As we head into Super Bowl weekend, the folks at Hulu are gearing up for the action. Hulu visitors can watch Super Bowl commercials in real time as they air Sunday, vote on their favorites and share links to the clips on Facebook. Voting results will be announced Monday.

You can watch the preview and leaked ads now here:

H-E-B will air a commercial regionally during the game. A version of the ad is up on H-E-B’s Facebook page.

Keeping up is difficult, to say the least.

That’s why the crew behind “Texas Music Matters” on 90.5 KUT-FM is starting work on the Austin Music Map, an interactive project aiming to document the city’s “distinct sonic geography.”

Producer Delaney Hall will spend the next year working as producer-in-residence at KUT, overseeing the project — one of 10 in the works nationwide.

“You hear all the time that Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World, but we want to explore why,” Hall said. “We’re curious to learn more about the stories and histories that thread through Austin’s different musical traditions — whether it’s bluegrass or conjunto or hip hop — and we want the whole city to help us map the places and venues that make Austin’s many vibrant musical subcultures possible.”

A celebratory music festival will take place when work wraps up next year, the station says.

More details to come.

Holiday hits gave Majic a ratings boost

The station’s all Christmas, all the time lineup helped it rocket up the December ratings chart, tying 96.7 KISS-FM for the No. 1 spot. It’s the first time in ages anyone’s even come close to KISS, numbers-wise.

A little further down the list, Comedy 102.7 FM continues to impress, landing in the Top 10. Not bad for a newcomer on a low-power signal - especially when you see who they’re beating, including KLBJ-FM and KVET-FM.

The rest of the list features, for the most part, the usual suspects.

Average quarter-hour ratings as of Jan. 4, courtesy of Radio-Info.com (numbers in parentheses indicate rank as of Dec. 7):

• Tie, 1.) 96.7 KHFI-FM (1)

• Tie, 1.) 95.5 KKMJ-FM (3)

• 2.) 100.7 KASE-FM (6)

• 3.) 590 KLBJ-AM (2)

• 4.) 103.5 KBPA-FM (5)

• 5.) 107.1 KLZT-FM (7)

• 6.) 102.3 KPEZ-FM (4)

• 7.) 104.3 KLQB-FM (9)

• 8.) 90.5 KUT-FM (8)

• 9.) 94.7 KAMX-FM (11)

• 10.) 102.7 K274AX-FM (14)

“KUT ‘Eklektikos’ host John Aielli remains in the hospital after surgery related to a heart attack on Monday. John is in good spirits and looks forward to returning to the airwaves when he gets the green light from his doctors. We’ll let you know if something changes. In the meantime, Jody Denberg will host ‘Eklektikos’ until John returns.”

A station spokeswoman had few immediate details, but said Aielli “is alert and in typical good spirits.”

The longtime Austin radio host suffered a heart attack earlier this month, and spent nearly two weeks off the air while he recovered.

KUT’s Jody Denberg has been tapped to fill in for Aielli on today’s edition of “Eklektikos,” which runs from 9 a.m. to noon.

More details to come.

Through May, LHN will broadcast 32 baseball games and 30 softball games, the network announced this week.

The first telecast, the UT alumni game, is Saturday at 1 p.m, preceded by a 90-minute edition of “Longhorn GameDay” that begins at 11:30 a.m.

The game will feature Brandon Belt, James Russell, Huston Street and Drew Stubbs. Roger Clemens and Brooks Kieschnick will serve as coaches.

Next up on LHN is a three-game series against Duke Feb. 17, 18 and 19.

LHN host Kevin Dunn and ESPN’s Carter Blackburn will handle play-by-play duties, with Greg Swindell, a UT alum and a 17-year MLB veteran, serving as analyst.

The first softball game to be telecast is Feb. 9 against Cal State-Fullerton.

UT alum and two-time Olympian Cat Osterman will serve as analyst alongside former NFCA first team All-American and Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year Amanda Scarborough.

In Central Texas, LHN is only available to Grande Communications customers. AT&T uVerse, Dish Network, DirecTV and Time Warner Cable have yet to agree to carry the network.

The full schedules:

Ryan Adams: Sliding down the charts

Rihanna’s “We Found Love” and Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” were both heard 230 times on local stations Jan. 19-25, according to AllAccess.com.

Both songs saw huge increases in airtime on Beat 102.3; “Feeling” had 49 more spins than the previous week, while “Love” had an increase of 51.

Moving up the charts: Florence + the Machine’s “Shake it Out,” Gofye’s “Someone That I Used to Know,” DJ Khaled’s “I’m On One” and Jessie J’s “Domino.”

On the way down: Ryan Adams’ “Lucky Now,” Drake’s “Headlines” and Lil Wayne’s “She Will.”

Here are the top five songs played on a random sampling of local stations:

Mega 103.5 HD2

• Calvin Harris, Feel So Close - 98 spins

• Avicii, Levels - 98

• Adele, Set Fire to the Rain - 98

• David Guetta, Turn Me On - 98

• Coldplay, Paradise - 46

KASE 101

• Eric Church, Drink in My Hand - 48 spins

• The Band Perry, All Your Life - 48

• Luke Bryan, I Don’t Want This Night to End - 47

• Kenny Chesney, Reality - 47

• Keith Urban, You Gonna Fly - 43

103.5 BOB-FM

• Andy Grammer, Keep Your Head Up - 11 spins

• Jason Aldean/Kelly Clarkson, Don’t You Wanna Stay - 11

• Adele, Someone Like You - 11

• Pink, Raise Your Glass - 10

• Neon Trees, Animal - 10

Beat 102.3

• Jay Z and Kanye West, (Expletive) in Paris - 122 spins

• J. Cole, Workout - 118

• Flo Rida, Good Feeling - 117

• Rihanna, We Found Love - 115

• Drake, Headlines - 71

Bo Chase

Bo Chase is now helming the wakeup shift on 98.9 FM Austin’s Greatest Hits, a station focused on oldies from the 1960s and ’70s. He debuted today in the 6 to 10 a.m. timeslot.

This isn’t Chase’s first time on Central Texas radio, though. He was part of the “Bo and Bama” show on Z102 from 1990 to 1994, and has been heard on several other frequencies here in town, as well as stations in Peoria, Ill.; Tulsa, Okla.; and Kansas City, Mo.

“We’ve been working hard to tailor this station for the Austin market, and I can’t wait to bring the rock back to Austin,” Chase said.

The Border Media-owned station has also picked up “The Tom Kent Show,” airing it weeknights from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Scott Shannon, whose True Oldies Channel programming has been featured on the frequency since it debuted two years ago, can still be heard from midnight to 6 a.m.

“We’re excited to have a locally programmed classic hits station to fill the void that Austin has had for years,” said program director Jeff Wolf. “We want to make it easier for people to find the music they know and love.”

Nathan Bernier

“Morning Edition” producer and backup host Crystal Chavez, a five-year veteran, headed to San Antonio earlier this month to serve as “Morning Edition” host for Texas Public Radio.

Ian Crawford, the station’s news editor, has also departed, bound for Washington, D.C. He’ll serve as a community engagement project coordinator for AmeriCorps VISTA, a program designed to combat poverty.

“This was an opportunity to get out of the newsroom and to face the challenge of day-to-day service to the community that I’ve reported on for so many years,” Crawford said.

More KUT changes to pass along: Nathan Bernier, who has been focusing on the NPR affiliate’s website, is set to return to on-air reporting. He’ll be replaced by Wells Dunbar, who arrives from the Austin Chronicle.

Got all that? Good.

That’s the popular 90.5 KUT-FM host’s message to listeners in a newly released video produced by the city’s NPR station.

Aielli, 65, suffered a heart attack Jan. 4 and was off the air nearly two weeks while he recuperated at an area hospital.

He returned to work Monday, helming “Eklektikos,” which runs from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays.

The three-day ATX Festival, set to kick off June 1, will focus exclusively on TV, including screenings of shows already on the air, programs that are still in development, and an assortment of cult favorites.

Special attention will also be paid to unaired pilots and “series that were canceled before their time.”

And, like many film festivals, panels and question-and-answer sessions featuring industry executives are planned, according to co-founders Emily Gipson and Caitlin McFarland.

“At the heart of it, we are both fans of TV,” said Gipson, who has worked on projects for Fox, TLC and Discovery.

“We have created an event for fans like ourselves, and are giving them a chance to engage in watercooler conversations on a larger level with the people that bring their favorite shows to life.”

“We also wanted a place for the industry to discuss where the medium is headed, and explore innovative outlets for production in a medium that is changing,” added McFarland, who has experience working with well-known directors Nora Ephron, Mira Nair and Betty Thomas.

“We’re both Texans and love Austin, so what better place than there to host it?”

A campaign to raise $25,000 to help fund the event kicked off this week, with donors eligible to receive gifts that include festival badges and autographed DVDs.

For more details on ATX Festival, visit atxfestival.com.

Flo Rida … and Miss Venezuela

His ‘Good Feeling’ was heard 188 times on local stations Jan. 10-16, putting him in the No. 1 spot on our fair city’s most-played list.

Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love,’ the song that ruled the roost for several consecutive weeks, was heard 177 times, just behind ‘It Will Rain’ from Bruno Mars, which had 179 spins.

Moving up the charts: Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg’s ‘Young, Wild and Free,’ Kenny Chesney’s ‘Reality’ and Adele’s ‘Set Fire to the Rain.’

On the way down: David Nail’s “Make It Rain,’ Jason Aldean’s ‘Tattoos on This Town’ and LMFAO’s ‘Sexy and I Know It.’

Here are the top five songs played on a random sampling of local stations, according to AllAccess.com:

Mega 103.5 HD 2

• Breathe Carolina, ‘Blackout’ - 98 spins

• Calvin Harris, ‘Feel So Close - 98

• Avicii, ‘Levels - 98

• Adele, ‘Set Fire to the Rain - 98

• David Guetta, Turn Me On - 98

98.1 KVET

• Wade Bowen, ‘Saturday Night’ - 25

• Kevin Fowler, ‘That Girl’ - 25

• George Strait, ‘Here For a Good Time’ - 19

• Rodney Atkins, ‘Take a Back Road’ - 18

• Eric Church, ‘Drink in My Hand’ - 17

101X

• Black Keys, ‘Lonely Boy’ - 51

• Young the Giant, ‘Cough Syrup’ - 49

• Foster the People, ‘Helena Beat’ - 48

• Awolnation, ‘Sail’ - 27

• Coldplay, ‘Paradise’ - 27

96.7 KISS-FM

• Flo Rida, ‘Good Feeling’ - 118

• Rihanna, ‘We Found Love’ - 115

• Bruno Mars, ‘It Will Rain’ - 111

• Adele, ‘Set Fire To The Rain’ - 89

• Katy Perry, ‘The One That Got Away’ - 81

Aielli, 65, has been off the air for nearly two weeks following a Jan. 4 heart attack.

While Aielli was recuperating at an area hospital, KUT’s Jody Denberg served as host of “Eklektikos,” which airs weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon.

Starting Monday, Anne Hudson, who works evenings at sister station KASE 101, will team up with “The Roadhouse” host Chris Mosser weekdays from 5 to 10 a.m.

They replace longtime KVET-FM host Bob Cole, who departed the station last month after 20 years on the air.

“Both Chris and Anne have been a part of KVET for many years and will bring a fresh, positive outlook while respecting the legacy of an iconic Austin radio station,” the station said in its announcement.

In addition to his new duties, Mosser will continue to helm — temporarily — “The Roadhouse,” which is heard 7 p.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, and 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

A new host should be named soon, a station spokesman told the American-Statesman.

The search is also on for a new evening deejay to replace Hudson on KASE 101.

The open casting call happens at the Austin Convention Center, 500 E. Cesar Chavez St., this Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Hopefuls — musicians, dance crews, magicians, contortionists, comedians, singers, jugglers, animal acts and more — will have 90 seconds to convince judges they’ve got the right stuff.

The hit show, which airs on NBC, offers a $1 million grand prize.

Get more details on the auditions at AGTauditions.com.

MORE REALITY TV NEWS

01.09.12: ‘Shipping Wars’ features Austin’s uShip

12.07.11: ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ selects Bastrop County firefighter whose home was destroyed in wildfires

11.30.11: Documents shed light on ‘Top Chef’ deal

J. Cole is No. 2 on the most-played list

Her “We Found Love” was heard 183 times Jan. 3-9, including an eye-popping 114 spins on 96.7 KISS-FM.

Meanwhile, LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It,” which had been a strong No. 2, took a bit of a tumble, falling into third place behind J. Cole’s “Workout.”

Moving up the charts: Bruno Mars’s It Will Rain, David Guetta’s Turn Me On and Big Sean’s Dance (A$$)

On the way down: LMFAO’s Sexy And I Know It, Katy Perry’s The One That Got Away, Kevin Fowler’s That Girl, David Guetta’s Without You and Roscoe Dash’s Good Good Night.

Here are the top five songs played on a random sampling of local stations:

98.1 KVET

• Kevin Fowler, That Girl - 19

• Wade Bowen, Saturday Night - 17

• Dierks Bentley, Home - 14

• Eric Church, Drink in My Hand - 13

• Justin Moore, If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away - 13

KASE 101

• Zac Brown Band, Keep Me in Mind - 49

• Eric Church, Drink in My Hand - 49

• David Nail, Let It Rain - 48

• Luke Bryan, I Don’t Want This Night to End - 40

• The Band Perry, All Your Life - 40

101X

• Foster The People, Helena Beat - 52

• Young The Giant, Cough Syrup - 48

• Black Keys, Lonely Boy - 47

• Foo Fighters, These Days - 30

• Florence + the Machine, Shake it Out - 28

103.5 BOB-FM

• Maroon, Moves Like Jagger - 12

• Cee Lo Green, F**k You (Forget You) - 11

• Neon Trees, Animal - 11

• OneRepublic, Good Life - 11

• Adele, Someone Like You - 10

96.7 KISS-FM

• Bruno Mars, It Will Rain - 115

• Rihanna, We Found Love - 114

• Flo Rida, Good Feeling - 111

• Katy Perry, The One That Got Away - 86

• LMFAO, Sexy and I Know It - 85

Shawn Rutherford

Morning and midday meteorologist Shawn Rutherford, a station employee since 1998, is no longer working for the city’s NBC affiliate.

Viewers last spotted Rutherford on Friday’s edition of “KXAN News Today,” which runs from 4:30 to 7 a.m. Just a few hours later, his photo and bio were gone from kxan.com.

Station management didn’t respond Monday to email and telephone messages from the American-Statesman seeking comment.

Rutherford is the latest in a string of familiar faces to abruptly vanish from the station’s newscasts in recent months. Others include investigative reporter Nanci Wilson, weekend morning news anchor Catenya McHenry, weekend morning weathercaster Rhonda Lee and weekday morning traffic reporter Debra Wynn, the wife of KXAN news director Michael Fabac.

Managers have previously said they intend to fill each of the open positions.

McHenry, in a flurry of posts on her Facebook page last month, told followers her contract had been “terminated” and asked them to “pray my family will be blessed in the future.” The other former KXAN employees haven’t said much — if anything — publicly.

With Rutherford and Wynn gone, and morning co-anchor Chris Willis recently picked to head up the station’s investigative reporting team, viewers have watched three members of the four-person “KXAN News Today” anchor team disappear in a span of about two months. Only co-anchor Sally Hernandez, who recently returned from maternity leave, will remain.

In Nielsen ratings from November, the most recent “sweeps” period, KXAN ranked third at 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m., behind KTBC and KVUE. At 6 a.m., it tied KVUE for first place.

The A&E Network’s “Shipping Wars” focuses on six shippers whose livelihoods depend on transporting bulky, out-of-the-ordinary items — including a 13-foot-tall metal horse made of car bumpers and a larger-than-life “Little Shop of Horrors” venus flytrap — listed on uShip.com.

The site, launched in 2004, connects truckers with businesses and consumers who need their belongings hauled cross-country. Assignments go to the lowest bidder.

“Trucking is a tough, competitive business,” said Matt Chasen, uShip’s founder and CEO. “‘Shipping Wars’ gives viewers a glimpse into the life of independent American truckers, the unpredictable jobs they face, and how they turn the unshippable into the ‘uShip-able.’”

The site has flourished, in part, because it makes shipping odd-shaped goods affordable, according to Rob Adams, director of Texas Venture Labs and the Venture Labs Investment Competition at the University of Texas’s McCombs School of Business.

UShip was born while Chasen was attending McCombs.

“Their whole business model is odd sizes — stuff that goes off the charts with UPS and FedEx, whose shipping models are based on standard sizes,” Adams said. “With uShip, shipping nonstandard items can be done on a mere mortal’s credit card.”

A&E, which is home to a number of highly rated reality TV shows, including “Hoarders,” “Storage Wars,” “Intervention” and “Dog the Bounty Hunter,” has picked up 10 half-hour installments of the show, which is produced by Austin-based Megalomedia. Depending on viewership, additional episodes could be ordered for a second season.

With commercials for the show in heavy rotation, along with billboards and other advertisements, uShip stands to benefit big time, Adams said.

“This is great news for them,” he said. “You could literally never afford to buy this kind of exposure.”

As of October, the most recent figures available, the company reported $240 million in transactions since 2004. There are 225,000 registered transporters on uShip.com, who have placed 6 million bids for 1.9 million jobs.

‘Shipping Wars’

8 p.m. Tuesdays

A&E, Time Warner Cable channel 60

The station announced this afternoon that Aielli could be back on the air as soon as Jan. 16.

“John appreciates all the well wishes he’s received,” KUT said in a statement. “His doctors say he is recovering well.”

Jody Denberg will continue to serve as fill-in host until Aielli returns.

“Eklektikos” airs from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays.

KUT released this statement a short time ago:

“He is in good spirits with a good prognosis. KUT looks forward to John returning to ‘Eklektikos’ as soon as his doctors give him the green light, and right now that looks like early next week. In the meantime, he appreciates respect for his privacy as he recovers.”

You can get more details on statesman.com.

Inked in early September, the $200 million deal was finalized this week after getting approval from the Federal Communications Commission.

Other stations included in the sale are located in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Salt Lake City; and Providence, R.I.

Nationwide, Sinclair runs 73 TV stations in 46 cities. In Texas, it owns San Antonio’s Fox and CW affiliates.

Zac Brown Band

Rihanna continues to have the most-played song on Austin’s airwaves, according to AllAccess.com. The margin of victory, however, is eensy.

Her “We Found Love” was played on local stations 181 times Dec. 27 through Jan. 2, followed closely by LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It,” which had 175 spins.

Moving up the charts: Zac Brown Band’s “Keep Me in Mind,” Andy Grammer’s “Keep Your Head Up” and Roscoe Dash’s “Good Good Night.”

On the way down: Drake’s “Headlines” and Lady Gaga’s “Marry the Night.”

Here are the top five songs played on a random sampling of local stations:

Mix 94.7

• Hot Chelle Rae, ‘Tonight Tonight’ - 51

• Maroon 5, ‘Moves Like Jagger’ - 51

• Gym Class Heroes, ‘Stereo Hearts’ - 50

• Gavin DeGraw, ‘Not Over You’ - 28

• Kelly Clarkson, ‘Mr. Know it All’ - 27

Beat 102.3

• Jay Z and Kanye West, ‘(Expletive) in Paris’ - 122

• Lil Wayne, ‘She Will’ - 120

• J. Cole, ‘Workout’ - 116

• Drake, ‘Headlines’ - 115

• Flo Rida, ‘Good Feeling’ - 70

93.3 KGSR

• Foster the People, ‘Don’t Stop’ (‘Color On The Walls)’ - 44

• Snow Patrol, ‘Called Out in the Dark’ - 43

• Ryan Adams, ‘Lucky Now’ - 42

• Black Keys, ‘Lonely Boy’ - 40

• Coldplay, ‘Paradise’ - 40

Majic 95.5

• The Band Perry, ‘If I Die Young’ - 30

• Andy Grammer, ‘Keep Your Head Up’ - 28

• Lady Antebellum, ‘Just a Kiss’ - 28

• Bruno Mars, ‘Just the Way You Are’ - 28

• Adele, ‘Someone Like You’ - 27

Maroon 5’s Adam Levine

In fact, the home of Flo Rida, Lady Gaga and Maroon 5 has — yet again — widened its lead.

Further down the list, all Christmas, all the time paid off for Majic 95.5, helping it jump seven spots, going from 10th place in November to third place in December.

The news wasn’t as good for KASE 101, which tumbled from third place to sixth place — it’s worst showing in months.

Also worth noting: Newly launched Comedy 102.7 has wasted little time grabbing a sizable audience. In 15th place, it topped several established frequencies.

Average quarter-hour ratings as of Dec. 7, courtesy of Radio-Info.com (numbers in parentheses indicate rank as of Nov. 9):

• 1.) 96.7 KHFI-FM (1)

• 2.) 590 KLBJ-AM (2)

• 3.) 95.5 KKMJ-FM (10)

• 4.) 102.3 KPEZ-FM (6)

• 5.) 103.5 KBPA-FM (4)

• 6.) 100.7 KASE-FM (3)

• 7.) 107.1 KLZT-FM (5)

• 8.) 90.5 KUT-FM (8)

• 9.) 104.3 KLQB-FM (7)

• 10.) 98.1 KVET-FM (9)