Syndie Sitcom Shift: Tribune Out, CBS In

For years, Tribune Broadcasting was one of the two doors the Hollywood studios knocked on first when they had high-priced sitcoms to sell into broadcast syndication.

Like Fox Television Stations (the other door), Tribune had a couple of attributes that appealed to the studios: major-market stations and the willingness to slate sitcoms in prime access and latenight where they tend to do well.

But the next time studios knock at Tribune, nobody may answer.

Tribune, which was recently outbid by Fox for Debmar-Mercury’s Charlie Sheen FX comedy, Anger Management, isn’t expected to aggressively pursue off-net or off-cable comedies again in the foreseeable future.

Fortunately, the studios have no need to fret the loss of Tribune as a sitcom buyer. As Tribune is stepping out of the market, CBS is stepping in.

One reason Tribune is eschewing sitcoms is that there simply aren’t any top-tier ones in the syndication pipeline right now. The A-list shows like Twentieth Television’s Modern Family, which is set to debut in syndication next fall, have been snapped up.

The other reason is strategic. Tribune wants to use its air time to nurture original programming in which it has a stake. It believes such shows will give it more control over its programming costs and strengthen its hand in retransmission consent negotiations with cable and satellite operators.

Despite its major-market lineup of stations, including WPIX New York, KTLA Los Angeles and WGN Chicago, Tribune has not been keeping up with the network-owned station groups in securing retrans dollars.

In 2012, Tribune stations are projected to pull in $1.025 billion in gross ad revenue but a relatively modest $30 million in retrans fees, according to SNL Kagan.

As a point of comparison, Fox TV Stations are projected to generate $2.075 billion in advertising and $308 million in retrans fees. CBS stations are forecast to account for $1.7 billion in ad revenue and $250 million in retransmission consent fees.

According to industry sources, Tribune is developing a daytime show for fall 2013.

The speculation is that it would be another conflict show designed to fit in with the first-run syndicated programs that now dominant Tribune’s daytime schedules, shows like NBC Universal’s Maury and Jerry Springer.

In addition, Tribune is developing prime access programming for fall 2014, the sources say. That’s potentially another hour lost to studios and their sitcoms.

Tribune had no comment on the report.

In September, Tribune said it was partnering with ITV Studios on a court show featuring Michael William Lebron, who goes by Lionel on stage. Tribune and ITV earlier team to create The Bill Cunningham Show, a conflict show that now airs afternoons on The CW.

It also has a latenight talk show in partnership with CBS Television Distribution hosted by Arsenio Hall. That show is cleared in virtually all of the country for fall 2013.

CBS is getting into the off-net sitcom market as part of an effort to boost the appeal and fortunes not of the CBS O&Os, but of its duopoly stations, mostly CW affiliates, in 10 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Dallas and San Francisco.

CBS picked up the New York outlet just a year ago, paying $55 million for independent WLNY. CBS has already enhanced that station’s schedule by adding a morning program and a 9 p.m. newscast.

“In the past, CBS may not have had shelf space [for sitcoms],” says Bill Carroll, vice president and director of programming at Katz Television. “Now, they potentially do. They can clear product in the top markets. That gives syndicators someone else to talk to.”

The CBS station group has been picking up high-profile comedies. This past summer, CBS stations, including WLNY New York and independent KCAL Los Angeles, made deals for top-rated network comedies from Warner Bros. — Mike & Molly for fall 2014 and 2 Broke Girls for 2015.

“They are in the building process, but once you acquire a sitcom of some consequence, you’re in the game,” Carroll says. “You become competitive in the marketplace.”

Weigel Broadcasting, owner of  independent WCIU, nabbed those two shows in Chicago, where CBS doesn’t have a duopoly.

CBS also acquired TV Land’s Hot In Cleveland for fall 2014. CBS Television Distribution is handling that show’s distribution.

“CBS is essentially starting WLNY from scratch,” says Justin Nielson, an analyst with SNL Kagan. “If cable operators want that programming, they’re going to have add the channel and pay its retransmission consent fees.”