American Television Distribution’s syndicated talent competition series slated for a fall launch has been picked up by station groups including Sinclair, CBS, Tribune, Weigel, Media General and the CW Plus stations.
Connick Show Heads 2016 Development Slate
A variety-talk show with American Idol judge Harry Connick Jr. from NBCUniversal tops the shows being developed for first-run syndication for fall 2016, according to sources. Warner Bros. is prepping the return of Love Connection and a talk show with personal finance wiz Suze Orman. Fox will be testing two or three show this summer, while Debmar-Mercury and partner Gannett work on an interactive show.
Stations from groups including Fox O&Os, Sinclair, Hearst, Cox and others will air the new show from NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution this fall. The show will be co-hosted by WNBC New York contributor Ben Aaron and Bad Girls Club reality star Tanisha Thomas.
Telco Productions Inc. is offering a trio of summer syndication specials — Hawaii Marlin Challenge: 2015, Hollywood News: Summer Movie Preview and Bud Billiken Back to School Parade. Hawaii Marlin […]
The bizarre appearance by Bobbi Kristina Brown’s boyfriend Nick Gordon on Wednesday’s episode of Dr. Phil was a ratings blockbuster for the syndicated offering, delivering a season high, according to preliminary numbers. The episode, during which Gordon admitted to alcohol and prescription drug abuse, netted a 3.9 rating/11 share in metered market numbers
Exclusives
New talk show The Real is doing well with younger women but Meredith Vieira is struggling, as did prior shows starring former Today co-hosts.
Alex Trebek, the man with one of the sweetest deals in TV, is not throwing in the towel just yet. Despite hints in recent years that he was ready to retire, the 74-year-old Jeopardy host just signed on to stay through at least the 2017-18 season — as have Wheel of Fortune‘s Pat Sajak and Vanna White.
Her audience has risen sharply in the past year, and her syndicated Wendy Williams Show attracts 2.4 million daily viewers on average, according to Nielsen. Among women 25-54, the most coveted demographic by daytime advertisers, hers is the only talk show to have achieved year-over-year national growth, and Williams now trades off daily with Ellen DeGeneres as the No. 1 female host.
The weekly half-hour show, which launched its seventh season on Comedy Central last month and averages about 2.1 million viewers per episode, will air on Fox TV Stations and other station groups primarily in latenight time slots on weekends and as a Monday-Friday strip.. Stations can air back-to-back episodes.
The syndicator’s three first-run shows — Family Feud, Wendy Williams and Celebrity Name Game -— posted strong ratings in the week ending Feb. 22. Celebrity and Wendy hit records in household ratings, while Feud matched its all-time high.
Judy Sheindlin has extended her contract with CBS Television Distribution for three more years. The new deal also includes a first-look production deal with Sheindlin’s company Queen Bee Productions Inc., which produces Hot Bench, the top-rated new show in syndication this season.
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Telco Productions Inc. is offering for fall Hiring America, a weekly half-hour barter series helping America’s veterans find jobs. Hosted by Gigi Stone Woods, anchor and network […]
Big Week for ‘Dr. Phil,’ ‘Family Feud’
Well poised for February sweeps, Dr. Phil earned its second highest rating of the season, while Family Feud hit a new ratings high during the week ending Feb. 1.
If being a brassy, oversized, larger-than-life personality is the recipe for a long TV shelf life, Williams is cooking on all burners as The Wendy Williams Show celebrates its 1,000th episode today. “It’s unbelievable that we’re still standing,” says Williams. “You can’t take anything for granted, but I have unwavering confidence in my staff and in me carrying the show.”
Warner Bros. is developing a remake of the dating game show Love Connection for 2016 with comedian Loni Love, who co-hosts the syndicator’s daytime panel talk show The Real, according to several sources at NATPE this week. A spokesperson for Warner Bros. could not be reached for comment. The original Love Connection with Chuck Woolery ran from 1983 to 1994. Meantime, Loni Love’s other show, The Real, is in its first season in broadcast syndication and is expected to return this fall.
‘The Better Show’ Bites The Dust
Meredith’s syndicated lifestyle show will close up shop after eight years. Meredith stations will continue to develop local programming under the Better banner.
Sinclair Stations To Carry ‘Corrupt Crimes’
It will be the launch group for Bellum Entertainment’s new half-hour daytime syndicated investigative series set for this fall.
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.
Stations Turning More And More To DIY Shows
While a number of stations and groups are eschewing syndicated programming for locally produced shows, the next step, some feel, is working together. “Scripps is doing their thing; Raycom is doing their thing — why can’t we craft shows together?” asked Tribune Media’s Sean Compton during a NATPE panel. “I think that’s the next step.”
Katz On Syndication: Broadcast Beats Cable
The Katz 2015 NATPE Preview focuses on key business categories for television, including a new analysis this year comparing the strength of local broadcast to cable distribution outlets for syndicated properties. It finds local broadcast television delivers almost twice the audience of cable distribution.
Is Reality Syndication’s Next Big Thing?
Studios, stations and distributors are wondering whether network TV’s and cable’s successes with reality TV the past decade may be worth tapping into for broadcast syndication. Panelists see some possible success scenarios, but seem to think reality TV’s influence on daytime TV will be limited.
‘The FAB Life’ Tops 70% Clearance
The Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution panel show featuring Tyra Banks and four co-hosts upped its station roster in advance of this fall’s debut.
PPI Gets ‘Social’ With Half-Hour Talk Strip
The CTV original daytime series The Social is now available to U.S. syndication in a 30-minute format.
NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution has sold The Meredith Vieira Show in 80% of the U.S. for its second season in syndication. Stations groups including Hearst, Sinclair, Hubbard, Scripps, Gray, Dispatch, Graham Media, LIN, Bonten, Media General and Schurz are on board. They join previously announced NBC Owned Stations.
Deal includes all barter, integration and advertising sales for the MGM-distributed syndicated viral video program beginning Feb. 2.
The Trifecta-distributed syndicated court show, which airs on stations including Fox TV Station’s MNT affiliate WWOR New York, is averaging a 0.7 household rating and a 0.3 among women 25-54 this season through December, according to Nielsen.
Worldwide comedy series Just for Laughs Gags is coming to U.S. syndication in 2015, PPI Releasing and Just for Laughs announced today. “We are thrilled that American viewers will finally […]
Tim Voit and Sewee Entertainment announce that the seven-time Emmy-winning quarterly series Andrew Young Presents is returning for an 8th season in 2015. The series has been renewed in over […]
Talk isn’t cheap. Tribune Media needed, but apparently couldn’t get, Sinclair on board to clear and help pay for the new project for the former CBS Late Late Show host whose syndicated Celebrity Name Game just got renewed today for a second season.
The syndicated game show from Debmar-Mercury and FremantleMedia North America is picked up by station groups including Tribune Broadcasting, Sinclair Broadcast Group and Cox Broadcasting.
Syndicated travel show Raw Travel from AIM Tell-A-Vision will be distributed for its third season this fall by Bright-Line, a newly formed distribution company from former Warner Bros. executive Jacqueline […]
The syndicated entertainment news program is extended for two years through 2016-2017 season. Its total viewers grow 10% over a year ago.
Bellum Entertainment and Raycom Media today announced the renewal of their syndicated strips Fix It & Finish It and Flip My Food for seasons two and three. Each series will […]
The CTD court show that is syndication’s No. 1 new entry is renewed and will also move to CBS-owned stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Miami and Denver on March 30, 2015.
NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution is developing the half-hour talk show to lead out of conflict strips like NBCUniversal’s Maury and Jerry Springer. It will be co-hosted by WNBC New York contributor Ben Aaron and Bad Girls Club reality star Tanisha Thomas
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Telco Productions Inc. is launching several new shows for 2015: Laff Mobb’s We Got Next is a weekly half-hour comedy series delivering a new twist on stand-up […]
