My Wife and Kids to Some Trib Stations
Key Tribune stations will air Buena Vista Television's My Wife and Kids
when the show premieres in syndication in September 2005. So far, the stations are WPIX-TV New York, KTLA-TV Los Angeles, WGN-TV Chicago, WBDC-TV Washington, D.C., and KHWB-TV Houston. Tribune signed a three-year deal, agreeing that the show can go to basic cable networks in year four. Buena Vista is retaining three 30-second spots in the deal. In 2004, several Tribune stations will launch Twentieth's Malcolm in the Middle. Among them: KCPQ-TV Seattle and duopoly WXIN-TV and WTTV-TV Indianapolis.
CosmoGirl! Needs Time to Mature
Hearst Entertainment is pulling back on its planned weekly half-hour syndicated show, CosmoGirl!, which was to have been an FCC-friendly, teen-focused program for stations. A spokesman for Hearst said company executives decided they could not get the show ready in time for launch this fall, as had been announced. Another weekly half-hour, America's Moving To…, is going on hiatus after launching in 30% of the country, and supporting sponsor Ryland Homes hopes to bring it back later. The show is from Mansfield Television Distribution, WorldLink and WENA Productions.
Dr. Phil in Prime Time
Several stations are airing Dr. Phil
in prime time. Young Broadcasting's independent KRON-TV San Francisco has done that from the show's beginning last September, running it at 8 p.m. each weeknight to very respectable ratings. Belo's independent KONG-TV Seattle runs the show at 8 p.m., and the group's independent KTVK-TV Phoenix will do the same come September. Post-Newsweek's CBS affiliate WJXT-TV Jacksonville, Fla., broadcasts Dr. Phil
weeknights at 9 p.m. And, as of today, Post-Newsweek's CBS affiliate WKMG-TV Orlando, Fla., airs the show in access at 7 p.m.
Barberie Has Yes, Dear Date
Jillian Barberie is adding one more show to her lengthy TV résumé, although this time she's leaving syndication and sports for a stint in network prime time. This month, Barberie will shoot a guest spot on CBS sitcom Yes, Dear, playing the wife of Brian Doyle-Murray's character. Yes, Dear is produced by Twentieth Century Fox Television and airs on CBS on Mondays at 8:30.
