Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America has signed on with CBS to sponsor HDTV coverage of the 2001 NCAA men's basketball Final Four and championship games beginning March 31. Thirty-seven of CBS' owned and affiliated stations are currently broadcasting DTV signals, covering approximately 48% of the U.S.
Texas Justice sets Southern debut
Twentieth Television's new court show, Texas Justice, has finalized the time periods for its March 26 regional debut. Launching on selected Fox O & Os, Twentieth's distribution partner, the show will air in daytime on KDFW-TV Dallas at 3:30 p.m., WHBQ-TV Memphis, Tenn., 2:30 p.m.; WAGA-TV Atlanta, 12:30 p.m.; KRIV-TV Houston, 8:30 a.m.; WBRC-TV Birmingham, Ala., 10:30 a.m.; WGHP-TV Greensboro, S.C., 9 a.m.; and KTBC-TV Austin, Texas, 9:30 a.m.
Tribune to sell NBC syndie fareTribune Entertainment has acquired the barter sales rights to NBC Enterprises' fall marquee project, The Other Half,
and long-running weekly George Michael Sports Machine. Ed Wilson, head of the network's new in-house syndication division, said that taking advantage of an established sales force makes sense for NBC's first major syndication effort. So far, The Other Half, a male spin on The View, has been cleared in 70% of the country and is being shopped on a 10.5/3.5 barter split. Sports Machine, entering its 18th season, is sold on a 3.5/3.5 split. Recently, Tribune picked up the barter sales rights to Hearst Entertainment's stable of programs, including its fall 2001 weekly The Bravest. The distributor has similar rights to Universal's dating strip Blind Date.
