Michael Starr

Michael Starr

TV

Rita Cosby will co-host ‘The Ride Home’ on WABC

Makin’ radio waves …

Rita Cosby will join Pat Kiernan as co-host of “The Ride Home” starting Wednesday (5-6 p.m.) on WABC (770 AM). Kiernan has hosted the show solo since January; the station had auditioned several people for the job before settling on Cosby.

“I am ecstatic about this incredible opportunity to talk about stories affecting the greatest city in the world,” Cosby told me. “I’m Brooklyn-born … the Big Apple is in my blood. For anyone who loves radio, this is a dream come true.” The duo’s first guests on “The Ride Home with Pat Kiernan and Rita Cosby” Wednesday will be New York City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Martha Stewart.

“Since launching the show earlier this year, we’ve put a great deal of thought into bringing on board a dynamic and top New York personality to join me in hosting the show,” said Kiernan, who continues to be the face of NY1. “The search is over and I’m thrilled to welcome Rita Cosby, an acclaimed broadcaster and quintessential media star, to our team.” Cosby’s TV stops have included anchoring gigs at Fox News Channel and MSNBC.

Now it’s just Ludacris

ABC’s “Billboard Music Awards” — hosted by Ludacris — snared 10.5 million viewers (8-11 p.m.), its best showing (in total viewers) since 2001 (11.7 million viewers).  Meanwhile, Sunday’s “Game of Thrones” episode, “Mockingbird,” averaged 7.2 million viewers — up almost 1 million viewers from last week and a new record for the HBO series. The show’s 11 p.m. repeat added another 1.3 million viewers.

“Thrones” is heading into the homestretch with three episodes left, including June 15’s season finale.

And Barbara Walters’ farewell episode on “The View” last Friday drew 5.2 million viewers — only the fourth-best viewership in the show’s history. (Shouldn’t it have done better?)

Last, but not least …

PBS pledge drive host Denise Richardson is feted with the Norman Vincent Peale Award for Positive Thinking Tuesday at The Yale Club (50 Vanderbilt Ave.) … The LA house that subs for the exterior of the Dunphy homestead on “Modern Family” has sold for $2.15 million (asking price was $2.35 million), according to redfin.com … Yuri Sardarov (“Chicago Fire”) will co-star in “Becket” starting June 18 at the Gene Frankel Theatre (24 Bond St.) … “Grey’s Anatomy” co-star Sara Ramirez (Callie), who inked a two-year deal to stay on the series, celebrated with friends at Serendipity 3 … “Saint George” co-star David Zayas and actor/producer Steve Stanulis, both ex-New York cops, dined at Fabio Cucina Italiana the other night. Zayas directed the upcoming flick “10-13” (NYPD code for a cop in distress).