In a blockbuster deal, the NBC Thursday night comedy 30 Rock was sold in syndication to cable networks Comedy Central and WGN America and to Fox and Tribune stations on the broadcast side, each for Fall 2011 debuts. NBC Universal decided to sell the sitcom to Fox and Tribune station groups, splitting the difference. Locally, 30 Rock will air on […]
After nearly three decades, the curtain drops on one of New York City’s hollowed traditions. Live at Five, the one-hour newscast on NBC-owned WNBC-TV which aired at – well, 5 p.m. every weekday, is being removed for a new one hour strip titled LX New York. The locally-produced program premieres September 14, and it targets females 25-54 with segments featuring […]
Production to move to Connecticut to join other NBC Universal shows Well, what took them so long?After months of being on the fence, NBC Universal’s Deal or No Deal syndicated strip is finally renewed for its second season – with a catch.Production of the syndicated strip is moving production to Waterford, Connecticut from Culver City, Cal., a suburb adjacent to […]
– Among women 18-34, which talk show is second only behind Oprah Winfrey? Tyra Banks? Nope. Ellen? Try Again. Come on. You’ve got to be talking about Jerry Springer… Um, no. It’s Maury Povich. Yes, 70-year old Maury Povich. Yes, the same guy who brought you A Current Affair back in the day. NBC Universal’s Maury (in its 11th season […]
I know this story is over a week old, but it is significant. Has Chicago’s media and political freak shows become too much for even the king of dysfunctional TV, Jerry Springer? According to news that became public a week and a half ago, NBC Universal – the syndicator behind raunchy talkers Maury, Jerry Springer, and The Steve Wilkos Show, […]
NBC Universal’s The Steve Wilkos Show has been renewed for a third season according to officials at the syndicator, with 70 percent of the country on board. According to this article in TV Week, Wilkos has cleared Tribune stations in New York, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia – but in Chicago, the article cites a renewal for the “Weigel’s station in […]
As the NATPE convention draws closer and closer (next month in Vegas – assuming it doesn’t snow), you’ll be seeing these updates more and more here. So, here we go… – TNT’s The Closer has been sold to all Fox-owned stations for weekend play, including WFLD/WPWR here, as Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution hopes Closer’s success on TNT will translate […]
The ongoing saga of Tribune bankruptcy will have a big effect on the syndication business. Tribune owes four major syndicators money: Warner Bros., NBC Universal, Disney-ABC, and Twentieth. As a result of the Chapter 11 filing (with Tribune restructuring debt), the studios aren’t going to see a dime of the cash anytime soon. This puts some stress on the studios’ […]
CBS Television’s new Doctors has tied NBC Universal’s Deal or No Deal in the first-run syndication race among new series, with both shows tying each other at 1.9. GAA rating. Doctors was up 12 percent from last week; Deal was flat. But Disney-ABC’s new weekly hour Legend of the Seeker beat them both, with a 2.1 rating, up 5 percent. […]
CBS Television Distribution’s has sold weekend runs of Criminal Minds and Numb3rs into syndication on station groups representing CBS, Gannett, Belo, Meredith, and Cox. Here in Chicago, CBS-owned WBBM-TV will begin carrying the syndicated weekend runs of both crime drama series, beginning in September 2010. They replace the two current CSI shows in syndication: New York and Miami. Minds was […]
The new five first-run strips debuting in syndication last week entered the new world of expectations – holding the lead-in and at least matching the year-ago time period share. The five programs are Deal or No Deal from NBC Universal Television Distribution; The Doctors from CBS Television Distribution; Family Court with Judge Penny from Program Partners; The Bonnie Hunt Show […]
– Twentieth Television has signed Jeff Foxworthy to host the syndicated version of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? The daily syndicated strip version of the Fox prime-time game show bows in fall 2009. – Fringe, the new Fox drama from Lost creator J.J. Abrams, averaged just 9.1 million viewers for its premiere Tuesday night, which many consider a […]
Chicago contributes to programs’ decent start The new 2008-09 season in syndication began on Monday with the debut of five new strips – and all got off to a decent – if not spectacular start: Program RTG SHR Lead-In TP 9/07 Bonnie Hunt 1.1 3 -21% 0% Deal or No Deal 1.3 3 -13% -7% The Doctors 1.6 4 -11% […]
Richard Dominick, the executive producer of Jerry Springer and The Steve Wilkos Show has been axed as executive producer of both shows by NBC Universal.Dominick was named executive producer of Springer in the spring of 1994 and was instrumental in turning around Jerry Springer from a talk show near death to a ratings bonanza (at least during the late ’90’s) […]
NBC Universal recently unveiled details of its new Deal or No Deal strip hosted by Howie Mandel (who continues hosting the prime-time version.) The daily half hour is being assembled along the lines of the version that airs in the United Kingdom. Among the changes: – The top prize won in the syndicated version is $500,000. – There are only […]
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