Television
distributor Genesis International Television & Film has sold Fireworks
International's Heartland, a one-hour
drama produced and originally broadcast in Canada, to TV stations covering
almost 95% of the U.S.
Heartland,
starring Amber Marshall, will premiere this fall primarily on weekends on TV
stations owned by CBS, Tribune, Sinclair, Hearst, Lin, Meredith, Nexstar and
Belo. The family drama also stars Shaun Johnston, Michelle Morgan and Graham
Wardle. NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution will sell the national
advertising in the show, which stations acquired on an all-barter basis.
Stations will keep seven minutes in each show to sell to advertisers, while
seven minutes will be sold to national advertisers.
The show is in its
fourth season in primetime on Canadian network CBC, airing Sundays at 7 p.m.
Stations will have 22 episodes available to them in the show's first year in
syndication.
"[Heartland] fills a
tremendous void in the marketplace," said Genesis International President Wayne
Lepoff in a statement.
"Stations are in need of quality scripted weekly
first-run hours like this one, which is a proven performer that appeals equally
to younger viewers and across all key demos."
