Scripps stations make a deal with "Dr. Oz"

In a two-station deal with Sony Pictures Television, Scripps has acquired The Dr. Oz Show to replace The Oprah Winfrey Show on its ABC stations in Detroit and Cleveland.

In Cleveland, WEWS simply upgrades the show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., while sister station WXYZ-TV snatches the show away  from NBC affiliate WDIV in Detroit. In the Motor City, the program – which now airs at 3 p.m. on WDIV will move to 4 p.m. on WXYZ.

The moves are effective on September 12, 2011 when Oprah ends her long run. The show has been a staple on both WEWS and WXYZ since 1986.

Both WEWS and WXYZ were once dominant stations in their respective markets with Oprah as a news lead-in. In recent years however, their ratings have eroded and the station has  fallen behind key competiors.

In Detroit, WXYZ – once a part of the five original ABC-owned-and-operated stations – has fallen behind WDIV in key news races (including 5 p.m.) and behind WDIV and Fox’s WJBK in the morning news races.

In Cleveland, WEWS often places third, behind Fox affiliate WJW and NBC affiliate WKYC-TV. Its 5 p.m. newscast though, is quite competitive.

Earlier this week, Sony made deals to move Dr. Oz. to KABC in Los Angeles and WTXF in Philadelphia while renewing the show on  Fox-owned WNYW in New York and WFLD here in Chicago.


Did you know?

– WJBK and WJW, once crown jewels of the Storer Broadcasting Co., were both CBS affiliates until 1994, when both went to Fox in the New World deal – both stations were owned by New World Communications at the time of the affiliation switch.

– WKYC was once an NBC-owned-and-operated station.. It is now owned by Gannett.

– WXYZ still uses a “Circle 7” logo, a holdover from its ABC O&O days, albeit modified. Scripps acquired the station in 1985 after the merger of Capital Cities and ABC, which forced the network to divest its Detroit outlet.

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