Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution has sold its first-run court strip, Judge Jeanine Pirro, to the Fox Television Stations for fall 2009, said Ken Werner, president of WBDTD and Frank Cicha, senior vice president of programming for the Fox Television Stations, on Monday.
The show, sold for all barter, is cleared in 75% of the country for its second season, including on the Sinclair, CBS, Tribune, Scripps-Howard, Raycom, Belo, Newport, Freedom, LIN, ComCorp, Journal, Grant, Meredith and Four Points broadcast TV groups. Fox has cleared the show on its nine duopoly markets, including top markets New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Baltimore. Sinclair has cleared the show in 27 markets, including Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Cincinnati and Milwaukee.
Judge Jeanine Pirro comes to syndication after one year on The CW television network, where it ran at 3 p.m. Next fall, Warner Bros.’ The Tyra Banks Show will move out of first-run syndication and on to The CW.
Pirro is the former county judge and district attorney for New York’s Westchester County. The outspoken judge also made a name for herself as a commentator on such news programs as NBC’s Today, ABC’s Good Morning America, Fox News and CNN’s Larry King.
The show addresses many topics from Pirro’s own legal career, in which she fought for justice for women, children and the disenfranchised. She was elected Westchester County’s first female County Court Judge in 1990 and Westchester’s first female District Attorney in 1993.
Judge Jeanine Pirro is produced by Warner Bros.’ Telepictures Productions and originates from Chicago. Bo Banks (Judge Mathis) is the executive producer. Judge Greg Mathis serves as executive consultant.
