Sylvester Stallone as Paul Revere? Yes, thanks to DIC Entertainment Corp., which
has quietly cleared a three-hour block of Federal Communications
Commission-friendly shows in 85 percent of the country for fall 2003.
Stations are required to carry three hours of kid-friendly fare per week, per
FCC rules.
DIC, which has amassed a library of such shows, decided to capitalize on that
requirement by being a one-stop shop.
Among the groups with stations taking the block -- actually a choice among
three blocks -- are Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., Cox Broadcasting Inc., Clear Channel Communications Inc., Granite Broadcasting Corp., ACME Communications Inc., Emmis Communications Corp. and
Tribune Broadcasting.
The shows, available for either weekday or weekend play, are being provided
on a barter basis.
Tribune will sell the national ad time in the block under a new deal
announced Thursday.
Among the shows are veteran DIC properties Inspector Gadget,
Sabrina, The Teenage Witch and the new Liberty Kids. The latter features stories of the revolution through the eyes of apprentices in Ben
Franklin's print shop.
In addition to Stallone, the cast includes Walter Cronkite as Franklin,
Warren Buffet as James Madison, Billy Crystal as John Adams and Annette Bening
as Abigail Adams.
