Big-Name Syndie Talkers Falling Out Of Favor
There are a number of reasons that fewer stations want to ante up big bucks for syndicated shows with high-profile hosts. The recent cancellations of programs with Katie Couric, Queen Latifah and others has them looking for lower-cost alternatives that include developing their own shows, maybe in partnerships, and trying projects in the real-people genre.
Dr. Phil and Ellen are among some of the talkers to boast sizable DVR improvements after viewers are given a week to catch up — even if those bumps aren’t close to the gains that top primetime programs typically see.
Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner is in talks with Twentieth Television to host a daytime talk show. Discussions are also underway for a test run of the show on the Fox TV Stations as early as this summer.
Less than a month into the new season, Couric’s middling ratings and topics have affiliates grumbling, Lake has a new executive producer, and a CBS exec’s ouster is partly due to Probst’s disappointing start.
Ratings for day one of Katie Couric’s new daytime talk show, Katie, won’t be out until later today, but already the new syndicated season is off to a strong start. The Steve Harvey Show and the revamped Live with Kelly and Michael both did very well the week ended Sept. 9.
As host of one of a batch of syndicated talk shows getting set to debut this fall, the longtime Survivor host says there’s room for all of them. “The reason is that a talk show lives or dies with its host. Everyone brings their own strengths. I don’t see it as a threat.” And he says his experiences on Survivor will serve him well: “Dealing with people from all walks of life, who are in extreme conflicts, for almost 13 years … will play into the talk show. That’s where I’ve had the opportunity to hone the craft of interviewing.”
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Nearly six months after Oprah Winfrey finished her syndicated talk show, it’s clear that no one will come close to replacing the queen of daytime in ratings. It doesn’t look like anyone has inherited her viewers, either. The top remaining talk shows are drawing numbers only half as good as Winfrey’s, and none of the new shows has stood out.
