Dr. Phil has secured a spot on top market outlet KNBC-TV Los Angeles for
the 2002 season.
The pickup could present a hurdle for Warner Bros.' just-announced Caroline
Rhea talk project, which it's selling as its replacement for The Rosie
O'DonnellShow. Stations including KNBC-TV are locked into their
current contracts on Rosie through next season, but they are apparently
Warner Bros.' big targets for its 2002-03 Rhea effort.
KNBC-TV might not be able to squeeze Rhea into its fall 2002 schedule with
Dr. Phil and NBC's strip version of The Weakest Link already
dueling for slots. Currently, Rosie airs at 3 p.m. on the station.
One helpful thing for Warner Bros. is that KNBC-TV can't plug Dr. Phil
in at 3 p.m. because of a no-compete agreement with Oprah, which
currently airs on Los Angeles' KABC-TV at 3 p.m.
Debuting at 10 a.m. and noon, respectively, on KNBC-TV next season will be
Buena Vista Television's Iyanla and NBC's The Other Half, which,
if they prove to be ratings successes, could also make plays for afternoon
homes. KNBC-TV has not officially unveiled its fall-2002 schedule.
Dr. Phil has nailed more clearances outside of the CBS family, sources
said. This would follow King World Productions' firm stance that the show will
go to the higher bidder in every market.
The clearances involve several Hearst-Argyle Television Inc. stations,
including ABC affiliate WTAE-TV and NBC affiliate KCRA-TV in top-20 markets
Pittsburgh and Sacramento, Calif., respectively. Other Hearst-Argyle stations
signed on for Dr. Phil's fall-2002 debut are WBAL-TV Baltimore, KMBC-TV
Kansas City and WLWT-TV Cincinnati.
A little over a week ago, Dr. Phil -- produced by Paramount and
distributed by King World -- locked up homes on several CBS owned-and-operated
stations including WCBS-TV New York. A King World spokesperson declined
comment.
