The Voice is showcasing an emotional tribute for tornado victims in tonight’s live episode.

Contestant coach and country artist Blake Shelton and his wife, singer Miranda Lambert, will perform a duet dedicated to their home state of Oklahoma. The song will be performed at the top of the show, which gets underway at 9 p.m. ET. NBC isn’t releasing the song’s title, but we’re told it’s a tune that’s “close to their hearts.” The performance will be accompanied by an on-screen number for American Red Cross donations.

NBC’s The Voice recap was scheduled as a lead-in to the live show at 8 p.m. but will be pre-empted tonight. Instead, the broadcaster will run an NBC News special covering the tragedy hosted by Brian Williams live from Oklahoma.

Monday night’s Voice addressed the disaster, as well. Shelton expressed his feelings about the headlines and The Swon Brothers (who are from Oklahoma) imparted well-wishes too, along with host Carson Daly and Christina Milian giving call-outs for viewers to donate to the Red Cross.

Bazinga: CBS has overthrown Fox to win the 2012-13 broadcast season among the coveted adults 18-49 demographic. With only two nights left in the season, CBS claimed victory Tuesday given its insurmountable lead. The win snaps Fox’s unprecedented eight-year winning streak.

Among total viewers, CBS has led the broadcast field for years, ranking No. 1 during 10 of the past 11 seasons. But this is the first time CBS has won in the 18-49 demo in 21 years. CBS would even win the season if you excluded the network’s high-flying Super Bowl coverage. The network claims nine of the top 15 scripted prime-time programs, including Big Bang Theory, NCIS and Person of Interest.

During a press breakfast for reporters last week, CBS Corp. CEO Les Moonves relished the current standings. Yet CBS only deserves partial credit for its ranking. The network maintained roughly the same ratings as last year — which is certainly no easy task in an era of increasing DVR use, streaming and competition from cable networks. But it was Fox declining 22 percent due to softening American Idol popularity and other factors that gave CBS the trophy.

Fox hopes to surge back next season with its new schedule, including the promising J.J. Abrams-produced action-drama Almost Human, and the use of short-order limited series, including a rebooted 24. The Idol judges panel will be firmed-up over the next couple months, and last night Fox announced an experienced new judges panel for The X Factor.

The rest: NBC slipped slightly this season. But if you were to remove the Super Bowl from its average last year, NBC would have actually been up thanks to The Voice boosting its fall (and despite a rather spectacular midseason ratings crash). ABC also fell, and this fall rolls out a whooping eight new shows. Here’s how ratings stack up this season with only a couple days left on the clock: READ FULL STORY »

Image Credit: WireImage.com

ABC has signed judges, cast and a host for its new competition series Sing Your Face Off, and it’s quite a unique collection of famous names.

First, actor John Barrowman (Torchwood, Arrow) will host the show, where five celebrity contestants take on the identity of an iconic music performer each week.

The judges are former Saturday Night Live cast member Darrell Hammond and pop singer Debbie Gibson.

And the show’s contestants learning to perform the hits of famous music stars are ex-Skid Row frontman and heavy metal singer Sebastian Bach, comedian Jon Lovitz, Toronto Raptors player Landry Fields, teenage Disney Channel actress-singer China Anne McClain and former soap star Lisa Rinna. READ FULL STORY »

Image Credit: Rowland: Bravo; Lovato, Cowell: Fox; Rubio: Getty

Simon Cowell is going to be outnumbered on The X Factor this fall, but somehow we suspect he won’t mind.

Fox has confirmed our Friday near-deal exclusive report that Destiny’s Child founding member Kelly Rowland and Latin singer Paulina Rubio will be the new Factor judges for season three. They’ll join executive producer-judge Cowell and his fellow lone surviving panelist from last season, pop singer Demi Lovato.

Yes: It’s Simon and three talented attractive women. The combination is certain to prompt some smirking, but the move makes Factor the first major U.S. broadcast singing competition series to have a female majority on its panel. The ensemble also targets a diverse collection of music fans of varying ages: Lovato (age 20) is a current pop singer, Rowland (32) leans toward R&B, and Rubio (41) sings Latin dance music. And of course Cowell (53) lends his experience as a music producer, reality TV icon and talent spotter.

“It’s taken more than a decade but I’m delighted to finally be on a panel with three girls (I think!),” said Cowell in a statement. “Paulina and Kelly both have great taste and massive experience in the music industry and together with Demi, this is going to be a fun panel. It just feels like the time to do something different.”

Another plus: The new hires have prior experience judging a major music competition series (unlike, say, ex-X Factor judge Britney Spears, or American Idol‘s Nicki Minaj or Mariah Carey). Rowland was a judge on the UK version of X Factor, while Rubio judged the Mexican version of The Voice. READ FULL STORY »