‘Dish Nation’ Set For Season 2 Green Light

Twentieth Television’s radio-DJ-hosted newsmagazine Dish Nation is pulling off a feat that a few of this year’s other rookie syndicated shows won’t — a second season. With Dish delivering ratings equal to its higher-profile freshmen rivals, according to syndication executives, Twentieth is expected to make the announcement of renewal at NATPE next week.

Dish, which has several morning radio show teams talking about celebrity gossip — including its newest, KLOS-FM Los Angeles’ Heidi & Frank — averaged a 0.5 adult 18-49 rating the week ending Jan. 13. By doing so, it tied Disney-ABC’s Katie and NBCUniversal’s Steve Harvey.

Among the other rookies, Twentieth’s Ricki had a 0.3 and CBS Television Distribution’s Jeff Probst and NBCUniversal’s Trisha each had a 0.2 rating.

In total viewers, Dish Nation is averaging 1.3 million viewers, up 18% from 1.1 million in September. And it regularly ranks No. 1 among this season’s new shows in the adults 18-34, men 18-34, men 18-49 and men 25-54 demos.

Dish Nation’s radio teams include:

Atlanta’s Rickey Smiley Morning Show, heard locally on Atlanta’s WHAT-FM and syndicated in more than 60 markets nationwide. It is hosted by Rickey Smiley and features Ebony Steele, Headkrack, Rock-T, Gary with da Tea.

New York’s The Big Show with Scott & Todd on WPLJ-FM, hosted by Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill and featuring Cooper Lawrence and Joe Pardavila.

Kidd Kraddick in the Morning, based in Dallas, hosted by Kidd Kraddick, and featuring Kellie Rasberry, Jenna, Big Al Mack and J-Si; plus, additional guest radio personalities.

“It is exciting to watch the momentum build on the program,” says Stephen Brown, EVP of programming and development at Twentieth Television.

“You can see in real time on social media — Facebook and Twitter — viewers proclaiming their enthusiasm for the program and for the radio personalities we feature. And, more importantly, they are constantly sharing with their friends that Dish Nation is the funniest show on television, resulting in new eyeballs watching the show and contributing to the continued upward trajectory of the ratings.”

The show is carried on stations belonging to Fox, Meredith, LIN, Sinclair and Tribune.