With Time Slots Rare, Syndie Seems Sedate

摘要

Syndicators are bracing for a light fall season this year with only four major new first-run strips being launched this year―Warner Bros.' The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Warner Bros.' The Sharon Osbourne Show, NBC Enterprises' Starting Over, and King World's Living It Up! With Ali & Jack: The slow fall is being attributed to vertical integration and the relative success of last year's crop of shows, led by King World's Dr. Phil. "In any year there are a limited number of slots available, and this year there were in essence three slots that were not available because of success. That's part of it," says Bill Carroll, vice president of programming at Katz Media. "And with fewer companies, there are going to be fewer shows launched." The top-two rookie shows last season, Dr. Phil and Buena Vista game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire, maintained their slots and Sony's Pyramid performed well enough to hold on to its time periods as well. NBC Enterprises' The John Walsh Show also was renewed for a second season, although the show's ratings are low. Walsh, cleared in daytime slots, has hovered around a 1.3 for the past several months, making it the 83rd-ranked program in syndicated television.