Five new comedies and three new dramas will help build on the strength of America’s top-rated network. Five of the new series will premiere in the fall and three at mid-season.

For next fall, the Network is increasing its comedy lineup with four new comedies, expanding its comedy block on Thursdays from 8:00-10:00 PM and creating an encore hour for comedy broadcasts on Saturdays.

PHOTOS: CBS 2014 Prime Time Shows

The new comedies are “The Crazy Ones” from executive producer David E. Kelley starring Robin Williams and Sarah Michelle Gellar; “The Millers”, a multi-generational family comedy from executive producer Greg Garcia starring Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, Beau Bridges and JB Smoove; “Mom”, an edgy family comedy from executive producer Chuck Lorre starring Anna Faris and Allison Janney; and “We Are Men”, an ensemble comedy starring Tony Shalhoub, Kal Penn, Chris Smith and Jerry O’Connell.

Two new dramas have been scheduled for Mondays at 10:00 p.m. “Hostages”, the serialized suspense thriller from executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer starring Toni Collette and Dylan McDermott, premieres in the fall, building to a season finale in January. Soon after, “Intelligence”, a high-octane action drama starring Josh Holloway, Marg Helgenberger and Meghan Ory, moves into the time period for the remainder of the season.

The freshman series will be joined by 20 returning shows including “NCIS”, the season’s most watched show; “The Big Bang Theory”, the season’s #1 comedy in viewers and demos; “60 MINUTES”, the season’s #1 news magazine; and “Elementary”, the season’s #1 new drama.

The other returning series include: “How I Met Your Mother”, “2 Broke Girls”, “NCIS: Los Angeles”, “Person of Interest”, “Survivor”, “Criminal Minds”, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation”, “Two And A Half Men”, “Undercover Boss”, “Hawaii Five-O”, “Blue Bloods”, “48 HOURS”, “The Amazing Race”, “The Good Wife” and “The Mentalist”.

In addition, the proven hit returning comedy “Mike & Molly, starring Academy Award nominee Melissa McCarthy and Billy Gardell; the new steamy legal drama “Reckless”; and the new romantic comedy “Friends With Better Lives” are set for mid-season.

This will be Harris’ fourth time hosting the Tonys. Previously, Harris served as the host of the 63rd, 65th and 66th Annual Tony Awards. As he did in 2012, Harris will also act as a producer, along with executive producers Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment.

Of course, the Emmy Award winner excitingly announced his returning role at the awards with a joke.

“[The show will] be more impressive than ever – if my math is correct, it will be 267 times bigger than last year,” said Harris. “Oh, wait. No, that can’t…hold on…carry the one…I’m awful at math. But rest assured, the show will rock!”

“We are thrilled that Neil will be joining us, once again, at Radio City Music Hall to host THE 67TH ANNUAL TONY AWARDS,” said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens, Executive Director of the American Theatre Wing. “Neil’s creativity and passion for Broadway shines through when he is on the stage and off – and we cannot wait to see what surprises Neil will have up his sleeves!”

The 67th Annual Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 9 at 8:00 p.m. on CBS. For full coverage of the Awards, check out CBSNewYork’s web exclusive coverage.

“Kinky Boots” is based on the 2005 British movie about a real-life shoe factory that struggles until it finds new life in fetish footwear. Lauper’s songs and a story by Harvey Fierstein have made it a crowd-pleaser.

The show opened in early April to wide praise (except for a few grinches). In a weak musical year, it may be the best Broadway has to offer. And two great pop icons like Lauper and Fierstein are sure to attract Tony voters.

“Matilda: The Musical” is a witty musical adaptation of the novel by Roald Dahl and is true to his bleak vision of childhood as a savage battleground.

The nominations were announced Tuesday in a televised event co-hosted by Tony winner Sutton Foster and “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

The awards will be broadcast on CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 9.

What does it take to make a great Broadway musical? A talented score, a clever book, great singing and dancing, impressive costumes and an engaging set. Do all great musicals hit all of these points equally well? Of course not. But “Kinky Boots” does.

That’s why it grabbed a leading 13 Tony Award nominations on Tuesday.

“Kinky Boots” opened in early April to wide praise (except for a few grinches). In a weak musical year, it may be the best Broadway has to offer. And two great pop icons like Lauper and Fierstein are sure to attract Tony voters.

MORE: Complete List Of 2013 Tony Awards Nominees

Lauper’s first attempt as a Broadway composer has received high praise for her hard-driving songs. The New York Times called her songs “audience hugging,” and while Variety noted that her lyrics don’t always make a lot of sense, she has written a number of musical showstoppers.

The plot is based on a small British film, of the same name, about Charlie (Stark Sands) who inherits his father’s failing shoe factory and teams with Lola (Billy Porter), a black drag queen, to design a line of flashy boots for cross-dressers. Together, they save the factory.

Along the way, we get a lot of completely expected messages about being true to yourself, “overcoming prejudice and transcending stereotypes.” But you knew that coming in. The question is, does this show deliver? And nearly every critic thinks it does, finding most of it highly entertaining.

The book, by the beloved Mr. Fierstein, follows the same story arc as the film. You will even see some similarities to his book for “La Cage aux Folles” and to his performance in “Hairspray.” And the concept of saving a British factory town has inhabited “Billy Elliot” and “The Full Monty” as well. The idea of drag queens saving the world also showed up not too long ago in “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” as well as “La Cage aux Folles.” It also bears some relation to Fierstein’s “Torch Song Trilogy.”

But this show seems to transcend that predictability because of the direction and high-powered choreography of Jerry Mitchell, as well as the costumes (and boots) by Gregg Barnes.

Cyndi Lauper’s extensive career in hard-driving pop music (starting with “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” in 1983) and her extensive performing in MTV videos and concerts has made her an influential pop musician for more than 30 years, and it is her musical style that makes “Kinky Boots” a hit.

Harvey Fierstein is an influential actor and playwright who has written, directed, sung and acted since 1982 and is one of only two people to have won Tonys in four categories (the other is Tommy Tune). He is widely popular in the gay and straight communities and seems unable to not succeed.

“Kinky Boots” is the Fierstein/Lauper combination that is likely to propel the unlikely musical to a Tony Award.

James Cooper is a freelance writer covering all things Theater and Fairfield County. His work can be found on Examiner.com.

Both will compete for the best musical prize with the acrobatic “Bring It On: The Musical” and “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” adapted from the beloved holiday movie.

Among the flurry of nominations, “Kinky Boots” also earned Fierstein a nod for best book, David Rockwell got one for sets, Jerry Mitchell for directing and for choreography, and its two leading men — for Billy Porter and Stark Sands. Annaleigh Ashford earned a featured role nomination.

“Matilda” earned nominations for choreography, Matthew Warchus’ directing, Chris Nightingale’s orchestrations, best book by Dennis Kelly, Tim Minchin for lyrics and songs, and Bertie Carvel for best leading role in a musical.

Carvel, who played the same evil headmistress role in London, said he is enjoying his time in New York, although he did admit to being nervous about how Americans would react. “I feel like I’ve landed on happy shores,” he said. “The show is in great shape. People are loving it.”

The leading actor in a play nominees are Tom Hanks for “Lucky Guy,” Nathan Lane for “The Nance,” Tracy Letts from “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, David Hyde Pierce from “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” and Tom Sturridge from “Orphans.”

The best musical revival candidates are “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” “Annie,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “Pippin,” which nabbed 10 nominations.

Kenneth Posner had a great morning — the lighting designer got nominations for “Kinky Boots,” “Pippin” and “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” He will face off against Hugh Vanstone, the lighting designer for “Matilda: The Musical.”

The best play nominees are Richard Greenberg’s “The Assembled Parties,” Nora Ephron’s “Lucky Guy,” Colm Toibin’s “The Testament of Mary” and Christopher Durang’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”

The nominations were announced Tuesday in a televised event co-hosted by Tony winner Sutton Foster and “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The awards will be broadcast on CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 9.

The Tony committee also said playwright Larry Kramer, author of “The Normal Heart” and co-founder of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Award for a “substantial contribution” on behalf of a charity or social service organization.

Select nominations for the 2013 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards, announced Tuesday:

Best Play: “The Assembled Parties,” “Lucky Guy,” “The Testament of Mary,” “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.”

Best Musical: “Bring It On: The Musical,” “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” “Kinky Boots,” “Matilda The Musical.”

Best Book of a Musical: “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” “Kinky Boots,” “Matilda The Musical,” “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre: “A Christmas Story, The Musical,” “Hands on a Hardbody,” “Kinky Boots,” “Matilda The Musical.”

Best Revival of a Play: “Golden Boy,” “Orphans,” “The Trip to Bountiful,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Best Revival of a Musical: “Annie,” “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” “Pippin,” “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play: Tom Hanks, “Lucky Guy”; Nathan Lane, “The Nance”; Tracy Letts, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”; David Hyde Pierce, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”; Tom Sturridge, “Orphans.”

Best Performance by an Actress in Leading Role in a Play: Laurie Metcalf, “The Other Place”; Amy Morton, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”; Kristine Nielsen, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”; Holland Taylor, “Ann”; Cicely Tyson, “The Trip to Bountiful.”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Bertie Carvel, “Matilda The Musical”; Santino Fontana, “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella”; Rob McClure, “Chaplin”; Billy Porter, “Kinky Boots”; Stark Sands, “Kinky Boots.”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Stephanie J. Block, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”; Carolee Carmello, “Scandalous”; Valisia LeKae, “Motown The Musical”; Patina Miller, “Pippin”; Laura Osnes, “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Danny Burstein, “Golden Boy”; Richard Kind, “The Big Knife”; Billy Magnussen, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”; Tony Shalhoub, “Golden Boy”; Courtney B. Vance, “Lucky Guy.”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Carrie Coon, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”; Shalita Grant, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”; Judith Ivey, “The Heiress”; Judith Light, “The Assembled Parties”; Condola Rashad, “The Trip to Bountiful.”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: Charl Brown, “Motown The Musical”; Keith Carradine, “Hands on a Hardbody”; Will Chase, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”; Gabriel Ebert, “Matilda The Musical”; Terrence Mann, “Pippin.”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Annaleigh Ashford, “Kinky Boots”; Victoria Clark, “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella”; Andrea Martin, “Pippin”; Keala Settle, “Hands on a Hardbody”; Lauren Ward, “Matilda The Musical.”

So it’s been almost SEVEN months since my last little blurb here on CBS Detroit, but as a fan of “Big Brother,” I must say this, THERE IS A CASTING CALL IN OUR STATE! (insert overly excited voice and jumping uncontrollably)

If you are a die-hard fan (like myself) or just started watching the show, this is a great opportunity for you!

Where?

YOUNG CHEVY CADILLAC
1500 E. Main Street
Owosso MI 48867

When?

Tuesday April 16, 2013
4pm-7pm

Why?

To be a houseguest on season 15 of “Big Brother” for a chance to win half a million dollars and the title of Big Brother Champ!

***Now here are some things to think about before you go to the casting call:***

Who are you?!?

Think about you as a person, the BEST way to know who you are is to ask your friends and family, but ask them why they have those perceptions. Now if you hear things you may not like, or are surprised by, really take the time to figure out why they say those things about you. I think a BIG thing before going to the casting call is to know who you are. BE YOURSELF but KNOW WHO YOU ARE! It’s ok if you’re introverted or you’re a homebody but at least you know that! Have some stories to tell, brag about yourself and what makes you unique. However don’t say things that aren’t true or you don’t like bringing up. You’ve got to be comfortable enough to talk to strangers who want to know almost everything about your life if you hope for a sliver of a chance of getting on the show. If you can do that, then you could go far.

A great example is Dan Gheesling. The Michigander and winner of “Big Brother 10″ and runner up of “Big Brother 15,” knows who he is and how to get on reality tv. Dan is a really great resource, check out his website, howtogetonrealitytv.net, he’s written a book about it too and even provides coaching!

How do I get on the show?

Attend the casting call! Or if you can’t get to Owosso — you can submit a video online. That is your first step. You can’t get cast on the show if you don’t go to the casting call or submit a video!

CLICK HERE to download your Official Application

Click here to review the Official Eligibility Requirements

Be yourself, have fun and good luck! Who knows? Maybe we’ll see a Michigander (YOU) on the show this season!

Get More Big Brother posts from Mark Drum.

Mark Drum is a Farmington Hills, MI native and Big Brother fan since 2000. He auditioned for Big Brother 13 and 14. He graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Theatre Arts. He’s a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and can be found popping up in movie production sets around Detroit like as an extra in Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful. Connect with Mark! Blogspot / Twitter /Facebook / Email

Luke’s win was certainly a highlight of the evening–he went knocked-over surprised to practically bawling on stage, and finally came round enough to give a speech thanking fans that was probably as genuine as anything an award winner has given to date. This kind of raw emotional reaction is of course exactly what country fans adore in their artists–and what sets this genre apart.

But Luke wasn’t the only one to show that degree of tearful sincerity during the show. Both Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert battled emotions as they accepted Record and Song of the Year awards for “Over You,” a song they wrote together and that Miranda recorded and turned into a Number One hit. The photo of them embracing on stage is one of the night’s most memorable.

As for the award, Miranda noted that “having your songs and lyrics be recognized by your peers is as good as it gets.” And she also made sure to give a shout out to country music as a whole, saying that she loves being a part of the genre because “every time someone gets nominated, I just cheer.”

You could see that love not only from fans but between artists all night long. Blake Shelton seemed truly excited that his cohost Luke Bryan won Entertainer of the Year, for instance (as did Shania Twain, who presented the award and practically had to hold Luke up when he accepted). Same goes for Jason Aldean’s win for Male Vocalist of the Year–the high fives he got as he took the stage, including the cheers from fellow nominee Eric Church, was impressive.

And speaking of Eric Church, while he wasn’t nominated for Entertainer of the Year, and didn’t win Male Vocalist, he did take home a trophy for Album of the Year for Chief, which is a plenty significant honor. He was handed the trophy by presenter John Fogerty, and noted that he couldn’t believe he just met the Creedence Clearwater Revival bandleader. “We should hang out later,” he said, probably only half joking.

Read the full ACM Awards wrap up on Radio.com

While the night boasted some amazing performances from country’s biggest names, the real anticipation began when the awards were announced.

The highly coveted Entertainer of the Year award brought some pretty intense voting campaigns from Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. But it was Luke Bryan who brought home the biggest win of the night. And he did so with tears in his eyes.

Fellow cohost and nominee Blake Shelton took the stage just after the final award was announced, jokingly congratulating Luke on winning in his first and final year as host of the ACM Awards.

The list of winners at the 48th ACM Awards:

Entertainer of the Year

· Luke Bryan - WINNER! 
· Jason Aldean
· Miranda Lambert
· Blake Shelton
· Taylor Swift

Male Vocalist of the Year

· Jason Aldean - WINNER! 
· Luke Bryan
· Eric Church
· Toby Keith
· Blake Shelton

Female Vocalist of the Year

· Miranda Lambert - WINNER! 
· Martina McBride
· Kacey Musgraves
· Taylor Swift
· Carrie Underwood

Vocal Duo of the Year

· Thompson Square - WINNER! 
· Big & Rich
· Florida Georgia Line
· Love and Theft
· Sugarland

Vocal Group of the Year

· Little Big Town - WINNER! 
· The Band Perry
· Eli Young Band
· Lady Antebellum
· Zac Brown Band

New Artist of the Year

· Florida Georgia Line - WINNER! 
· Brantley Gilbert
· Jana Kramer

Album of the Year

· Chief – Eric Church (EMI-Nashville) - WINNER! 
· Blown Away – Carrie Underwood (19/Arista Nashville)
· Red – Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records)
· Tailgates & Tanlines – Luke Bryan (Capitol Nashville)
· Tornado – Little Big Town (Capitol Nashville)

Single Record of the Year

· “Over You” – Miranda Lambert (RCA) - WINNER! 
· “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – Eli Young Band (Republic Nashville)
· “Pontoon” – Little Big Town (Capitol Nashville)
· “Springsteen” – Eric Church (EMI-Nashville)
· “Wanted” – Hunter Hayes (Atlantic/WMN)

Song of the Year

· “Over You” – Miranda Lambert - WINNER! 
· “A Woman Like You” – Lee Brice
· “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” – Eli Young Band
· “Springsteen” – Eric Church
· “Wanted” – Hunter Hayes

Read more on Radio.com

Taylor was also last year’s ACM Entertainer of the Year, so some might call her the artist to beat among this year’s lineup.

See what led to her current ACM nomination in this installment of Inside the Entertainer of the Year.

Our panel of experts included Marci Braun and Drew Walker of Chicago’s US99.5; Dr. Don, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald of Detroit’s 99.5 WYCD; The Boot‘s Beville Dunkerley; Grady Smith and Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly; Billboard‘s Joe Levy; author Alan Light (The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah”);  author and former Vibe editor Danyel Smith; and Radio.com’s Annie Reuter, Kurt Wolff, and Courtney Smith.

See all Inside the Entertainer of the Year videos on Radio.com

Get the latest insight and insider information on Jason’s music and career, and find out what led to his nomination, in this installment of Inside the Entertainer of the Year.

Our panel of experts included Marci Braun and Drew Walker of Chicago’s US99.5; Dr. Don, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald of Detroit’s 99.5 WYCD; The Boot‘s Beville Dunkerley; Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly; and Radio.com’s Annie Reuter and Kurt Wolff.

See all Inside the Entertainer of the Year profiles on Radio.com 

And with the Academy of Country Music Awards happening this Sunday (April 7), Radio.com also checked in with Blake Shelton, to hear what he has to say about his first-time cohost Luke Bryan. Is Luke a loose cannon? Is Blake (who’s previously cohosted the show with Reba) nervous about how things may go down?

And finally, Jason Aldean weighs in on his chances for winning ACM Entertainer of the Year this year.

See all Rewind episodes on Radio.com

It’s no wonder, then, that Luke was tapped this year to cohost the ACM Awards with Blake Shelton.

Hear these and other insights about Luke–and see what led to his ACM Award nomination–in this installment of Inside the Entertainer of the Year.

Our panel of experts included Marci Braun and Drew Walker of Chicago’s US99.5; Dr. Don, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald of Detroit’s 99.5 WYCD; The Boot‘s Beville Dunkerley; Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly; author Alan Light (The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah”); and Radio.com’s Annie Reuter, Kurt Wolff, and Courtney Smith.

Read more on Radio.com

Written by Blake and his wife Miranda Lambert, the touching song is about the loss of Blake’s brother, who was killed in a car accident when Blake was a teenager. “Over You” was recorded by Miranda and released on her album Four the Record, and it hit Number One last year on the country singles charts.

This year, “Over You” been nominated for Song of the Year and Single Record of the Year at the 48th Academy of Country Music Awards. (Blake and Miranda are also each in the running this year for ACM Entertainer of the Year.)

As Blake explains to Radio.com, “Over You” is a song he and Miranda wrote “because we were talking about my brother. And that’s how those things should happen, probably. It was really a way of healing, and honoring my brother’s memory.”

Blake tells Radio.com, though, that the initial idea for the song actually came from a comment his father made.

Read more about “Over You” on Radio.com

But Blake’s isn’t the only hot new release hitting stores today. Country duo Thompson Square also has a new album out today. Titled Just Feels Good, it’s Shawna and Keifer Thompson’s sophomore release, and it’s already gaining strong attention thanks to the popularity of album’s first single, “If I Didn’t Have You.”

Watch the latest country music edition of Radio.com Rewind to get the latest on both Blake Shelton and Thompson Square.

Read more on Radio.com

Miranda is undoubtedly one of country’s hottest stars right now, thanks to a series of hit songs including “The House That Built Me,” “Over You,” “Kerosene,” “Fastest Girl in Town,” and her most recent single “Mama’s Broken Heart.” She has a bold and sometimes “fiery personality,” and she is, as one of our panel of music experts notes, “the girl that girls wish they had the guts to be.”

Check out these and other insights from our Radio.com panel of experts–and see what led to Miranda’s ACM nomination–in this installment of Inside the Entertainer of the Year.

Our panel of experts included Marci Braun and Drew Walker of Chicago’s US99.5; Dr. Don, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald of Detroit’s 99.5 WYCD; The Boot‘s Beville Dunkerley; Grady Smith of Entertainment Weekly; author Alan Light (The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah”); and Radio.com’s Annie Reuter and Courtney Smith.

See all Inside the Entertainer of the Year video profiles on Radio.com. And don’t forget to vote now for your favorite artist.

Read more on Radio.com

So it’s little surprise that Blake is one of five nominees for the prestigious Entertainer of the Year honor at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards.

Check out what our Radio.com panel of experts has to say about Blake–and see what led to his ACM nomination–in this installment of Inside the Entertainer of the Year.

Our panel of experts included Marci Braun and Drew Walker of Chicago’s US99.5; Dr. Don, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald of Detroit’s 99.5 WYCD; The Boot‘s Beville Dunkerley; Grady Smith and Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly; author Alan Light (The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah”); and Radio.com’s Annie Reuter, Kurt Wolff, and Courtney Smith.

See all five of our Inside the Entertainer of the Year video profiles. 

And read more about Blake Shelton on Radio.com.

It was “a song that we really believed in, that we felt told out story,” Jon Jones told Radio.com about “Breaks Your Heart.” “We didn’t know if it was going to work on country radio because it’s such a passion song about playing music. And we were really lucky that people latched onto it and put themselves in the song.”

“Even If It Breaks Your Heart” was the Texas group’s second consecutive Number One country single, topping charts last July. (They had a third later that year, too, with their self-proclaimed “sappy love song” ”Say Goodnight.”)

Appearing on the group’s 2011 album Life at Best, “Breaks Your Heart” was written by Will Hoge and and Eric Paslay. (Paslay cowrote “Barefoot Blue Jean Nights” for Jake Owen and “Angel Eyes” for Love & Theft, among other songs, while Hoge has spent years as both a writer and recording artist, with a long string of independent album releases under his belt.)

As Mike Eli told Radio.com, the EYB members initially heard “Break Your Heart” on one of Hoge’s own albums. “When we talked about making the next record, that song just popped up. We knew right away that we wanted to put it on [our] record. Once it crossed our mind, we couldn’t get our brain off of it.”

Read more about the Eli Young Band and “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” on Radio.com

This is the second round of artists, and they join the previously announced group that includes Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Hunter Hayes, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and The Band Perry. The ceremony is being cohosted this year by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton.

The above artists are all performing live from the the MGM Grand Garden Arena, where the award ceremony takes place. However, the list of the night’s performers gets even longer when you add in the artists who are also playing the ACM Fan Jam that night at the nearby Orleans Arena. 

Read more on Radio.com

The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, joint producers of the show that honors the best of Broadway, said Monday that the glittery event will be broadcast live by CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 9.

Producers of the show were forced to find a new home for the 2011 event after Cirque du Soleil moved into the 6,000-seat Rockefeller Center arena with its $50 million acrobatic rock opera “Zarkana.” The Tonys had been hosted at Radio City from 1997-2010.

For the past two years, the Tonys were handed out at the Beacon Theater on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. The venue was much smaller, having only about 2,870 seats, leading to ticket-rationing and a struggle to seat the often large amount of show producers.

The decision to return to Radio City, where the Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and the ESPY Awards have previously been hosted, was made easier when “Zarkana” left after the summer.

The Tonys, which consistently win Emmys for their presentation, began being televised in 1967 and a different Broadway theater – the biggest, the Gershwin Theatre, has about 1,900 seats — rotated as host each year. Producers often just added a glittery drop and brought in a few props.

That all changed when Radio City became the home for the telecast, giving producers access to a massive arena that had a stage bigger than any Broadway house and space to grow into an annual spectacle.

Last year’s telecast at the intimate Beacon, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and which saw “Once” crowned as best musical, was seen by 6 million viewers, down significantly from 2011′s 6.9 million. It was also the second-lowest ratings for the Tony Awards since 1988, though it was up against the season finale of AMC’s “Mad Men.”

(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

“‘Wanted’ is very much a love letter. It was written basically just to tell a girl how I felt about her,” Hunter told Radio.com. “It didn’t actually work but I’m okay with that. I got my single, I got my song and I’m okay with that.”

He got much more than that. The song (which Hunter cowrote with Troy Verges) reached Number One on Billboard‘s Country Songs and Country Airplay charts. It also earned him a GRAMMY nomination earlier this year, and now it has been nominated for both Song of the Year and Single of the Year at this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards. The video for the song has also been nominated for Video of the Year.

On top of that, Hunter was in the running for the fan-voted Best New Male Vocalist as well (his James Bond-themed voting campaign videos are clever and still fun to watch), though that nod wound up going to Brantley Gilbert.

Hunter further explained to us how “Wanted” came together.

“I went in to write this song and I was definitely just desperately trying to get the point across to this girl,” he said. “Those are the songs that really write themselves very quickly. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about this one or over-thinking it.”

Hunter said he isn’t exactly sure how “Wanted” happened, as he just spoke the words “into outer space and we just typed everything we could think of.” Later, he sat at the piano as the rest of the lyrics fell into place.

Read more about Hunter Hayes and “Wanted” on Radio.com 

The Academy of Country Music just announced that Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Hunter Hayes, Brantley Gilbert, Jana Kramer and Florida Georgia Line will perform as a part of this year’s ACM Fan Jam. Taking place at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, the fans-only live concert takes place during and after the 48th ACM Awards, and portions of the show will be broadcast live as part of the ACM Awards program on April 7.

ACM New Artist of the Year will also be announced from the ACM Fan Jam stage during the live broadcast. Nominees Gilbert, Kramer and Florida Georgia Line made it through the first round of fan voting and will now compete for the coveted award. Fans can vote for their favorite New Artist beginning Monday, March 25 through Sunday, April 7.

Previously announced ACM Awards performers include Luke Bryan, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, and The Band Perry.

Read more on Radio.com

Plus, Sheryl Crow talks about what a delicate U.S. economy and high gas prices have to do with her first-ever country single “Easy.” And The Band Perry gets fans ready for their upcoming album with another brand-new song.

Rewind also has updates on the ACM Awards performers, as well as word who’s headlining two of the hottest country music festivals this summer.

Read more on Radio.com

Rewind is a weekly video program focusing on music news, album and single releases, tour updates, and more timely content. The country edition is hosted by Radio.com’s own Annie Reuter.

This week, among other topics, Rewind covers the recent All for the Hall concert in New York City that benefitted the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum–an event attended by such stars as ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee Jason Aldean, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, and Gregg Allman.

Read more on Radio.com

The date for the award show was also revealed to be Sunday, April 7. The show will be broadcast live from Las Vegas on CBS.

For full details on the 48th Annual #ACMs Sunday, April 7th, 2013 here: bit.ly/WJODHD

— ACM Awards (@ACMawards) January 8, 2013

As we reported earlier, Blake posted a funny video where he asked fans to not be terribly disappointed by who the cohost will be, because times were “desperate” and “we had to take what we could get.”

Luke, though, had a few choices words of his own, which he shared today in a video of his own. Blake, it seems, better watch his back up on that stage. 

To add to the star power, the ACM announced that Brad Paisley will be hosting the third annual Fan Jam, also taking place on April 7.

Tune in to the 48th annual ACM Awards live on Sunday, April 7 at 8pm ET (delayed PT) on CBS.

- Kurt Wolff, Radio.com

The 48th annual event is cohosted this year by Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan, and it will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on CBS. Blake, Luke, and Miranda are also three of the five nominees for Entertainer of the Year this year; that list also includes Jason Aldean and last year’s winner, Taylor Swift. Fan voting to determine the winner of that category will begin March 25.

This is the first round of performers the ACM has made public for this year’s ceremony, with more names likely to come in the weeks ahead.

As for the nominees, Eric Church leads the pack this year with seven, Hunter Hayes has six, and Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift each have five (see all the nominees).

The 48th annual ACM Awards take place live on Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

Chris Clark, 44, of Bloomfield Hills and Ken Krakat, 53, of Dearborn Heights appeared on the stupid human tricks segment of “The Late Show with David Letterman” Thursday, February 21.

Making a cotton candy toupee is certainly unique. “In the history of TV, nobody has ever put their head in a cotton candy machine … as far as I know,” said Clark.

It’s not the first time the duo have been in the Ed Sullivan Theater. In 2008 they performed another stupid human trick with Krakat riding a unicycle and Clark landing an apple on a spike held in Krakat’s mouth. The two met 25 years ago and are avid jugglers.

Clark, a wedding DJ, was grateful to the staff who made his experience enjoyable and fun. Letterman himself was no exception. “The thing that made it so fun was Dave leading us through it. He says just the right thing to put you at ease and get you through the trick,” said Clark.

Krakat enjoyed being in the lime light. “It was a lot of fun.” “They have a green room and there were some band members in there.”

Not everything went perfectly. “We didn’t get to meet Johnny Depp or anything,” Krakat admitted.

Krakat works at Kroger in Dearborn Heights. The company fully embraces his extra-curricular activities. The company newsletter profiled the duo’s 2008 appearance.

Chris Clark and Ken Krakat arrive in NY. (credit: Chris Clark)

Their coordinated outfits where also a hit. “I like your v-neck sweaters. Those are great,” commented Letterman dryly.

Letterman bestowed a great honor on the trick saying, “I think this is actually the stupidest of the stupid.”

As Clark and Krakat left the stage, Letterman added, “That one guy aint right.” A still shot of Krakat with his pink comb over was brought back on screen.

Watch the “Late Show with David Letterman” weeknights at 11:35 p.m. and locally on CBS 62.

All this week, the cast of “The Talk” is spoofing CBS primetime shows including “Hawaii Five-0″ and more!

Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood and Aisha Tyler will share the screen with CBS stars from Monday, February 18 through Friday, February 22. Stars including Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Dennis Quaid, Ted Danson, Aidan Quinn, Jon Michael Hill and Donnie Wahlberg will be in on the fun.

Aisha Tyler kicked off the series Monday crashing a scene of “Hawaii Five-0″ being interrogated by O’Loughlin and Cain. She plays a wisecracking tourist complaining about the strength of her drink, confessing her obsession with Daniel Day Kim and auditioning her lyrics to the “Hawaii Five-0″ opening theme. “You guys fight crime in the sun. You make it look like so much fun. You put those guys in a hurt. Daniel Dae Kim, take off your shirt! Ha! Woo!” sang Tyler.

Detroiters can tune in to “The Talk” on CBS 62. It airs weekdays at 2 p.m.

Sun and sand in the South Pacific certainly sounds nice, but the heat thwarted not one, but three teams from finishing one of the season’s first challenges.

Let’s start back at the starting line: Host Phil Keoghan introduces this season’s teams, which include:

• Alabama married couple Chuck and Wynona
• Professional hockey-player brothers Bates and Anthony
• Roller derby moms Mona and Beth
• Newlyweds Max and Katie
• Father-son cancer survivors Dave and Connor
• Dating couple Jessica and John
• Twin doctors Idries and Jamil
• Best friends Pam and Winnie
• Best friends/firefighters Matt and Daniel
• YouTube hosts Joey and Meghan
• Country singers Caroline and Jennifer

The race started in Los Angeles at the Griffith Observatory, where Keoghan informs them that whichever team wins this first leg of the race will receive two Express Passes — one to keep, and another they must give to another team before the fourth leg of the race.

Teams run down from the observatory and drive to the L.A. airport, where there are two different flights headed to Bora Bora. The five teams that make the earlier flight are the Alabama couple Chuck and Wynona, doctors Idries and Jamil, buddies Pam and Winnie, father and son Dave and Connor and dating couple Jessica and John. They all make a pact that if one of them gets to the Pit Stop first, they’ll give the additional Express Pass to the team that arrives next.

Once in Bora Bora, one member of each team had to skydive out of a helicopter hovering 10,000 feet above the ground. Only two people can go up in the helicopter at a time, which puts some space between the groups. The other members of the teams traveled via water taxi to meet their partners where they landed.

Once back on the ground, teams traveled to Eden Beach for a Road Block. Whoever didn’t skydive had to take this one — digging through 400 sandcastles to find a clue buried beneath, and rebuilding each sandcastle that is knocked down.

As time passed and the scorching sun baked the sand, those doing the challenge got more and more frustrated. Once they did find one of the buried clues, teams had to assemble an outrigger canoe and paddle a mile across a lagoon to the Pit Stop at Motu Cafe.

Jessica and John make it to the Pit Stop first and win the two Express Passes. Hockey players Bates and Anthony, who were on the second Bora Bora flight, came in second, followed by father and son Dave and Connor (they were on the first flight, so they’ll be expecting that second Express Pass to go to them). Pam and Winnie arrive fourth, then the derby moms, the YouTube hosts, married Alabamans and the doctors.

Meanwhile, the country singers, firefighters and newlyweds are still struggling with the sandcastles. They decide, as a group, to call it quits, take the penalty for failing to complete the Road Block and let a footrace to the Pit Stop decide who stays and who goes home.

Firefighters Matt and Daniel got their canoe off the beach first, but struggled to keep from capsizing. The other teams beat them to the mat, and they were sent home.

What do you think of this season’s “Amazing Race” teams? Vote in our poll for who will win, and be sure to come back next week for another recap.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, and Taylor Swift were all nominated for Entertainer of the Year.

Taylor won Entertainer of the Year at the 2012 ACM Awards, and Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert were Male and Female Vocalist of the Year respectively.

This year, in terms of total nominations, Eric Church leads the pack with seven. Hunter Hayes has six, and Miranda Lambert and Taylor Swift each have five. The nominees for Best New Artist were voted in by fans. Voting to determine the winner of this category will begin March 25.

The ACM announcements were made public digitally via the Academy’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Select announcements were also presented via videos featuring celebrities such as Sheryl Crow, Little Big Town, and the Band Perry. And some lucky fans got the chance to announce the Entertainer of the Year nominees.

Nominees is select categories are below (see the full nominee list).

Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Miranda Lambert
Blake Shelton
Taylor Swift

Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Toby Keith
Blake Shelton

Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Martina McBride
Casey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Vocal Duo of the Year
Big and Rich
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Sugarland
Thompson Square

Vocal Group of the Year
The Band Perry
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
Zac Brown Band

New Artist of the Year
Jana Kramer
Brantley Gilbert
Florida Georgia Line

Album of the Year
Carrie Underwood, Blown Away
Eric Church, Chief
Taylor Swift, Red
Luke Bryan, Tailgates & Tanlines
Little Big Town, Tornado

Song of the Year
Lee Brice, “A Woman Like You”
Eli Young Band, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”
Miranda Lambert, “Over You”
Eric Church, “Springsteen”
Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”

Single Record of the Year
Eli Young Band, “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”
Miranda Lambert, “Over You”
Little Big Town, “Pontoon”
Eric Church, “Springsteen”
Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”

Video of the Year
Eric Church, “Creepin’”
Kacey Musgraves, “Merry Go ‘Round”
Little Big Town, “Tornado”
Hunter Hayes, “Wanted”
Taylor Swift, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”
Zac Brown Band, “The Wind”

Vocal Event of the Year
Kelly Clarkson and Vince Gill, “Don’t Rush”
Rascal Flatts with Natasha Bedingfield, “Easy”
Kenny Chesney (Duet with Tim McGraw), “Feel Like a Rock Star”
David Nail featuring Sarah Buxton, “Let It Rain”
Jason Aldean with Luke Bryan and Eric Church, “The Only Way I Know”

Producer of the Year:
Brett Beavers
Buddy Cannon
Dann Huff
Jay Joyce
Michael Knox

Songwriter of the Year:
Rodney Clawson
Dallas Davidson
Josh Kear
Luke Laird
Shane McAnally

The 48th annual ACM Awards take place live on Sunday, April 7 8pm ET on CBS.

- Kurt Wolff, Radio.com

Survivor: Caramoan – Fans vs. Favorites airs Wednesday, Feb. 13.

Ten ultimate Survivor fans will have the chance to prove they have what it takes when they take on 10 of their favorite players from the past.

Dropped on the exotic Caramoan Islands, the 20 castaways will be divided into two tribes of 10: “The Bikal Tribe,” made up of former players deemed favorites, and “The Gota Tribe,” comprised of ultimate fans of the game.

One of the “favorite” players didn’t have much time between shows.

Malcolm Freberg headed back to the wilderness for this edition of the show, just three weeks after returning from Survivor: Philippines.

Freberg, 25, was a force in challenges and a charismatic player on Philippines, where he placed fourth.

He’ll face off against returning players like Brandon Hantz, the nephew of super-villain uncle Russell Hantz.

Brandon played on Survivor: South Pacific and will be reunited with his South Pacific castmates Dawn Meehan and John Cochran.

They’ll be joined by Phillip Sheppard, the “former federal agent” from Survivor: Redemption Island. He was notorious for wearing a feather in his headband, his pink underwear and his abrasive antics.

Sheppard will be joined by his former Redemption Island tribemates Andrea Boehlke and Francesca Hogi.

Also joining the tribe of Favorites will be Gabon’s Corrine Kaplan, Micronesia’s Erik Reichenbach, and Nicaragua’s Brenda Lowe.

The Favorites may have an edge because of their experience, but they also have a big target on their backs.

Meanwhile, the Fans, although inexperienced, can draw on their extensive knowledge of the game to give them an advantage.

The 10 new players include Miss Missouri 2011, a firefighter/EMT, a female racecar driver, and former United States Marine Corps Sgt. Shamar Thomas, who gained a measure of Internet fame after a video posted of him berating New York City police officers for excessive force during an Occupy Wall Street demonstration.

So who will prevail when these tribes collide and the castaways vie to outwit, outplay and outlast one another for the title of Sole Survivor and the one million dollar prize?

The Emmy Award-winning series returns with a 90-minute premiere on Wednesday, Feb. 13th at 8:00 p.m. on CBS.

Joining Gotye on stage for his Record of the Year win was his “Somebody That I Used To Know” partner-in-crime, Kimbra. The duo seemed almost overwhelmed by the award’s presenter, Prince, who mentioned that he “loves” “Somebody That I Used To Know.”

In his acceptance speech, Gotye was thoroughly down to earth, remarking, “To all musicians, and all people who listen to music: cheers.”

During the GRAMMY pre-telecast, Gotye’s acceptance speech for Best Alternative Album was also humble and thankful to those who helped him along the way.

“I have to thank François Tétaz and Kimbra for being such great collaborators,” Gotye said while accepting the award, in reference to fellow producer Tétaz, who mixed the record and is credited for contributing “dubs & spaces” on the album, and the song’s co-vocalist Kimbra. He also thanked his parents for allowing him to set up “weird instruments in the barn” — a converted studio at the family’s property on the Mornington Peninsula of Australia.

The singer-songwriter acknowledged that “so much attention” was put on Making Mirrors thanks to the success of the single “Somebody That I Used to Know,” a global smash that topped charts in multiple countries and certified six times platinum status (over six million copies sold) in the U.S. alone.

Gotye barely had time to savor the victory when his name was called in the very next category, when “Somebody That I Used to Know” was announced as the winner for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. 

Check out all the GRAMMY winners here. 

-Scott T. Sterling & Jillian Mapes, Radio.com

There was no circus performers or backup dancers to be seen; instead the English foursome just played their hearts out.

Singer Marcus Mumford, all smiles, of course, strummed his guitar and played the lone kick drum. The horn section also added a little more sass to the downhome performance. While the light behind the band was so bright, the audience needed shades.

Mumford & Sons, who earlier took home the award for Best Longform Video, made a name for themselves in 2011 with a banjo-filled performance of their song “The Cave.” They joined Bob Dylan for an all-star version of “Maggie’s Farm” with help from the Avett Brothers.

The band also took home the night’s biggest award Album Of The Year and got bleeped while doing it. 

- Shannon Carlin, Radio.com

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Katy Perry won three awards at the Wednesday night ceremony in Los Angeles, at which fans selected the winners in categories spanning music, movies and television.

“Hunger Games” was named favorite movie, action movie and movie franchise, and stars Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth had fans’ favorite on-screen chemistry. Lawrence also won favorite movie actress and “face of heroism.”

Perry was the fans’ favorite female artist and pop artist. Her video for “Part of Me” also won.

Sandra Bullock picked up the show’s first favorite humanitarian award for her efforts in New Orleans.

Actress Kaley Cuoco hosted the ceremony at the Nokia Theatre, where performers included Christina Aguilera, Jason Aldean and Alicia Keys.

The night’s winners were:

Movie: “The Hunger Games”

Movie actor: Robert Downey, Jr.

Movie actress: Jennifer Lawrence

Action movie: “The Hunger Games”

Action movie star: Chris Hemsworth

Face of heroism: Jennifer Lawrence, “The Hunger Games”

Comedic movie: “Ted”

Comedic movie actor: Adam Sandler

Comedic movie actress: Jennifer Aniston

Dramatic movie: “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Dramatic movie actor: Zac Efron

Dramatic movie actress: Emma Watson

Movie franchise: “The Hunger Games”

Movie superhero: Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man”

On-screen chemistry: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, “The Hunger Games”

Movie icon: Meryl Streep

Network TV comedy: “The Big Bang Theory”

Network TV drama: “Grey’s Anatomy”

Cable TV comedy: “Awkward”

Cable TV drama: “Leverage”

Premium cable TV show: “True Blood”

TV crime drama: “Castle”

Sci-fi/fantasy TV show: “Supernatural”

Comedic TV actor: Chris Colfer

Comedic TV actress: Lea Michele

Dramatic TV actor: Nathan Fillion

Dramatic TV actress: Ellen Pompeo

Daytime TV host: Ellen DeGeneres

Late-night talk show host: Jimmy Fallon

New talk show host: Steve Harvey

Competition TV show: “The X Factor”

Celebrity judge: Demi Lovato

Male artist: Jason Mraz

Female artist: Katy Perry

Pop artist: Katy Perry

Hip-hop artist: Nicki Minaj

R&B artist: Rihanna

Band: Maroon 5

Country artist: Taylor Swift

Breakout artists: The Wanted

Song: One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful”

Album: One Direction, “Up All Night”

Music video: Katy Perry, “Part of Me”

People’s voice: Christina Aguilera

Humanitarian: Sandra Bullock

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

At the recent casting call for the CBS reality TV show “Survivor” at Gardner White in Auburn Hills, hopeful contestants auditioned on tapes to be submitted to show producers and described the traits that make them uniquely suited to being on the show.

Judy Daggett of Clarsville, Tenn. brought medals to prove her participation in several Ironman competitions. “I’ve been to Kona — Ironman world championships the last three years in a row,” said Daggett.

Also from Tennessee, Nathan Tupis of Lebanon is a world-ranked World of Warcraft player.

Karen Berghorst of Grandville, Mich. found out about the casting call and immediately went out and got a passport. “I’m gonna do this!” she said determinedly.

“Fit. Smart. And I’ve got a really nice smile,” said Seth McRobb of Livonia, Mich. He certainly didn’t lack in self-confidence.

“Well I’ve been in the Army for 21 years. I have a lot of leadership skills,” said Robert Leader of Lake Orion, Mich.

“I’m on the assembly line building cars all day so here I am,” said Beverly Brafford of Whitmore Lake, Mich.

Brandi Virgil of Ann Arbor, Mich. explained her advantage, “I’m a very sociable person so I think my social aspect of the game would be good.”

“I’m good at puzzles. I’m very energetic … real tough. I mean I don’t even feel pain sometimes,” said Chad Perry of Auburn Hills, Mich.

“I’m a full-time dairy farmer. I’m third generation and proud of it,” said Woody Wittenberg of Cement City, Mich.

Christopher Phillips of Johnson City, Tenn. drove more than 5500 miles round trip to get to the casting call. You can’t say he isn’t committed.

Thanks to everyone who came out to the casting call and special thanks to those who brought non-perishable items for Forgotten Harvest!

Watch Survivor, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS 62.

Hundreds of reality TV hopefuls attended the CBS 62 open casting call for “The Amazing Race” Friday, November 30 at Walsh College in Troy, Michigan.

Father and daughter duo and Westland residents Jess & Ted McClain told their story about why they were auditioning. “I’m gonna be moving away in September and we want to do ‘The Amazing Race’ together so we can spend time together before I head off to a new state and far away from my dad,” said Jess McClain.

Detroit residents Kevin Smith and Shekita Wimberly talked to CBS 62 staff on site and described why they would be a good contestant on the reality show. Wimberly boasted, “We have an all-American spirit and we believe we can go all the way, because we can adapt and overcome no matter what situation we’re in.”

After a comedically long pause, Wimberly’s companion, Kevin Smith confessed, “I just want to travel and eat the good food.”

We’re huge fans of “The Amazing Race.” We get together every Sunday and we play Scrabble and watch ‘The Amazing Race.’ And we’ve been doing it for six, seven years now.”

Don’t miss the video to hear the “truly amazing” vocal stylings of another duo of Detroit “The Amazing Race” hopefuls.

In conjunction with the casting event, CBS 62 teamed up with Forgotten Harvest to fight hunger. Participants in the casting call were encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to the event location.

Detroiters can tune in for the premiere of the spring edition of “The Amazing Race” on CBS 62, hosted by Phil Keoghan, Sunday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. 

The theme of this year’s nominations could be taken in a number of ways, but when you look at the contenders up for all-powerful Album of the Year category, one thing is certain: it’s the year of the underdogs and the newcomers.

Instead of pop superstars and music legends, the category is populated by modern “alternative” favorites – Jack White, The Black Keys, Mumford & Sons, fun. and Frank Ocean, all of whom had massive success in 2012. Surprisingly, the Academy wasn’t exactly feeling the love for folks like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, who were expected to receive significant nods. The nominations skewed younger, overall, with three of the nominees – Mumford, fun. and Ocean – considered relatively fresh in the industry. When you start considering Taylor Swift an industry vet, you know the nominees in the Record and Song of Year categories – from Ed Sheeran and Miguel to Gotye and Carly Rae Jepsen – skew green. Older GRAMMY viewers may tune in and recognize nearly no one in the major categories – not even pop mainstays like Justin Bieber, who was shockingly snubbed entirely this year, much to the (public) chagrin of his manager.

So where were our icons last night? Springsteen, who is this year’s GRAMMY/MusiCares Person of the Year, received no nods in the top overall categories for his successful, politically-aware 2012 album, Wrecking Ball. The album is nominated for Best Rock Album (against Coldplay, Muse, Jack White and the Black Keys), while the first single from it, “We Take Care Of Our Own,” received nods for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song. It’s worth noting that The Boss has been on a bit of a GRAMMY hot streak in the latter part of his career, as has Bob Dylan, who took home Album of the Year in 1998 for Time Out Of Mind. He won GRAMMYs for his subsequent two albums, 2001′s Love And Theft and 2006′s Modern Times, but this year, Dylan’s up for a mere – oh wait, he’s not nominated at all.

The other big surprise as far as our musical legends are concerned is the Beach Boys. Somehow, they’ve never won a GRAMMY – and their big reunion won’t be ending with one. That’s Why God Made The Radio received zero nominations, but oddly enough, The SMiLE Sessions – an album that was always the subject of drama for the band – is up for the largely-unnoticed category of Best Historical Album. It seems, somehow, that Paul McCartney fared among the best out of the legends – and he merely released a covers album and a reissue this year. His Kisses On The Bottom was nominated for Best Traditional Pop album, while his reissue of 1971’s Ram got nods in Best Historical Album and Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package. Again, not exactly high-profile stuff (and it’s not as though Macca needs anymore statutes to define his rare level of fame). 

So for those who like a sense of history in their GRAMMYs, 2013 isn’t exactly the year for you. Instead, expect to watch (and listen) with an ear for new discoveries. 

- Jillian Mapes, CBS Local

“The Super Bowl is the granddaddy of big event television, and our approach this year is unlike anything we have ever done,” said Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation. “For the first time, CBS Corporation will have week-long, round-the-clock Super Bowl coverage on more than a half-dozen platforms. Creating CBS Super Bowl Park at Jackson Square as the center of all this activity will make it even more compelling, and also illustrate the collaborative efforts across the Company.”

CBS Super Bowl Park at Jackson Square will be home to 15 different shows from nine CBS divisions across multiple platforms including broadcast, cable and premium television, radio and digital from Monday, Jan. 28 – Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3. The shows and divisions broadcasting from Jackson Square are:

• THE SUPER BOWL TODAY – CBS’s THE NFL TODAY hosts James Brown, Dan Marino, Bill Cowher, Shannon Sharpe and Boomer Esiason will count down to kick-off on the Super Bowl XLVII pre-game show.

• SUPER BOWL LIVE – The Corporation’s cable network, CBS Sports Network, will go Primetime at the Super Bowl Monday through Saturday with all the latest news information and guest analysts.

• INSIDE THE SUPER BOWL – CBS Sports Network’s afternoon show will broadcast Monday through Friday from Radio Row and on Saturday and Sunday morning from Jackson Square.

Set For CBS Sports, CBS Sports Network, and CBS This Morning

• CBS THIS MORNING – CBS’s morning news show will broadcast live Thursday through Saturday.

• CBS EVENING NEWS WITH SCOTT PELLEY and CBS EVENING NEWS SATURDAY – CBS’s evening news show will broadcast live from New Orleans Friday and Saturday.

• FACE THE NATION WITH BOB SCHEIFFER – Bob Scheiffer will kick off CBS’s Super Bowl programming on Sunday at 10:30 AM, ET.

Set For The CBS Evening News and Face the Nation

• THE TALK – Network television’s fastest-growing daytime talk show will be broadcast live Monday through Friday (2:00-3:00 PM, ET / 1:00-2:00 PM, CT/PT) with a live studio audience. Co-hosts Sara Gilbert, Julie Chen, Sharon Osbourne, Sheryl Underwood and Aisha Tyler will welcome celebrity guests and highlight the local flavor of New Orleans.

• LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON – Craig Ferguson will tape before a live audience for a special edition airing on Sunday night after ELEMENTARY and local news, wrapping up CBS’s Super Bowl Sunday programming.
• NFL MONDAY QB – Phil Simms, Rich Gannon, Steve Beuerlein and other CBS quarterbacks will break down the game from the quarterback perspective on CBS Sports Network.

• ROME – Jim Rome will host ROME live Monday through Friday on CBS Sports Network.

• LEAD OFF – CBS Sports Network’s new late night show with Doug Gottlieb and Allie LaForce will cover all the action and buzz from New Orleans.

Set For ROME and Lead Off

• INSIDE THE NFL – The Emmy Award-winning SHOWTIME program with James Brown, Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth will air Wednesday. The show is produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films.

• EYE ON PRO FOOTBALL IN NEW ORLEANS – CBSSports.com will broadcast a daily, live one-hour show. Host Kevin Corke and a variety of NFL experts, including CBSSports.com reporters and Eye on Football writers, will provide real-time analysis of the day’s top stories and discuss the latest news.

• OMG! INSIDER – Kevin Frazier will be hosting all week leading up to the big game taking viewers inside the top trending stories of Super Bowl XLVII, from Beyonce’s secret halftime performance to the players’ game plan to “put a ring on it,” plus hitting the nightlife scene to go “party surfing” with the stars.

• CBS SPORTS RADIO – The newly created CBS Sports Radio will report all week from Jackson Square, in addition to broadcasting from its home base nearby at the Convention Center at the NFL Media Center on “Radio Row.”

• CBS AFFILIATES – CBS Television Affiliates covering Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans will use the Park during their local broadcasts.

CBS Super Bowl Park at Jackson Square Cable Bridge Over Decatur Street

CBS Super Bowl Park at Jackson Square will consist of four outdoor sets inside Jackson Square shared across the various shows. The sets were designed to reflect the history and architecture of New Orleans. A fifth set will be located across the street in Washington’s Artillery Park for the CBS affiliates. All CBS shows and platforms at CBS Super Bowl Park will share facilities, equipment, office space and personnel throughout the week.

Jackson Square, the historic park in the heart of the famed French Quarter, will serve as the backdrop for CBS’s coverage and will remain open to the public.

The programming schedules for each show will be released at a later date.