My Think Tank on Mariotti is coming sometime this week (tougher to write than I thought), but in the meantime, let's analyze what the backstabbing sellout had to say Friday in Phil Rosenthal's column in the Trib:
- Referring to the Sun-Times' reaction of Mariotti leaving, Gerald Minkkinen of the Chicago Newspaer Guild union said: "I looked at the newspaper this morning and went, 'What the hell?' It was the most ludicrous thing I have seen in my life."
Thank goodness this Minkkinen guy wasn't head of the Writer's Guild, or they would have been on strike for 300 days instead of 100.
- Mariotti responded: "You've been selling me out there for years and promoting me, then you turn on me and you expect people to buy it? It's crazy. It looked amateurish... This is something the White Sox would do."
No, what's amateurish were your columns you've written over the last 17 years. You've made a mockery of a profession I love to do. You are no writer. A sixth-grade term paper has more credibilty than your columns.
- Responding to Ebert's letter, he said the paper was "pulling out all the stops, obviously." His respect for Ebert notwithstanding, Mariotti said his output over the years should be proof of his loyalty.
Um, what loyalty? All Mariotti did was use the Sun-Times' space to attack people and organizations he didn't like, whether there was just cause or not. And Mariotti has the nerve to talk about loyalty. If he was so loyal, why did he sneak out of the Sun-Times like the Colts did from Baltimore 25 years ago?
- ... "I could go to work in Australia. I could go to work down the street. It's a wacky world. Anything is possible."
Then I have the perfect job for you. How about joining The Parents Television Council? Like you, they lie, attack individuals and organizations for no reason, and they are just as arrogrant and self-serving as you are. Jay Mariotti, Tim Winter, Brent Bozell, and Dan Isett - The Moronic Dream Team.
And if you can't get work there, KFC is always hiring...
-... "noting there was 'no shut-up clause' along with the out in his contract."
Yeah Mariotti, you should shut the fuck up. Save it for what Sun-Times baseball writer Chris DeLuca calls "an ESPN game show". And I'm certain if Chicago viewers want to watch a windbag who's full of himself, they can watch Dr. Phil every day at 4.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Who's in your four, Edition III
The week that was:
T Dog's Fab Four
- Jay Mariotti leaves the Sun-Times. Yes! Oh God, Yes!
-Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech. Drew just as many viewers as the opening ceremonies of the recent Summer Olympics.
- The U.S. men's and women's basketball team. The ladies brought home the Gold and the Redeem Team did likewise. Way to go!
- ABC's retro Life on Mars promo. Makes yours truly want to check out the show... and he will. Great marketing job by ABC.
T Dog's Flop Four
- The PTC. Trying to protect children from 90210. Oh, the horror!
- American Idol adds fourth judge. Isn't three grating personalities enough?
- NBC. Thanks NBC for revealing that someone won $1 million on Monday's upcoming Deal or No Deal. How anti-climatic. What ever happened to the element of surprise? What's the point of even watching? When all you're concerned about is building up ratings... Thanks a lot, Ben "Bulls Ballboy" Silverman.
- Pre-season football. Judging by the ratings, no one is interested in "The NFL rip-off extravaganza", otherwise known as pre-season football. Except in Chicago, where the Bears are the new Cubs. And I don't mean this year's Cubs.
Toss-Up:
WGN preempts the premiere of 90210 for Cubs game. WGN is sticking with the Astros-Cubs game on Tuesday night, given the historic pace the latter team is on, while pushing the premiere of 90210 to 10:30 pm - or later. I can hear teenage girls whining all over Chicagoland... Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! Oops, wrong show...
T Dog's Fab Four
- Jay Mariotti leaves the Sun-Times. Yes! Oh God, Yes!
-Barack Obama's Acceptance Speech. Drew just as many viewers as the opening ceremonies of the recent Summer Olympics.
- The U.S. men's and women's basketball team. The ladies brought home the Gold and the Redeem Team did likewise. Way to go!
- ABC's retro Life on Mars promo. Makes yours truly want to check out the show... and he will. Great marketing job by ABC.
T Dog's Flop Four
- The PTC. Trying to protect children from 90210. Oh, the horror!
- American Idol adds fourth judge. Isn't three grating personalities enough?
- NBC. Thanks NBC for revealing that someone won $1 million on Monday's upcoming Deal or No Deal. How anti-climatic. What ever happened to the element of surprise? What's the point of even watching? When all you're concerned about is building up ratings... Thanks a lot, Ben "Bulls Ballboy" Silverman.
- Pre-season football. Judging by the ratings, no one is interested in "The NFL rip-off extravaganza", otherwise known as pre-season football. Except in Chicago, where the Bears are the new Cubs. And I don't mean this year's Cubs.
Toss-Up:
WGN preempts the premiere of 90210 for Cubs game. WGN is sticking with the Astros-Cubs game on Tuesday night, given the historic pace the latter team is on, while pushing the premiere of 90210 to 10:30 pm - or later. I can hear teenage girls whining all over Chicagoland... Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! Oops, wrong show...
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Ebert to Mariotti: You're a backstabbing sellout
More and more individuals from the Sun-Times are speaking their mind on Jay Mariotti's sudden departure from the paper - and here's the most notable of them all - Roger Ebert's letter to Jay Mariotti - in which he calls Mariotti a rat - totally a great read. Also, baseball writer Chris De Luca weighs in on Mariotti's departure.
And you have former Sun-Times writers weighing in, too: Phil Rosenthal, who now writes a media column for the Tribune, roomed with Mariotti while covering the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Somehow, Mariotti found time to blast Bulls management - never mind the fact that they were between NBA championships.
In other words, he was writing as if they were the Denver Nuggets, who went 11-71 in 1997-98. The Bulls finished 62-20, tied with past and future Finals opponent Utah for best record in the NBA.
Yours truly will weigh in with his thoughts in an upcoming Think Tank this weekend. And if you've read this blog the last two years, then you already know what I'm going to say... but it's worth repeating - and writing.
And you have former Sun-Times writers weighing in, too: Phil Rosenthal, who now writes a media column for the Tribune, roomed with Mariotti while covering the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Somehow, Mariotti found time to blast Bulls management - never mind the fact that they were between NBA championships.
In other words, he was writing as if they were the Denver Nuggets, who went 11-71 in 1997-98. The Bulls finished 62-20, tied with past and future Finals opponent Utah for best record in the NBA.
Yours truly will weigh in with his thoughts in an upcoming Think Tank this weekend. And if you've read this blog the last two years, then you already know what I'm going to say... but it's worth repeating - and writing.
You have 30 days to sell your TV station. Time's a tickin'....
It's a station ownership mess in Virginia: In a follow-up to a story in yesterday's Groovy Grab Bag, The Department of Justice has told Raycom to sell its CBS affiliate in Richmond, Va. (WTVR) - and you have thirty days to do so. Or else.
Raycom acquired NBC affiliate WWBT-TV in Richmond as part of the company's acquisition of the Lincoln Financial Television Group. This group included once-dominant WBTV (CBS) in Charlotte, and another CBS affiliate, WCSC-TV in Charleston, S.C.
Both WWBT and WBTV were once owned by Jefferson-Pilot.
Since WTVR and WWBT are among the top four stations in the nation's 58th-largest market, the FCC and the DOJ do not allow a duopoly, since it would lead to higher prices for advertisers and violate anti-trust laws. Raycom entered into a decree with the DOJ to sell WTVR within ninety days. Under this same decree, the DOJ also has the right to reject the buyer.
Raycom tried selling WTVR to Sinclair, but the sale was rejected by the DOJ. Sinclair would turn around and sell Fox affiliate WRLH-TV to a third party, but would continue to operate it.
Raycom has thirty days to find another buyer for the station, but federal law can give the company another thirty days. If a buyer can't be found in time, the station's ownership falls in the hands of a trustee.
Raycom acquired NBC affiliate WWBT-TV in Richmond as part of the company's acquisition of the Lincoln Financial Television Group. This group included once-dominant WBTV (CBS) in Charlotte, and another CBS affiliate, WCSC-TV in Charleston, S.C.
Both WWBT and WBTV were once owned by Jefferson-Pilot.
Since WTVR and WWBT are among the top four stations in the nation's 58th-largest market, the FCC and the DOJ do not allow a duopoly, since it would lead to higher prices for advertisers and violate anti-trust laws. Raycom entered into a decree with the DOJ to sell WTVR within ninety days. Under this same decree, the DOJ also has the right to reject the buyer.
Raycom tried selling WTVR to Sinclair, but the sale was rejected by the DOJ. Sinclair would turn around and sell Fox affiliate WRLH-TV to a third party, but would continue to operate it.
Raycom has thirty days to find another buyer for the station, but federal law can give the company another thirty days. If a buyer can't be found in time, the station's ownership falls in the hands of a trustee.
T Dog's Groovy Grab Bag
Let's reach into the bag today and see what we can scoop out...
- New fall syndication updates: WPWR plays the Feud again: Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud returns to WPWR-TV for the third time beginning on Sept. 8, airing back-to-back episodes at 2 p.m, while Debmar's new Trivial Pursuit: America's Plays airs at 3 p.m.
Family Feud aired on WPWR from 1991-95 and again during the 1999-2000 season.
- Charter and Time Warner have signed deals with The Big Ten Network, two of the major MSO holdouts - just in time for the upcoming college football season. Recently, Comcast added BTN to its cable lineup (In Chicago, you can find it on Ch. 52 and Ch. 255, while the HD feed can be found on Ch. 256.)
- In a rare - but complicated move, the Department of Justice has denied a station sale: In Richmond, Va, WTVR's sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group from Raycom Media was scuttled by the government agency because: 1. Sinclair would would have interests two of the top four stations in the Richmond market, since it was planning to spin-off Fox affiliate WRLH-TV to a holding company in which it would provide sales and non-related programming services; and 2. under provisions of a constent decree Raycom entered with the DOJ when it bought three Lincoln Financial stations, giving the government agency the right to reject the WTVR sale.
WTVR is Richmond's CBS affiliate - but it has struggled in recent years, often finishing third in the overall ratings.
- American Idol has added a fourth judge: Record producer Jane Doe will join Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell on the show next season. Four of them? Good luck, contestants.
- And finally TheWB.com has arrived. The new online network features full episodes of classic WB shows and some original content, including Sorority Forever.
updated on 2008-08-29 at 5:58 p.m. (corrected Family Feud item - Feud was on former English-language indie WGBO-TV during 1990-91 season)
- New fall syndication updates: WPWR plays the Feud again: Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud returns to WPWR-TV for the third time beginning on Sept. 8, airing back-to-back episodes at 2 p.m, while Debmar's new Trivial Pursuit: America's Plays airs at 3 p.m.
Family Feud aired on WPWR from 1991-95 and again during the 1999-2000 season.
- Charter and Time Warner have signed deals with The Big Ten Network, two of the major MSO holdouts - just in time for the upcoming college football season. Recently, Comcast added BTN to its cable lineup (In Chicago, you can find it on Ch. 52 and Ch. 255, while the HD feed can be found on Ch. 256.)
- In a rare - but complicated move, the Department of Justice has denied a station sale: In Richmond, Va, WTVR's sale to Sinclair Broadcast Group from Raycom Media was scuttled by the government agency because: 1. Sinclair would would have interests two of the top four stations in the Richmond market, since it was planning to spin-off Fox affiliate WRLH-TV to a holding company in which it would provide sales and non-related programming services; and 2. under provisions of a constent decree Raycom entered with the DOJ when it bought three Lincoln Financial stations, giving the government agency the right to reject the WTVR sale.
WTVR is Richmond's CBS affiliate - but it has struggled in recent years, often finishing third in the overall ratings.
- American Idol has added a fourth judge: Record producer Jane Doe will join Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell on the show next season. Four of them? Good luck, contestants.
- And finally TheWB.com has arrived. The new online network features full episodes of classic WB shows and some original content, including Sorority Forever.
updated on 2008-08-29 at 5:58 p.m. (corrected Family Feud item - Feud was on former English-language indie WGBO-TV during 1990-91 season)
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
More on Mariotti's departure
According to Deadspin (take it with a grain of salt though), Jay Mariotti quit his Sun-Times job because of a perceived slight? Word is he wanted to write a column about Barack Obama after he returned from coming the Summer Olympics in China, but the Sun-Times' editors nixed the idea and gave the gig to Rick Telander.
Mariotti returned to the Sun-Times building to tape his Around the Horn segment, but management deactived his pass while management was deciding whether or not they should accept his resignation.
And now this from Sun-Times editor Michael Cooke:
"We wish Jay well and will miss him — not personally, of course, but in the sense of noticing he is no longer here, at least for a few days."
Ouch.
Mariotti returned to the Sun-Times building to tape his Around the Horn segment, but management deactived his pass while management was deciding whether or not they should accept his resignation.
And now this from Sun-Times editor Michael Cooke:
"We wish Jay well and will miss him — not personally, of course, but in the sense of noticing he is no longer here, at least for a few days."
Ouch.
A promo that takes you to the '70's
Check this out: A cool 1970's-like promo for ABC's upcoming crime drama Life On Mars, about a guy who wakes up one morning, and thinks it's 1973. To see the clip, click here.
The clip features ABC graphics and the "meatball" logo from the era, and even uses an Ernie Anderson-like voice to promote the show (Anderson, who did voiceover work for ABC in the 1970's and 1980's and for the syndicated Star Trek: The Next Generation - not to mention playing "The Great Ghoulardi" on late-night TV in Cleveland in the 1960's - died in 1997.)
So, what was on ABC in 1973? Among the programs airing in prime-time when yours truly was just a toddler were The Brady Bunch, Odd Couple, Love, American Style (one title), The Rookies, Room 222, The F.B.I. and The New Temperatures Rising. ABC was the young-skewing alternative at the time to CBS and NBC.
Saturday Morning fare included Yogi's Gang, Superfriends, and something called Goober and the Ghost Chasers. Yes, Goober and the Ghost Chasers.
The clip features ABC graphics and the "meatball" logo from the era, and even uses an Ernie Anderson-like voice to promote the show (Anderson, who did voiceover work for ABC in the 1970's and 1980's and for the syndicated Star Trek: The Next Generation - not to mention playing "The Great Ghoulardi" on late-night TV in Cleveland in the 1960's - died in 1997.)
So, what was on ABC in 1973? Among the programs airing in prime-time when yours truly was just a toddler were The Brady Bunch, Odd Couple, Love, American Style (one title), The Rookies, Room 222, The F.B.I. and The New Temperatures Rising. ABC was the young-skewing alternative at the time to CBS and NBC.
Saturday Morning fare included Yogi's Gang, Superfriends, and something called Goober and the Ghost Chasers. Yes, Goober and the Ghost Chasers.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOARD, YES!
Chicago sports journalism has just improved... by a lot.
The Chicago Sun-Times' resident sports pest... er, I mean columnist, Jay Mariotti, has left the building. Mariotti resigned from the paper Tuesday night to pursue "other opportunities". The decision came after his trip to China to cover the Summer Olympics and noticed there wasn't much of a newspaper presence there, proclaiming sports journalism is now entirely on the Web (which is in fact, true.)
Well, what do I have to say about this?
Yabba Dabba Doo!
NanaNana... NanaNana... Hey, Hey, Hey... GOODBYE! Don't hit your behind out the door...
Sorry about that... Okay, where was I? Oh, yeah... Don't forget, he's still pestering audiences daily on ESPN's Around the Horn.
Ironically, Mariotti signed a three-year extension earlier this year.
Yes, Chicago, our long, local nightmare is over. Celebrate!
- Join the celebration at Jay the Joke
- Past T Dog Media Blog posts about Jay Mariotti, including A letter to Jay Mariotti and The inmates are running the asylum
- T Dog's Think Tank: O'Reilly, Mariotti aren't going anywhere
(Fred Flintstone: (C) Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. )
KPLR shifts CW primetime to 8 p.m.
Tribune's KPLR-TV in St. Louis is moving its half-hour 9 p.m. newscast to 7 p.m. and expanding it to a hour beginning on Sept. 8.
This means CW primetime fare currently airing at 7 p.m. is shifting to 8 p.m., with KPLR taking the Mountain Time feed. For example, when 90210 airs in St. Louis (8 p.m. Central), it'll air at the exact same time in Denver (7 p.m. MT.)
According to KPLR GM Bill Lanesey, the move is being made for viewers who can't get home to see local news on other stations at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. He points out their isn't an option for younger viewers at 9 p.m., and CW programming fits the bill. Lanesey also says PUT (People Using Television) levels for the 18-34 target audience is five points higher at 9 p.m. than it is for 7 p.m.
The move is a win for KTVI as well, with the Local TV-owned Fox affiliate (and former Fox O&O and ABC affiliate) having the news competition to itself at 9 p.m.
This isn't the first time a network affiliate shifted its prime-time programming to a later or earlier time to fit its' market's needs, but to mostly disastrous results.
In Indianapolis, WTHR-TV shifted its NBC prime-time programming to 7 p.m., Central Daylight Time from 8 p.m. in the summer of 1991 as an "early prime" experiment, but met with disastrous results, with the network version of The Cosby Show getting beat by Wheel of Fortune and the network version of Cheers on Thursday nights getting hammered by The Simpsons. It helps to note Indianapolis' three other network affiliates kept its prime-time at 8 year-around, even though the market was on Eastern Standard Time half the year (today, Indianapolis is on Eastern Time year-around.)
In 1992, NBC affiliates KCRA-TV in Sacramento, KRON-TV in San Francisco, and KSBW-TV in Salinas/Monterey, Calif. all shifted their prime-time to 7 p.m., as did CBS affiliate KPIX-TV in San Francisco in order to move their late news to 10 p.m. and expand a hour. A year later, all three NBC affiliates went back to airing prime-time programs beginning at 8 p.m., while KPIX hung in there before moving its prime-time start back to 8 p.m. in 1998.
When KOVR-TV in Sacramento switched affiliation from ABC to CBS in 1995, it moved its prime-time start to 7 p.m., where it remains today (KXTV switched from CBS to ABC and retained the 8 p.m. start for ABC programming.)
More recently, KJZZ-TV in Salt Lake City shifted My Network TV programming to late-night hours (MNT programming now airs in pattern on KCSG-TV.)
As for KPLR, the newscasts are only airing weeknights at 7 p.m. The station does not plan to air any weekend newscasts.
KPLR is also revising its' prime access lineup as well, with Everybody Loves Raymond and Two and a Half Men swapping time slots to air at 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively.
Thought: While KPLR moving the newscast to 7 p.m. is nice, you wonder how long this will last. Not because of ratings - but because ABC's contract with its sadsack affiliate in St. Louis (Sinclair-owned KDNL-TV) reportedly comes up next year. With no local news operation at KDNL since 2001 (KDNL does not have a clause in its affiliation contract forcing it to put on local news), ABC would definitely give KPLR a look.
ABC has never really had good relations with KDNL or KTVI, and has tried to hook up with KPLR twice - once in 1988 and again in 1995, when then-owner of KTVI (New World) signed an affiliation deal with Fox with almost all of its stations, forcing ABC off KTVI and onto KDNL. What got in the way was Cardinals baseball - which KPLR held the rights to at the time.
With the Cardinals over-the-air broadcasts now on NBC affiliate KSDK-TV and CW struggling in the ratings, this is the perfect time for Sam Zell, Tribune, and KPLR to go after ABC. Look what the Tribsters recently did in San Diego. Make it happen, Mr. Zell. ABC deserves a strong station in St. Louis, while The CW deserves KDNL - after all, misery does loves company...
And don't forget, beginning Sept. 8, KDNL is airing the new daytime version of Deal or No Deal at 10 p.m. - at night - featuring bonus material - five extra minutes worth of commercials.
This means CW primetime fare currently airing at 7 p.m. is shifting to 8 p.m., with KPLR taking the Mountain Time feed. For example, when 90210 airs in St. Louis (8 p.m. Central), it'll air at the exact same time in Denver (7 p.m. MT.)
According to KPLR GM Bill Lanesey, the move is being made for viewers who can't get home to see local news on other stations at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. He points out their isn't an option for younger viewers at 9 p.m., and CW programming fits the bill. Lanesey also says PUT (People Using Television) levels for the 18-34 target audience is five points higher at 9 p.m. than it is for 7 p.m.
The move is a win for KTVI as well, with the Local TV-owned Fox affiliate (and former Fox O&O and ABC affiliate) having the news competition to itself at 9 p.m.
This isn't the first time a network affiliate shifted its prime-time programming to a later or earlier time to fit its' market's needs, but to mostly disastrous results.
In Indianapolis, WTHR-TV shifted its NBC prime-time programming to 7 p.m., Central Daylight Time from 8 p.m. in the summer of 1991 as an "early prime" experiment, but met with disastrous results, with the network version of The Cosby Show getting beat by Wheel of Fortune and the network version of Cheers on Thursday nights getting hammered by The Simpsons. It helps to note Indianapolis' three other network affiliates kept its prime-time at 8 year-around, even though the market was on Eastern Standard Time half the year (today, Indianapolis is on Eastern Time year-around.)
In 1992, NBC affiliates KCRA-TV in Sacramento, KRON-TV in San Francisco, and KSBW-TV in Salinas/Monterey, Calif. all shifted their prime-time to 7 p.m., as did CBS affiliate KPIX-TV in San Francisco in order to move their late news to 10 p.m. and expand a hour. A year later, all three NBC affiliates went back to airing prime-time programs beginning at 8 p.m., while KPIX hung in there before moving its prime-time start back to 8 p.m. in 1998.
When KOVR-TV in Sacramento switched affiliation from ABC to CBS in 1995, it moved its prime-time start to 7 p.m., where it remains today (KXTV switched from CBS to ABC and retained the 8 p.m. start for ABC programming.)
More recently, KJZZ-TV in Salt Lake City shifted My Network TV programming to late-night hours (MNT programming now airs in pattern on KCSG-TV.)
As for KPLR, the newscasts are only airing weeknights at 7 p.m. The station does not plan to air any weekend newscasts.
KPLR is also revising its' prime access lineup as well, with Everybody Loves Raymond and Two and a Half Men swapping time slots to air at 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively.
Thought: While KPLR moving the newscast to 7 p.m. is nice, you wonder how long this will last. Not because of ratings - but because ABC's contract with its sadsack affiliate in St. Louis (Sinclair-owned KDNL-TV) reportedly comes up next year. With no local news operation at KDNL since 2001 (KDNL does not have a clause in its affiliation contract forcing it to put on local news), ABC would definitely give KPLR a look.
ABC has never really had good relations with KDNL or KTVI, and has tried to hook up with KPLR twice - once in 1988 and again in 1995, when then-owner of KTVI (New World) signed an affiliation deal with Fox with almost all of its stations, forcing ABC off KTVI and onto KDNL. What got in the way was Cardinals baseball - which KPLR held the rights to at the time.
With the Cardinals over-the-air broadcasts now on NBC affiliate KSDK-TV and CW struggling in the ratings, this is the perfect time for Sam Zell, Tribune, and KPLR to go after ABC. Look what the Tribsters recently did in San Diego. Make it happen, Mr. Zell. ABC deserves a strong station in St. Louis, while The CW deserves KDNL - after all, misery does loves company...
And don't forget, beginning Sept. 8, KDNL is airing the new daytime version of Deal or No Deal at 10 p.m. - at night - featuring bonus material - five extra minutes worth of commercials.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Merri Dee leaves WGN-TV
One of the most identifiable voices of WGN-TV is calling it a career.
Merri Dee, who has done voiceover work for WGN-TV in the 1970's and 1980's is leaving the station October 1 after 37 years.
Though known for her work for voiceovers, the Bud Billiken Parade, Illinois Lottery Drawings, and many telethons, she was also the longtime director for community relations for the Tribune-owned station.
She'll continue to be a consultant for community organizations and corporations, and she is also joining the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) as a volunteer to help shape the organization's agenda for Illinois.
Merri Dee, who has done voiceover work for WGN-TV in the 1970's and 1980's is leaving the station October 1 after 37 years.
Though known for her work for voiceovers, the Bud Billiken Parade, Illinois Lottery Drawings, and many telethons, she was also the longtime director for community relations for the Tribune-owned station.
She'll continue to be a consultant for community organizations and corporations, and she is also joining the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) as a volunteer to help shape the organization's agenda for Illinois.
Can syndication find the next hit?
Quick, when was the last true first-run syndicated hit?
Before that, you would have to go all the way back to June 1996 for the last breakout hit - Warner Bros.' The Rosie O'Donnell Show. And if you want to go find out was the next breakout hit was before Rosie, you would have to go back all the way to 1987 when Geraldo Rivera's talk show hit it big.
This recent Broadcasting & Cable article dives into how syndicators are trying to find the next syndicated hit and in some cases, trying to re-structure a program's economic model so it can be more profitable for all parties involved.
With fragmentation the rule of the day now, it is increasingly harder and harder to launch a new first-run syndicated strip or weekly show. Then again, it was just as hard in the 1980's and 1990's, where hit shows right off the bat were just as hard to come by.
This fall's new strips hope to gain traction by appealing to different demos. And the fun begins on Sept. 8, with CBS launching a new medical talk show titled The Doctors (not related to the 1963-82 NBC daytime serial of the same name) and two new courtroom strips - Sony's Judge Karen and Program Partners' Family Court with Judge Penny.
Warner Bros. is launching the lone general-format talk show with The Bonnie Hunt Show, featuring Chicagoan Bonnie Hunt, while two game shows are launching: Debmar-Mercury's Trivial Pursuit: America Plays (debuts Sept. 22), and NBC Universal's Deal or No Deal.
Warner Bros. is programming CW's 3-5 p.m. time slot in all time zones, with the new Judge Jeanne Pirro (shot at the NBC Tower in Chicago) and repeats of The Wayans Bros. and The Jamie Foxx Show.
No off-network sitcoms are launching this season - unless you count Debmar's Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which is coming off a successful run on TBS; and Litton's off-cable series Punk'd. Also on tap are two new weeklies: Disney/ABC's Legend of the Seeker, which debuts Nov. 3, and Litton's Storm Seekers, which bows the week of Sept. 29.
Off-net weeklies coming down the pike this fall include Disney/ABC's Desperate Housewives and Lost; Twentieth's Boston Legal; and CBS Television Distribution's CSI: New York.
What's out of syndication:
Here's what yours truly knows so far...
- Twentieth's Temptation and Sony's Judge Maria Lopez have been confirmed canceled.
- Radar's Jury Duty lost its WPIX clearence in New York, so its likely gone as well.
- Sony is supposedly pulling repeats of The Shield from syndication.
- According to Sitcoms Online, WPIX in New York has dropped repeats of Soul Train from its lineup, meaning the dance music's long run on the station has come to an end. No word on the fate of the show on WGN-TV and WGN America.
Though many syndicators would argue, it was six years ago with Dr. Phil averaging a 4.4 Nielsen rating in its freshman season.
Before that, you would have to go all the way back to June 1996 for the last breakout hit - Warner Bros.' The Rosie O'Donnell Show. And if you want to go find out was the next breakout hit was before Rosie, you would have to go back all the way to 1987 when Geraldo Rivera's talk show hit it big.
This recent Broadcasting & Cable article dives into how syndicators are trying to find the next syndicated hit and in some cases, trying to re-structure a program's economic model so it can be more profitable for all parties involved.
With fragmentation the rule of the day now, it is increasingly harder and harder to launch a new first-run syndicated strip or weekly show. Then again, it was just as hard in the 1980's and 1990's, where hit shows right off the bat were just as hard to come by.
This fall's new strips hope to gain traction by appealing to different demos. And the fun begins on Sept. 8, with CBS launching a new medical talk show titled The Doctors (not related to the 1963-82 NBC daytime serial of the same name) and two new courtroom strips - Sony's Judge Karen and Program Partners' Family Court with Judge Penny.
Warner Bros. is launching the lone general-format talk show with The Bonnie Hunt Show, featuring Chicagoan Bonnie Hunt, while two game shows are launching: Debmar-Mercury's Trivial Pursuit: America Plays (debuts Sept. 22), and NBC Universal's Deal or No Deal.
Warner Bros. is programming CW's 3-5 p.m. time slot in all time zones, with the new Judge Jeanne Pirro (shot at the NBC Tower in Chicago) and repeats of The Wayans Bros. and The Jamie Foxx Show.
No off-network sitcoms are launching this season - unless you count Debmar's Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which is coming off a successful run on TBS; and Litton's off-cable series Punk'd. Also on tap are two new weeklies: Disney/ABC's Legend of the Seeker, which debuts Nov. 3, and Litton's Storm Seekers, which bows the week of Sept. 29.
Off-net weeklies coming down the pike this fall include Disney/ABC's Desperate Housewives and Lost; Twentieth's Boston Legal; and CBS Television Distribution's CSI: New York.
What's out of syndication:
Here's what yours truly knows so far...
- Twentieth's Temptation and Sony's Judge Maria Lopez have been confirmed canceled.
- Radar's Jury Duty lost its WPIX clearence in New York, so its likely gone as well.
- Sony is supposedly pulling repeats of The Shield from syndication.
- According to Sitcoms Online, WPIX in New York has dropped repeats of Soul Train from its lineup, meaning the dance music's long run on the station has come to an end. No word on the fate of the show on WGN-TV and WGN America.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Who's in your four, Edition II
The week's winners and losers:
T Dog's Fab Four
- Michael Phelps. The best Olympian. Ever.
- NBC and the Summer Olympics. The numbers posted by the event are on the pace to be the most watched Olympics. Ever.
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. A slight revamp and an upgrade to early fringe (5 p.m.) at WGN-TV in Chicago bodes well for the future of Meredith Vierra and this underrated game show, once an ABC prime-time mainstay.
- Bob & Tom. Those Clear Channel connections are paying off for Tribune, as the duo land a late-night TV show on WGN America.
T Dog's Flop Four
- Steve Dahl. - His show is being shortened and now moves to 5-9 a.m., so Jack-FM (WJMK) can play more music - but it may be because preliminary PPM numbers haven't been good as the diary ones. But the best lines of the week came from Dahl himself about the move: "By 9, you're done with your morning rush-hour-type radio. You're ready to kick back and enjoy some Huey Lewis, or whatever it is we play." And... "It's easier to start with something like that. It's really hard to start …[when] I've got to talk about this stupid song and Def Leppard. I've got nothing to say about Def Leppard." Funny Stuff. But you wonder if this is Steve Harvey and the now-defunct KKBT-FM (The Beat) in L.A. all over again...
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This year's most anticipated project turned out to be both a critical and a box office dud, dampening enthusiasm for the soon-to-launch animated TV series this fall, or whenever it premieres.
- Stargate: Atlantis. The sci-fi show on SciFi finally ran out of gas this week, canceled after five seasons.
- Washington Nationals. They couldn't find an audience (or fans) in Montreal as the Expos the last few years and now can't find an audience in Washington, D.C. With the baseball team getting beat on the field and in the ratings by infomercials featuring Wilford Brimley selling life insurance, it's time to pull the plug on this mess called MASN. As Brimley would say on those oatmeal commercials: "It's the right thing to do."
Toss Up: A pre-season Bears game Thursday night nearly beat the Summer Olympics locally, with the Bears-49ers tilt averaging a 13.3 household rating/22 share to the Olympics' 13.8/23. Hey, aren't we competing for the 2016 Olympics?
T Dog's Fab Four
- Michael Phelps. The best Olympian. Ever.
- NBC and the Summer Olympics. The numbers posted by the event are on the pace to be the most watched Olympics. Ever.
- Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. A slight revamp and an upgrade to early fringe (5 p.m.) at WGN-TV in Chicago bodes well for the future of Meredith Vierra and this underrated game show, once an ABC prime-time mainstay.
- Bob & Tom. Those Clear Channel connections are paying off for Tribune, as the duo land a late-night TV show on WGN America.
T Dog's Flop Four
- Steve Dahl. - His show is being shortened and now moves to 5-9 a.m., so Jack-FM (WJMK) can play more music - but it may be because preliminary PPM numbers haven't been good as the diary ones. But the best lines of the week came from Dahl himself about the move: "By 9, you're done with your morning rush-hour-type radio. You're ready to kick back and enjoy some Huey Lewis, or whatever it is we play." And... "It's easier to start with something like that. It's really hard to start …[when] I've got to talk about this stupid song and Def Leppard. I've got nothing to say about Def Leppard." Funny Stuff. But you wonder if this is Steve Harvey and the now-defunct KKBT-FM (The Beat) in L.A. all over again...
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars. This year's most anticipated project turned out to be both a critical and a box office dud, dampening enthusiasm for the soon-to-launch animated TV series this fall, or whenever it premieres.
- Stargate: Atlantis. The sci-fi show on SciFi finally ran out of gas this week, canceled after five seasons.
- Washington Nationals. They couldn't find an audience (or fans) in Montreal as the Expos the last few years and now can't find an audience in Washington, D.C. With the baseball team getting beat on the field and in the ratings by infomercials featuring Wilford Brimley selling life insurance, it's time to pull the plug on this mess called MASN. As Brimley would say on those oatmeal commercials: "It's the right thing to do."
Toss Up: A pre-season Bears game Thursday night nearly beat the Summer Olympics locally, with the Bears-49ers tilt averaging a 13.3 household rating/22 share to the Olympics' 13.8/23. Hey, aren't we competing for the 2016 Olympics?
CBS, Time Warner to The CW: We got your backs
Memo to all CW employees from Time Warner and The Church of Tisch: We have you backs. By the power and the salvation of the almighty dollar, The CW will be saved from a fate worst than anything: cancellation, thanks to Pastor Les Moonves and Deacon Dawn Ostroff.
WBBM General Manager Joe Ahern will now make the rounds with the collection plate for your "donation".
In letters mailed to CW affiliates yesterday morning, Time Warner and CBS executives addressed their concerns about the fledgling network and remain 100 percent committed to the cause.
The announcement comes amid reports Tribune and others are making alternative plans to program prime-time just in case CW goes under, and a few stations are re-branding themselves without the CW name.
Ratings for CW are down 15 percent from a year ago, which was hard hit by the writer's strike. The network's ratings remain low despite the most buzzed-about shows on television. The network also recently rented out Sunday nights and Saturday mornings to outside suppliers.
Even worse, one of the network's "prize jewels" (Gossip Girl) was recently outrated in the teenage demo by ABC Family's The Secret Life Of The American Teenager, though Gossip was in repeats.
The network is being criticized for airing too many look-alike dramas featuring young, affluent spoiled brats and only targeting an audience (women 18-34) that is abandoning television for entertainment from other sources.
CW has a lot riding on this season with the revival of 90210, which I'm sure they'll declare a hit after the first hour of its two hour premiere on Sept. 2.
It is no one's surprise CBS and Time Warner is hanging on to this embarrassment of a network. After all, with members of The Church of Tisch running things, no wonder it's going to pot.
When the numbers for 90210 come out on Sept.3, you wonder if CW execs are going to be rewarded with an expensive lunch and marble showers...
WBBM General Manager Joe Ahern will now make the rounds with the collection plate for your "donation".
In letters mailed to CW affiliates yesterday morning, Time Warner and CBS executives addressed their concerns about the fledgling network and remain 100 percent committed to the cause.
The announcement comes amid reports Tribune and others are making alternative plans to program prime-time just in case CW goes under, and a few stations are re-branding themselves without the CW name.
Ratings for CW are down 15 percent from a year ago, which was hard hit by the writer's strike. The network's ratings remain low despite the most buzzed-about shows on television. The network also recently rented out Sunday nights and Saturday mornings to outside suppliers.
Even worse, one of the network's "prize jewels" (Gossip Girl) was recently outrated in the teenage demo by ABC Family's The Secret Life Of The American Teenager, though Gossip was in repeats.
The network is being criticized for airing too many look-alike dramas featuring young, affluent spoiled brats and only targeting an audience (women 18-34) that is abandoning television for entertainment from other sources.
CW has a lot riding on this season with the revival of 90210, which I'm sure they'll declare a hit after the first hour of its two hour premiere on Sept. 2.
It is no one's surprise CBS and Time Warner is hanging on to this embarrassment of a network. After all, with members of The Church of Tisch running things, no wonder it's going to pot.
When the numbers for 90210 come out on Sept.3, you wonder if CW execs are going to be rewarded with an expensive lunch and marble showers...
Thursday, August 21, 2008
"Bob & Tom" head to WGN America
Indianapolis' popular radio duo - Bob & Tom - are headed to WGN America. The pair (which are heard locally on WRXQ-FM in southwest suburban Joliet) signed a cable deal with the network for a daily one-hour late-night show beginning in November.
The late night show features highlights from its syndicated The Bob & Tom Show, which is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, owned by Clear Channel Communications. WGN America's owner (Tribune) has raided several former Clear Channel executives, thanks to former CC exec Randy Michaels, who now works for Tribune.
Because WGN America is only carried on satellite in the Chicago area, Bob & Tom could air either on the local feed of WGN-TV or CLTV, but no decision has been made.
The program is scheduled for the 11 p.m. (Central Time) time slot, and will be shot in high definition.
The moves are part of a plan to rebrand WGN America with more original fare.
The late night show features highlights from its syndicated The Bob & Tom Show, which is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, owned by Clear Channel Communications. WGN America's owner (Tribune) has raided several former Clear Channel executives, thanks to former CC exec Randy Michaels, who now works for Tribune.
Because WGN America is only carried on satellite in the Chicago area, Bob & Tom could air either on the local feed of WGN-TV or CLTV, but no decision has been made.
The program is scheduled for the 11 p.m. (Central Time) time slot, and will be shot in high definition.
The moves are part of a plan to rebrand WGN America with more original fare.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Olympic coverage: NBC or CBC?
Every one-and-a half to two-and-a-half years, the world pauses to celebrate the pageantry and the pomp that is the Olympics.
And every one-and-a half to two-and-a-half years, Americans bitch about NBC's coverage of them, while those who are lucky enough to get CBC's coverage from Canada (in Detroit, Buffalo, Seattle, Burlington, Vt., or anywhere near the Canadian border.
And judging by the comments in this story from TV Barn, it's clearly CBC by a landslide.
According to some, Canada's public broadcaster covers the Olympics with more depth, better analysis, and less hokeyness (i.e. those stupid athlete profiles), while NBC doesn't even know how to remove a "live" tag for Pacific and Mountain time zones.
Despite the complaints, Americans are watching NBC's coverage, with the peacock network now averaging more than 196 million viewers throughout the Olympics.
Meanwhile, CBC is losing the Olympic rights to private broadcaster CTV and cable sports channel TSN. Both are owned by CTVglobemedia.
So now it's a tradition to bash NBC's Olympic coverage. What else you'd expect from the past and future home of Knight Rider?
And every one-and-a half to two-and-a-half years, Americans bitch about NBC's coverage of them, while those who are lucky enough to get CBC's coverage from Canada (in Detroit, Buffalo, Seattle, Burlington, Vt., or anywhere near the Canadian border.
And judging by the comments in this story from TV Barn, it's clearly CBC by a landslide.
According to some, Canada's public broadcaster covers the Olympics with more depth, better analysis, and less hokeyness (i.e. those stupid athlete profiles), while NBC doesn't even know how to remove a "live" tag for Pacific and Mountain time zones.
Despite the complaints, Americans are watching NBC's coverage, with the peacock network now averaging more than 196 million viewers throughout the Olympics.
Meanwhile, CBC is losing the Olympic rights to private broadcaster CTV and cable sports channel TSN. Both are owned by CTVglobemedia.
So now it's a tradition to bash NBC's Olympic coverage. What else you'd expect from the past and future home of Knight Rider?
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Chris Russo joins Sirius XM
In the "Wow, that's a big surprise" department, Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, late of the Mike & The Mad Dog show on WFAN-AM in New York City has joined Sirius XM and is getting his own channel titled "Mad Dog Radio". Russo left CBS-owned WFAN last week.
Russo will do a live show from 1-6 p.m. (Central Time) titled The Mad Dog Sports Show, and it is scheduled to premiere on September 15.
This marks the first major signing of talent for the newly merged company, and it marks another raid by Sirius XM President and CEO Mel Karmazin at his former employer.
Mad Dog Radio will soon be available on Sirius channel 123 and XM channel 144.
Russo will do a live show from 1-6 p.m. (Central Time) titled The Mad Dog Sports Show, and it is scheduled to premiere on September 15.
This marks the first major signing of talent for the newly merged company, and it marks another raid by Sirius XM President and CEO Mel Karmazin at his former employer.
Mad Dog Radio will soon be available on Sirius channel 123 and XM channel 144.
A change is afoot for "Millionaire"
With added competition from new freshman game show strips Trivial Pursuit: America Plays and the new weekday version of Deal or No Deal, Disney/ABC's long running game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is getting a facelift for its seventh season in syndication, which begins on September 8. Among the changes:
Time's Up. In order to speed up the game, the producers are now requiring contestants to give host Meredith Vierra a "final answer " to a question in an allotted amount of time. If the contestant doesn't answer the question in time, the game's over and the contestant goes home with the amount of cash he/she has won so far. Any time not used on the first fourteen questions are bankrolled to the million dollar question.
Goodbye 50/50. The lifelines a contestant can use are also changing, with the "50/50" and "Switch the Question" options being dropped. Being added instead are "Ask the Expert" (only available past the $1,000 level) which utilizes video teleconferencing (via Skype) with well-known experts, and "Double Dip", in which a contestant can take two guesses at a question.
I can now see ya (but don't want to be ya!) The "Phone A Friend" lifeline is also getting a makeover, with the contestants' phone-a-friends friend now visible.
Contestants now can also see the topics of the questions they will be asked, titled "The Millionaire Menu".
All the changes are being made to freshen up the look of the show, according to Millionaire's executive producer, Michael Davies.
Millionaire of course, began in August 1999 on ABC with Regis Philbin. The program became a weekly series in 2000, but ABC ran it too much in prime-time (up to four nights to week at one point) and ratings cratered. Millionaire moved to syndication in 2002 with a new host (Meredith Vierra) and has been a sleeper hit.
Millionaire airs locally on WGN-TV at 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., but the second half-hour (which is usually a repeat) is being dropped to make way for an expanded midday newscast next month.
Time's Up. In order to speed up the game, the producers are now requiring contestants to give host Meredith Vierra a "final answer " to a question in an allotted amount of time. If the contestant doesn't answer the question in time, the game's over and the contestant goes home with the amount of cash he/she has won so far. Any time not used on the first fourteen questions are bankrolled to the million dollar question.
Goodbye 50/50. The lifelines a contestant can use are also changing, with the "50/50" and "Switch the Question" options being dropped. Being added instead are "Ask the Expert" (only available past the $1,000 level) which utilizes video teleconferencing (via Skype) with well-known experts, and "Double Dip", in which a contestant can take two guesses at a question.
I can now see ya (but don't want to be ya!) The "Phone A Friend" lifeline is also getting a makeover, with the contestants' phone-a-friends friend now visible.
Contestants now can also see the topics of the questions they will be asked, titled "The Millionaire Menu".
All the changes are being made to freshen up the look of the show, according to Millionaire's executive producer, Michael Davies.
Millionaire of course, began in August 1999 on ABC with Regis Philbin. The program became a weekly series in 2000, but ABC ran it too much in prime-time (up to four nights to week at one point) and ratings cratered. Millionaire moved to syndication in 2002 with a new host (Meredith Vierra) and has been a sleeper hit.
Millionaire airs locally on WGN-TV at 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., but the second half-hour (which is usually a repeat) is being dropped to make way for an expanded midday newscast next month.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Did "Clone Wars" make "Star Wars" jump the shark?
This has been a tough 31st year for Star Wars, and it seems this franchise's soul has been left in a galaxy far, far away.
First, it was the all-Star Wars edition of Deal or No Deal last spring that was the wake. Now comes the burial: Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie - which is to set up the animated TV series on the Cartoon Network this fall - has been hit with almost unanimously poor reviews, absolutely no buzz, and indifference from some Star Wars fans.
As of this writing, the rating on Rotten Tomatoes' movie review web site is rotten indeed: only 19 percent. By comparison, Tropic Thunder - a movie that also came this past weekend, scored a 84 percent rating. The Dark Knight - the movie blockbuster of the summer - scored a rating of 94 percent.
While the pilot of the TV series played to rave reviews to critics at the TCA tour and to satisfying crowds at Comic-Con, it is somewhat of a shock to find the movie getting poor reviews - from critics and some fans alike. Clone Wars took in only $15.5 million at the box office this past weekend - which may not be a good sign for the TV series. Perhaps this should have premiered as a two hour made-for-TV movie event instead - that's how you get people to sample your program- not forcing them to fork out sixteen bucks to see it in a theater.
And notice the lack of marketing tie-ins to Clone Wars - how can you launch a movie like this without a marketing tie-in? You do so, even if the movie is an "afterthought". Even a deal with some dopey chain like Happy Burger to sell some flimsy soft drink cups would have sufficed.
Even worse, Cartoon Network still hasn't officially specified a premiere date for Clone Wars. One report stated August 10, which turned out to be incorrect. (Another report surfaced stating the series premieres on October 3, but this hasn't been verified by Cartoon Network.) Other networks - broadcast and cable - have set confirmed premiere dates for their fall programs already - why hasn't Cartoon Network done so with Clone Wars?
I haven't seen the movie yet, but still plan on doing so. But all of a sudden, I'm not as pumped about Clone Wars as I once was - thanks to the way this project has been handled - or mishandled - by the parties involved.
Use the force, Clone Wars. Because it looks like you're gonna need it.
NBC Universal unveils syndicated "Deal Or No Deal" format
NBC Universal recently unveiled details of its new Deal or No Deal strip hosted by Howie Mandel (who continues hosting the prime-time version.) The daily half hour is being assembled along the lines of the version that airs in the United Kingdom. Among the changes:
- The top prize won in the syndicated version is $500,000.
- There are only 22 cases compared to 26 in the prime-time version. Similar to the UK version, the cases are being held by potential contestants instead of models.
- But models are still a part of the show: Two of them will spin a wheel to see who gets to play. The two models are from the prime-time version of the series: Tameka Jacobs (who usually holds case No. 21) and Chicagoan Patricia Kara (who usually holds No. 9).
- Viewers can play at home by logging on to the syndicated show's website, and they have a chance to win $10,000 by playing the interactive version.
The daily version of Deal hopes to be a big hit for NBC Universal, where it and its predecessors (MCA TV and NBC Enterprises) historically have struck out in the game show arena. NBC Enterprises had a daily version of the prime-time game show The Weakest Link in syndication in 2002 and 2003, but didn't last.
In June 1987, MCA TV launched The Home Shopping Game to try to capitalize on the home-shopping craze at the time, but it fizzled out after three months. In June 1989, MCA launched a children's version of the board game Pictionary which also came and went after three months (yours truly - as a pimpled-faced teenager - watched both Pictionary and HSG, and both were the worst game shows to ever come out at the time. The 1997 adult version of Pictionary was much better.)
Deal or No Deal has landed some good early-fringe time slots and even some prime access ones. In New York and Los Angeles (WNBC-TV and KNBC-TV) respectively, the program is on opposite The Oprah Winfrey Show and Judge Judy. In Milwaukee, WVTV's airing it at 5 p.m., while in Detroit, WDIV has it on at 2:30 p.m., and in Indianapolis, WNDY-TV has slotted Deal for access at 7 p.m.
On the downside, there is still no clearance for the show in Washington D.C. while Deal is on at 10 p.m. in St. Louis (KDNL-TV) opposite local news and popular sitcom reruns (though one can argue the N.Y. and L.A. clearances are just as bad, given the competition.)
In Chicago, the daily version of Deal or No Deal premieres Sept. 8 at 12 noon on WMAQ-TV.
(Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated there was no clearance in Kansas City when it fact there is one - at NBC affiliate KSHB-TV, as a poster pointed out. On the Deal or No Deal "where to watch" section of its website, the KSHB clearance was listed under Kansas and not Missouri. - T.H.)
Updated 9:44 p.m.
- The top prize won in the syndicated version is $500,000.
- There are only 22 cases compared to 26 in the prime-time version. Similar to the UK version, the cases are being held by potential contestants instead of models.
- But models are still a part of the show: Two of them will spin a wheel to see who gets to play. The two models are from the prime-time version of the series: Tameka Jacobs (who usually holds case No. 21) and Chicagoan Patricia Kara (who usually holds No. 9).
- Viewers can play at home by logging on to the syndicated show's website, and they have a chance to win $10,000 by playing the interactive version.
The daily version of Deal hopes to be a big hit for NBC Universal, where it and its predecessors (MCA TV and NBC Enterprises) historically have struck out in the game show arena. NBC Enterprises had a daily version of the prime-time game show The Weakest Link in syndication in 2002 and 2003, but didn't last.
In June 1987, MCA TV launched The Home Shopping Game to try to capitalize on the home-shopping craze at the time, but it fizzled out after three months. In June 1989, MCA launched a children's version of the board game Pictionary which also came and went after three months (yours truly - as a pimpled-faced teenager - watched both Pictionary and HSG, and both were the worst game shows to ever come out at the time. The 1997 adult version of Pictionary was much better.)
Deal or No Deal has landed some good early-fringe time slots and even some prime access ones. In New York and Los Angeles (WNBC-TV and KNBC-TV) respectively, the program is on opposite The Oprah Winfrey Show and Judge Judy. In Milwaukee, WVTV's airing it at 5 p.m., while in Detroit, WDIV has it on at 2:30 p.m., and in Indianapolis, WNDY-TV has slotted Deal for access at 7 p.m.
On the downside, there is still no clearance for the show in Washington D.C. while Deal is on at 10 p.m. in St. Louis (KDNL-TV) opposite local news and popular sitcom reruns (though one can argue the N.Y. and L.A. clearances are just as bad, given the competition.)
In Chicago, the daily version of Deal or No Deal premieres Sept. 8 at 12 noon on WMAQ-TV.
(Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated there was no clearance in Kansas City when it fact there is one - at NBC affiliate KSHB-TV, as a poster pointed out. On the Deal or No Deal "where to watch" section of its website, the KSHB clearance was listed under Kansas and not Missouri. - T.H.)
Updated 9:44 p.m.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Phelps powers NBC
Michael Phelps set a record winning his eighth gold medal in the swimming relay at the Olympics, and it brought a boatload of viewers to NBC on a night where the tube is considered an afterthought.
NBC drew 31.1 million viewers for its Olympic coverage on Saturday night, with a peak 40 million at 10 p.m. Central Time.
The last time NBC drew more than 30 million viewers on a Saturday was on February 24, 1990 when an episode of the now-forgotten sitcom Empty Nest drew 31.4 million viewers.
NBC has now reached 191 million for the Beijing games so far, and is on a record pace to become the most watched Olympics ever.
NBC drew 31.1 million viewers for its Olympic coverage on Saturday night, with a peak 40 million at 10 p.m. Central Time.
The last time NBC drew more than 30 million viewers on a Saturday was on February 24, 1990 when an episode of the now-forgotten sitcom Empty Nest drew 31.4 million viewers.
NBC has now reached 191 million for the Beijing games so far, and is on a record pace to become the most watched Olympics ever.
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