John Tesh’s Syndie Show Hits 83% Clearance

John Tesh’s return to broadcast syndication with Intelligence for Your Life on Sept. 15 is now cleared in 83% of TV households, including those in seven of the top 10 markets.

The top 10 outlets: CBS Television Stations’ independent WLNY New York; Fox TV Stations’ KTTV Los Angeles, WFLD Chicago and WAGA Atlanta; London Broadcasting’s independent KTXD Dallas; Granite’s independent KOFY San Francisco; and Comcast’s 24-hour cable news channel NECN in Boston.

The lifestyle show will air mostly in early morning slots. WLNY, for instance, has slotted it at 7 a.m. Monday to Friday and 6 a.m. on Saturday. It will also air at 7 a.m. Monday to Friday on CW Plus stations in a few dozen markets.

“A lot of stations see this as a news-adjacent show,” says Tesh. “It’s a show with news you can use that will take viewers right into the news.”

The barter-only show (195 episodes, with a 3.5/3.5 split) is based on Tesh’s radio show of the same name, which has been on the air for 12 years and is now heard on nearly 300 stations. Tesh’s wife, Connie Sellecca, and son, Gib Gerard, will co-host. Sellecca also hosts the weekend radio show Intelligence for Your Health.

“We’ll use some of that show’s content and health experts on our show,” Tesh says.

The show is a half hour, but stations will be airing two episodes back to back in many markets.

The co-hosts and their guests will provide tips on relationships, nutrition and finances. Each episode will also have segments where Tesh, Sellecca and Gerard talk about newsy topics.

“We changed the show a little bit since we taped the pilot,” says Tesh. “On the pilot, there was one clip where Connie, Gib and I had a conversation about social media. It was a View-style conversation. We got a positive reaction to that from general managers. So, you’ll see more of that in each show.”

The show’s content also can be used by stations for their websites. “Stations love the option to monetize that,” says Tesh. “And we’re going to interface with local stations to help them with their advertisers. If an advertiser wants us to do a local commercial, Gib, Connie and I are available to do that.”

Tesh, who co-hosted CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight for 10 years, is producing IFYL through his Tesh Media Group. Tesh Media is also distributing the show with assistance from former Paramount Television (now CTD) executive Mark Dvornik.

“He and I worked together for 10 years at ET,” says Tesh. “When we decided to take this into syndication, we realized we needed someone with his expertise. He and Gib, Connie and I went from station to station to screen the pilot and to meet with the sales teams.”