Twentieth’s game shows canceled, and other news of note For the first time in a long time, it’s time for The Grab Bag – items not good enough for individual posts – but good enough to be written here: – Ricki returns. In a report confirmed by B&C and TVNewscheck, Ricki Lake signed a deal with Twentieth Television to launch […]
Another GM shake-up at Fox-owned WFLD-TV and WPWR-TV has led Pat Mullen out the door after three rather unproductive years at the duopoly, and was replaced by Michael Renda of sister station WTXF-TV in Philadelphia, which is also a Fox O&O. In turn, Patrick Paolini takes over the WTXF job after his stint as vice president and director of sales […]
Quick, when was the last true first-run syndicated hit? Though many syndicators would argue, it was six years ago with Dr. Phil averaging a 4.4 Nielsen rating in its freshman season. Before that, you would have to go all the way back to June 1996 for the last breakout hit – Warner Bros.’ The Rosie O’Donnell Show. And if you […]
Some news, not enough time: – Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting has sold its three low-power TV stations in South Bend, Ind. to Schurz communications, owners of dominant CBS affiliate WSBT-TV. The three TV stations are WBND (ABC), WCWW (CW) and WMYS (My Network TV.) Weigel has stated its main Chicago and Milwaukee properties are not for sale. – Twentieth Television is […]
This is the 1,200th post. Hurray for the blog! Three syndicated freshman strips from Warner – Two and a Half Men, TMZ, and George Lopez scored gains in the just-concluded May sweeps, according to Nielsen. Men ranked as the top off-network sitcom in syndication last month, while Lopez surprised everyone by finishing fifth among all off-net sitcoms, jumping up 41 […]
In all my years of following the syndication business (since 1985, when yours truly at the young age of thirteen read his first NATPE edition of TV/Radio Age), I cannot recall at any time the entire slate of rookie first-run strips that debuted in the fall were renewed for a second season. In fact, go back to the 1990-91 season, […]
– Syndicated repeats of Fox’s hit Bones has been cleared 45 percent of the country, including all of the Fox O&Os, not to mention station groups belonging to CBS, Tribune, and Bahakel. Weekday airings of the program were sold to TNT. -CBS’ Judge Judy has been re-upped until 2012. – As mentioned earlier, Program Partners has renewed Merv Griffin’s Crosswords […]
The NATPE convention begins today in Las Vegas, and Broadcasting & Cable has a story on what the nation’s 25 largest TV station groups are shopping for next season. One thing is clear: A lot of veteran syndicated programs (Oprah, Wheel, Rachael Ray, People’s Court, etc.) are sold well into the future – for the next four or five years, […]
A big race is shaping up for off-network sitcom supremacy. Yours truly has been following the syndication business since 1984, and I haven’t seen a race like this since The Cosby Show, The Golden Girls, Roseanne, and Married… With Children were all battling for the crown in the early ’90’s. Three sitcoms – Warner’s Two and a Half Men, Twentieth’s […]
In what may be encouraging signs for Warner Bros. Two and a Half Men and Twentieth Television’s Family Guy, ratings for both off-network programs in syndication are up from the previous week in metered markets, ever so slightly. Both look like they’re keepers. Law & Order: Criminal Intent scored a 1.0/3 as a strip in off-network syndication in its first […]
As noted before, WPCH, or Peachtree TV will premiere on Oct. 1. in Atlanta, replacing WTBS. To see the new schedule, click here (note that the schedule may change.) WPCH will take over WTBS’ dial position over-the-air channel 17 and cable channel 7, while the national feed of TBS will become available for the first time in the Atlanta area […]
The first week results for the new programs (and freshman off-network shows) in syndication are in the book: Program RTG/SHR 9/06 TP Lead-in First- Run: TMZ 1.5/3 2.0/4 1.8/6 Morning Show- Mk-Jul 1.1/4 1.5/6 1.9/7 Steve Wilkos 1.1/4 1.2/3 1.0/3 David Young 0.9/3 0.9/3 0.9/3 Crosswords 0.8/2 1.3/4 1.0/3 Temptation 0.5/2 1.1/3 0.6/2 Off-Network Two and a Half Men 2.0/4 […]
For the three day-averages of the new first-run and off-network series in syndication, click here. TMZ continues to lead the rookies in day three, but continues to be down from lead-in and year-ago time period. Another new off-network show to tell you about, Reno 911!, averaged a 0.6/2, down 25 percent from year-ago time slots and lead-in (time periods are […]
For results on the new first-run and off-network strips, click here. To sum it all up, it may be curtains for Merv Griffin’s Crosswords and Temptation sooner than we think, while I have one word about the ratings for the three new off-network sitcoms that debuted this week: disappointing.
Five new shows debut today, including the highly anticipated game show Merv Griffin’s Crosswords and magazine TMZ . Other new shows include Temptation, Judge David Young, and The Steve Wilkos Show (which debuts in Chicago on WGN tomorrow at 2 p.m. A Cardinals-Cubs game is airing in that time slot today.) Don’t forget, the debut of two new off-network sitcoms […]