‘Dish Nation’ U.S. Clearances Top 80%

Dish Nation, Twentieth Television’s companion show for newsmagazines like Warner Bros.’ TMZ, is now cleared on station groups reaching more than 80% of TV homes, including in 49 of the top 50 markets, for its fall 2012 debut. The half-hour show has picked up additional clearances on stations in duopoly markets, including CBS Television Stations in Miami and 10 Sinclair markets, including Pittsburgh and Raleigh, N.C.

Dish Nation tapes teams of radio DJs around the country as they talk about entertainment news. It’s produced by marketing shop Studio City, whose chief executive Stu Weiss began his career as a radio disc jockey.

“The novel twist about this show is that it’s on radio and on TV,” says Stephen Brown, senior vice president of programming and development at Twentieth. “That allows us to cross promote with our radio station partners.”

Dish Nation is primarily being cleared in prime access and late night time slots. It’s intended to be a companion for newsmagazines and sitcoms. It is expected to be slotted next to TMZ on several Fox stations.

Over the past few months, stations groups have been picking up the show, including Fox Television Stations, Tribune Broadcasting, LIN, Local TV, Meredith, Cox and Sinclair’s MNT affiliate WSTR Cincinnati.

Last summer, Dish Nation got a six-week test run on seven Fox TV stations, including MNT affiliate WWOR New York and Fox affiliate KTTV Los Angeles. Radio stations featured on the test included WPLJ-FM New York, WHAT-FM Atlanta and WDVD-FM Detroit.

While Dish Nation averaged a modest 0.9 rating/2 share, it worked creatively, says Brown.

“By the time we were in week four or week five of the test, we got the rhythm of the show down,” he says. “We’re adding a new team on the West Coast, but the format of the show will remain the same.”