“Hall”, “Clarkson” gains momentum
Production commitments likely after station clearances top 70 percent, plus other syndication news of note
As expected, new talk shows headlined by former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson and former WFLD news anchor and Today co-host Tamron Hall received a big boost as both programs announced new stations at the beginning of NATPE from Miami, which begins today.
NBCUniversal’s Kelly Clarkson has been sold to 80 percent of the country, including the NBC-owned-and operated stations and others from groups representing Cox, Dispatch, Gray, Hearst, Hubbard, Quincy, Sinclair, and Tegna, among others. Stations buying Clarkson include KOMO/Seattle, WXYZ/Detroit. WKYC/Cleveland, WTVF/Nashville, and KSL/Salt Lake City.
Locally, Clarkson was sold to NBC-owned WMAQ (NBC 5), and is expected to take over Steve’s 2 p.m. time slot, though no decision has officially been made.
Disney-ABC’s Tamron Hall also added to its station lineup, with 70 percent of the country on-board including the ABC (in a pre-sale), Cox, Hearst, Scripps, Sinclair, and Tribune groups, among others. Unlike Disney’s last major talk show Katie (with uniform clearances at 3 p.m.), stations can schedule Hall at their discretion.
Locally, ABC-owned WLS-TV (ABC 7) bought Hall, but no time slot has been announced.
More information was also released about the two shows: Clarkson plans to interview fans, local heroes, and others on her Facebook Watch series for her upcoming tour in preparation for her daytime gig. Meanwhile, Hall’s format would vary, from interviewing a guest for an entire episode to several segments found in other daytime talk shows. Hall also said her show plans to be “compelling and informative”.
Meanwhile, no information has been announced so far regarding the third daytime talk show on the market, one hosted by author Mel Robbins. Sony has already sold the project to the Tribune stations.
In other news:
Twentieth Television confirmed it has secured a 75 percent clearance rate for new Meredith Vieira game show 25 Words Or Less, with CBS, Gray, Hearst, Northwest, and Sinclair signing on. In Chicago, the show is expected to be paired with Family Feud in markets where Fox has the show, including Chicago’s WPWR-TV.
MGM confirmed it has sold new courtroom strip Personal Injury Court to CBS-owned CW affiliates in San Francisco (KBCW), Atlanta (WUPA), Seattle (KSTW) and Tampa-St. Petersburg (WTOG), plus independent WLNY, also a CBS O&O, as the program has yet to be sold in Chicago or Los Angeles. From the creator of Paternity Court and Couples Court, Personal Injury Court brags about having “the highest cash payouts in the history of court shows” (MGM must have one heck of an insurance policy.) Judge Gino Brodgon has been tapped to reside over the cases.
Trifecta Entertainment announced a second-cycle renewal for Pawn Stars, with one hundred “new episodes” (or realistically, off-cable repeats) of the popular series based in a pawn shop in Las Vegas. The new package has been sold to WLNY and several Tribune stations currently carrying the show including KDAF/Dallas and ; in Chicago, Stars currently airs on Weigel’s WCIU sister station, The U Too (Channel 26.2/48.1). The 16th season premiere of Pawn Stars aired Monday night on History Channel in a new hour-long format.