do you think there were still stories to be mined. Continue reading →

A major pitfall of working in radio is you can be here today, gone tomorrow. This is pretty much the story of Donna Davis, popular co-host of Majic’s morning drive program. Make that former co-host. After Davis finished her usual shift opposite Joe Johnson on Jan. 31, she was invited into the front office. “They told me they were eliminating my position,” she said. “They said it wasn’t anything performance related. They were making budget cuts.” Davis, who had been atthe station since 1998 and co-host of the morning program since 2000, said she had a woman’s intuition that she might be vulnerable because she noticed a shift toward more music, less personality. “I’m an information person, someone they thought they just don’t need with ... Continue reading →

NBC is gibing an all-out push to “The Voice.” Starting Saturday, Feb. 11, the previous Monday’s episode on NBC will get an encore on sister cable network E!. This week, the repeats will run from 5-8 p.m. to include the one-hour post-Super Bowl season premiere. On subsequent Saturdays, the reruns will air from 6-8 p.m. NBC ought to give the same treatment to “Smash,” one of the finest series in years. Continue reading →

“The River” doesn’t seem destined to be the next “Lost.” Just lost. The much hyped premiere attracted just over 8 million viewers but the second episode slipped under 7 million. The crucial 18-49 demo that networks cherish also declined by the half-hour. This generally means samplers weren’t crazy about what they were seeing and gradually drifted away. Any further erosion and there will be some question whether the show will complete even its modest 8-episode order–at least during the February sweeps. What did you think? Continue reading →

“Wheel of Fortune’s” Wheelmobile is spinning toward Palm Beach Gardens. The game show’s search for contestants will make a stop at Legacy Place, 11290 Legacy Ave., Palm Beach Gardens on Feb. 25. Three sessions will be held, at 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the parking lot near Petco. Everyone in attendance will be allowed to submit an application. Contestants will be chosen at random and invited to play the game. Talent scouts for the show will decide if anyone has the potential to be on the air. It’s a longshot but it’s better than no shot at all, which is what those who don’t come out will have. Continue reading →