Recently, The Tribune station group invited almost every syndicator in the business – CBS Television Distribution, Disney/ABC Domestic Television, Program Partners, and more – to discuss new programming strategies with new Tribune COO Randy Michaels in its Tribune Tower offices in Chicago. The station group is considering overhauling its’ daytime lineup – or at least stepping back from the fare […]
Fox-owned WPWR-TV has acquired Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as a nightly strip from NBC Universal Television Distribution beginning in September 2009. SVU is already airing twice in syndication every weekend, where it has done exceptionally well. This comes as WPWR and nine other Fox-owned My Network TV affiliates are experiencing success with Law & Order’s sister show, Criminal […]
Jack Klugman, who starred in the NBC crime drama Quincy, is suing the network over the show’s profits. Klugman has filed a lawsuit against NBC Universal over the program’s revenue, and claims the studio is being dishonest over the issue. In the contract, Klugman and his production company was entitled to a quarter of the profits. Klugman claimed his agent […]
– Wizards Rule: Disney-ABC Domestic Television has cleared Wizard’s First Rule in 84 percent of the country, including all top 50 markets, i.e., the 50 largest metro areas in the country – essentially making it a “firm go”. To see a complete list of station groups airing the show this fall, click here (locally, Wizard’s will air on WGN-TV.) This […]
Since it worked so well the first time around… NBC-owned WNBC-TV in New York has upgraded (or downgraded?) Warner’s Ellen to 4 p.m., pitting the talk show once again against Oprah on WABC-TV and Judge Judy on WCBS-TV in a move that begins next Monday (and during a sweeps period no less.) This knocks Program Partners’ Crosswords and NBC Universal’s […]
Syndication veteran Ed Wilson has been named the new president of Tribune Broadcasting. In his new role, Wilson will oversee Tribune’s 23 TV stations (including WGN-TV), as well as WGN Superstation, WGN Radio, and ad-sales company Tribune Entertainment. He comes over from Fox, where he was president of the network. Wilson began his career in sales at Viacom in 1980 […]
The latest from the convention: WCIU picks up Judge Penny: Independent WCIU-TV in Chicago picks up its first-ever syndicated program from Program Partners by acquiring the company’s new first-run courtroom strip Family Court with Judge Penny. The program has cleared 70 percent of the country, including Fox-owned stations in New York and Los Angeles. Additional clearances include CBS/CW stations in […]
And they said it wouldn’t last… Martha Stewart’s syndicated daytime show has been renewed in 60 percent of the country, according to NBC Universal. The tally includes all the NBC-owned stations (WMAQ in Chicago) and station groups belonging to Hearst-Argyle, Belo, Fox, Fisher, Allbritton, and Clear Channel.
Though not at the TCA Press Tour, two major syndicators have big news of their own: – As expected, NBC Universal has renewed Jerry Springer and Maury on the Tribune stations that currently carries them until 2010. Sinclair stations in Pittsburgh, Columbus (OH), and Cincinnati also renewed the duo. Separately, Maury was also renewed on Tribune’s WGN-TV in Chicago and […]
TV Week is reporting that Howie Mandel has accepted a deal to host the syndicated version of “Deal or No Deal” that will now premiere in the fall of 2008. The show will be syndicated by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution. It is expected that the same production team behind the prime-time show will also be behind the daytime syndicated […]
Reel Talk, a movie-review show that has been airing locally on WMAQ-TV and nine other NBC-owned stations, is heading to syndication this fall. The program is taped at WNBC-TV in New York. The half-hour weekly movie review program, hosted by film critic Jeffrey Lyons and IFC’s Allison Bailes, has been cleared in 85 percent of the country by NBC Universal […]
Don’t ever count out Law & Order. Law & Order, currently the second-longest scripted program on TV today (only behind The Simpsons), will return for its 18th season on NBC. There were rumors about the show heading to TNT for new episodes, but that plan was scuttled. NBC is also bringing spin-off Law & Order: Special Victims Unit for another […]
The closure of The George Michael Sports Machine – ending tonight after a spectacular 24-year run. George Michael has stepped down as sports anchor of NBC-owned WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., which also produced the syndicated weekly sports clip show, after the parent network reduced the budget for the program, resulting in its’ cancellation. Michael (who shares the same name as […]
– Program Partners’ and Merv Griffin new game show Let’s Play Crosswords, which already cleared five NBC O&Os, has now cleared 65% of the country, making the program a “firm go” for this fall. Station groups that bought the show include stations owned by Belo, Tribune, Young, and Raycom. Notable clearances: The show has cleared duopolies for the most part, […]
The T Dog Media Blog Weekend Edition (Yes, another name thought up by our marketing dept….) You know those paternity tests on Maury? Turns out, they actually serve some purpose after all. And you know what? Maury is right when he talks about men denying responsibility for their biological children. Hate the show all you want, but he’s has a […]
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