A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM MGM

Cynopsis Media presents: 2013 Syndication Marketplace
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Good morning. It’s still Wednesday, January 23, 2013, and this is your 2013 Syndication Marketplace special edition coming to you just about 5 days prior to NATPE 2013.

by Daisy Whitney

Test your shows. Look for the underserved audiences. And let your talent be themselves.

Those were some of the lessons learned this past fall in the syndication business as a raft of high-profile talk shows debuted. Some hit the mark, while others may not make it to a second season. That’s the nature of the business, but the success or failure of those shows is already informing the strategies that many studios are relying on as they prep for the next slate of syndicated programming.

The syndication business grew in ad spend to $5.1 billion in 2012 up 9% from $4.7 billion in 2011, according to Kantar Media. Buoyed by strong ratings, low DVR-ing and high audience loyalty, many studios have started selling marquee off-network sitcoms into their syndicated runs faster than before, and are also teeing up new slates of originals for the 2013 season.

While business is done year-round, this year’s NATPE conference will serve as a showcase for many of the new 2013 prorgrams, from original talk shows such as Sony’s Queen Latifah show and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution’s Bethenny Frankel vehicle, as well as court show MGM’s Paternity Court and CBS’s late night talk entry from Arsenio Hall. They’ll be joined by a range of off-network shows debuting in the fall, including blockbusters Glee and Modern Family.

Both buyers and sellers are optimistic heading into NATPE. That’s because the top-tier shows such as Dr. Phil, Live with Kelly and Michael, Ellen, Judge Judy and others continue to resonate with viewers, while the upcoming off-network pipeline of Modern Family, Two Broke Girls and Mike & Molly is promising, said John Rohrs, President of Rohrs Media Group and a 25-year veteran of the syndication business. “Syndication is strong among stalwarts and good off-net, but new first run hits are hard to find. Last year was a good year though for broadcasting with the Olympics and elections and I am sensing a positive mood from stations and station groups.”

Here’s a snapshot of some of the shows on tap in the syndication market.

What’s New

After focusing on its movie and library content, MGM is developing new content, including Paternity Court. As the name suggests, the show will aim to determine who’s the dad. Paternity Court is sold in 75% of the country across a combination of stations including some CBS, Sinclair and Tribune. The show debuts in the fall with Lauren Lake as the judge in two back-to-back half hours, said Vicky Gregorian, Senior VP of MGM Domestic Television. “The court show format is here to stay and people love it, so we wanted to capitalize on the interest in paternity and DNA testing in general. This show takes you to an ultimate verdict. It’s about the family dynamics and right and wrong and science,” she said.

Then there’s Arsenio Hall, entering the market fresh off his Celebrity Apprentice win. CBS Television Distribution has cleared the show in about 95% of the country including all top 50 markets, with Tribune as the anchor station group and a financial partner in the show. The goal isn’t to reinvent Arsenio Hall, but to let him do what he does best, said Joe DiSalvo, President of Sales at CBS TV Distribution. “We are going to do exactly what he is comfortable doing and knows how to do, and that’s what he was successful with in the past,” he said, noting that Bill Clinton’s saxophone-playing appearance on the Arsenio Hall show many years ago paved the way for politicians to appear on talk shows. With the show widely sold, CBS is shifting into promotion now and ran a 60-second trailer for the show during the holidays.

CBS also recently announced The Test, a conflict-style show that aims to resolve disputes via tests, such as DNA, lie detector or drug tests. The show is cleared in 56% of the country, with Tribune as an anchor station group, and many Sinclair stations on board too. DiSalvo said some of the broadcasters are pairing it with other like-minded shows such as Maury, Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos in programming blocks.

Sony is gearing up for a new talk show helmed by Queen Latifah. The CBS-owned station group has signed on as a launch group. Early buzz from stations is positive for the Queen Latifah show, with broadcasters liking the star’s warmth and accessibility. “The Queen Latifah Show is a premium blend entertainment show featuring celebrities, music and impactful stories about people who are making a difference… all while having fun,” said John Weiser, President of Distribution, Sony Pictures Television. “Latifah is successful across all platforms while remaining tremendously accessible and relatable to her audience, which continues to grow.” Sony will also be pitching Community at NATPE.

Twentieth Television is giving one of its workhorses a facelift for 2013. The studio is relaunching Cops, which has been a solid performer in syndication for 20 years and on broadcast for 25, as Cops Reloaded. Cleared in 80% of the country, the revamped show will be comprised of recut and re-edited segments from the show’s vast library, such as best car chases, craziest criminals or funniest busts, said Paul Franklin, Executive VP & General Manager of Broadcast Sales at Twentieth Television. This new version will become the next cycle of syndication for the franchise, he explained. In some ways, Cops was one of the first reality shows when it launched. Twentieth Television said that in the 10 years preceding the Cops premiere, there were less than a dozen reality programs. In the years since Cops premiered, about 2,300 reality TV Series have launched.

Rohrs Media is focused on selling Bridezillas and renewing Better into syndication at NATPE, Rohrs said.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Tests, Tests, and More Tests

Disney-ABC Domestic TV’s new offering is On The Red Carpet, a weekly entertainment news magazine that already runs on the ABC-owned stations and will now get a wider berth. That distribution approach typifies how some studios are testing shows more frequently before wider rollouts. In this case, the show has proven itself as a commodity with the ABC-owned stations.

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution has pursued a similar tack. The distributor is bringing a new entertainment show to market in TMZ Live, a one-hour daily entertainment news show produced from inside the TMZ newsroom that will run on at least 17 Fox stations in the fall, following Warner’s test of the show in Los Angeles, Phoenix and several other markets around the country, said Ken Werner, President of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.

” Tests have been around for decades. In this evolving world, it’s not surprising that stations in collaboration with distributors will, under certain circumstances, utilize tests in an effort to learn more about the content and how it will resonant with viewers,” Werner said. But the model is being used more frequently because it helps mitigate risks. Warner believed that Bethenny Frankel had the right personality for the new generation of 25 to 54 women who watch daytime talk, but first trialed the show with a successful six-week run on six Fox stations this summer to make sure. The show is now cleared in 97% of the country.

Other distributors are fond of testing too. “If you don’t test, you’re taking a bigger risk. It simply makes sense to test a show,” said Mort Marcus, Co-President of Debmar-Mercury.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

Fall Report Card

The fall brought a plethora of new shows to syndication with high profile talkers helmed by Steve Harvey, Jeff Probst, Katie Couric, Trisha Goddard and Ricki Lake. The fate of Probst, Lake and Goddard is still unknown, but the Couric show is likely to return since most stations signed two-year deals. Distributor Disney-ABC Domestic TV said the show has been a steady performer in households, averaging a 1.9 rating.

NBC Universal Domestic TV Distribution recently renewed Steve Harvey’s show, which has been a standout among the new crop, stations have said. His strength in the talk show market also helped boost his Family Feud ratings 44% year over year. Likewise, his talk show grew over year-ago time periods during sweeps and several markets have “upgraded” it since launch, including Detroit, Phoenix, Baltimore and more, NBC Universal Domestic TV Distribution said. The studio is actively extending the show with stations for 2014 to 2016, as some broadcasters are making long-term commitments.

In general, studio executives acknowledge that the fall was highly competitive with many choices for viewers. That made it tough for some shows to find an audience. But the key takeaway, they say, is to put hosts in roles they are comfortable with.

Beyond the newbies, the talk stalwarts had a fine fall. Overall, the audience for daytime talk increased 9% in women 25 to 54 in the fall, according to the Syndicated Network Television Association. In the 18 to 49 female demo, Ellen was up 14%, Judge Judy up 11%, Dr. Phil up 5%, and Live with Kelly and Michael up 3%. Maury was up 6% in women 25 to 54. Dr. Oz also continues to be a strong performer for Sony.

While new shows generate the most buzz, NATPE is an opportunity to focus on renewals too and that’s something all syndicators will do. CBS, as an example, is in the process of renewing Dr Phil, Rachael Ray, ET and other shows.

Off-Network Fare

Beyond originals, the syndication business has been mining strong ratings from off-network sitcoms. As a result, distributors have started selling new hit sitcoms into syndication much sooner. Twentieth started selling Modern Family in the show’s second season on network. Now, the show is cleared in about 97% of the country. Glee is debuting on syndication in the fall and is fully cleared, so Twentieth will begin to focus its NATPE selling efforts on Raising Hope for 2014 and New Girl for 2015. Other quick sells include Warner’s sale of Mike and Molly and Two Broke Girls for 2014 and 2015.

Debmar-Mercury is looking ahead to fall 2014 with FX’s Anger Management. FX automatically picked up the back 90 episodes of the show after the first ten episodes hit a predetermined ratings target. That guaranteed Debmar-Mercury would have enough episodes to sell for syndication. Already, the show’s been cleared in about 60% to 70% of the country and the distributor will aim to bring more on board at NATPE. Shows are entering syndication sooner because of the “strike while the iron is hot” approach, said Debmar-Mercury Co-President Ira Bernstein.

Later — Daisy
Daisy Whitney for Cynopsis Media
01.23.13

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