Fox TV to sell KTVX-TV
Fox Television agreed to sell KTVX-TV Salt Lake City, which it is acquiring as part of a $5.3 billion purchase of Chris-Craft. The sale is necessary to win Justice Department approval for the merger. KTVX is an ABC affiliate, and Fox already has an O&O in the market, KSTU-TV. Combined, the stations account for two of the market's top four TV outlets and 40% of TV spot-ad revenue. A federal judge must okay the agreement, and the eventual buyer of KTVX must be approved by Justice. A separate FCC review of the Chris-Craft merger is still under way.
Iyanla clears Los Angeles
Iyanla has locked up its last clearance hole, KNBC-TV Los Angeles. The Buena Vista-distributed strip, hosted by self-help author Iyanla Vanzant and executive-produced by Barbara Walters, is clustered on several ABC O&Os, including WABC-TV New York and KGO-TV San Francisco. But packed schedules apparently made it difficult for Buena Vista to sign up ABC stations across the board.
Judge Mills Lane gets the ax
Judge Mills Lane will not return next season, say Paramount sources. The court show, which posted a 1.5 Nielsen household rating for the week ended April 1, equaling its series low, has completed production on its third season. There are enough fresh episodes for Mills Lane to run through the May sweeps. The cancellation is really no surprise; it has been expected for several months, ever since Tribune Broadcasting confirmed that it would not be taking the series for a fourth season.
