With Major Studios Cooling On Syndication, Stations Seek Program Alternatives
Several low-cost shows are premiering this fall, but big names are nowhere to be seen.
Station Groups Look To Fill A NATPE-Sized Hole With Summit
Last week, Fox Television Stations convened station groups and syndicators for a press- and deals-free ideas exchange in Los Angeles. Attendees said it could become an annual event. (Fox Television Stations photo)
Debmar-Mercury: Stations Still ‘Need Shows Like Ours’
Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, co-presidents of syndication company Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury, say that even as syndicated options recede and station groups ramp up their own programming, there’s still a business ahead for syndies.
TVN’s Executive Session | Debmar-Mercury: There’s Still Life In Syndies
Debmar-Mercury’s Co-Presidents Ira Bernstein (l) and Mort Marcus say the syndication world has become more complex with fewer entry points for new programming. But despite threats from streaming there’s still plenty of opportunity left.
Soledad O’Brien, Mort Marcus, Ira Bernstein and Perry Sook will be honored at the 2020 show, while Nexstar CEO Perry Sook will keynote the Station Group Summit.
Debmar-Mercury Co-Founders and Co-Presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein have signed new long-term agreements with Lionsgate, which bought their company in 2006.
Exclusives
Fox Television Stations join, Media General and Cox in re-upping the syndicated talker, pushing clearances to more than 50% of the U.S. entering NATPE.
Wendy Williams is holding her own in a tough business, even growing her audience in some measurements during her seventh season. The syndicated Wendy Williams Show is watched by roughly 2 million people each day. The bejewelled microphone she carries and the collection of wigs in her dressing room speak to Williams’ outsized personality. She’s noticeably toned things down, however, to broaden her appeal.
Debmar-Mercury exec Mort Marcus (c) says Wendy Williams (l) has it, but Meredith Vieira doesn’t. Marcus and Debmar-Mercury Co-President Ira Bernstein also offered opinions on the outlook for broadcast TV, the impact of station group consolidation on syndication and more.
