FOX Television Stations CEO, Jack Abernethy told Broadcasting & Cable, all 18 FOX owned stations will soon begin airing Harvey Levin’s celebrity gossip show ‘TMZ Live.”

“We were always interested in the show,” Abernethy told Broadcasting & Cable about launching the show in 2007. “We knew Harvey knew television, and it was the kind of thing we needed. It was intentionally structured to work for a Fox station— it was young and hip-looking.”

WWOR, FOX’s owned MyNewtorkTV affiliate in New Jersey, has begun airing a show called “Chasing New Jersey” that emulates the tone and pace of TMZ in place of its newscast.

“TMZ is incredibly efficient,” said Abernethy. “We are trying to steal pieces of this model. If you look at TMZ, you see how many people are actually researching stories, covering stories, touching stories—it’s virtually everybody. The more people you have covering stories and bringing stuff in, the better product you are going to have.” Read more

Gannett Broadcasting has bought the syndicated show “RightThisMinute” for eight of its markets.

“RightThisMinute” is a viral video show developed by MagicDust Television, E.W. Scripps, Raycom Media and Cox Media Group. The show launched in 2011.

Among the stations getting the syndicated show are WUSA in Washington, DC, KARE in Minneaplois, KXTV in Sacramento and KSDK in St. Louis. Read more

Broadcasting & Cable’s Michael Malone talks to local stations about “Katie” as the first season wraps. Although some stations are pleased with the show’s performance, local partners mostly say Katie Couric‘s talk show “did not meet ratings expectations,” Malone reports, and some stations are weighing their options for next season:

“The results have not been as strong as we would’ve liked,” says Emily Barr, former WLS Chicago general manager who now heads up the Post-Newsweek group. “We hope there’s some changing and tweaking to improve the connection with the audience.”

Station veterans say they are surprised that there’s not been talk of renewals at this point, especially with the future ironed out in recent weeks for Dr. Oz, Wendy Williams and Steve Harvey. “Everyone has their dates to the prom, or they’re not going to the prom,” says one GM airing Katie who asked to be unnamed. “Except one.”

[...] Katie‘s local partners are at least considering their options, if not acting on them. “You always explore what else might be on the horizon,” says Barr. “In some markets, maybe it’s something local.”

Last September the E.W. Scripps Company dropped syndicated dinosaurs “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy” at some of its owned stations and replaced them with its own programming.

The station group developed two shows, “Let’s Ask America” a game show using Skype which it developed in conjunction Warner Bros. Telepictures and pop culture show “The List.” It then programmed seven of its owned stations with “Let’s Ask America” and six with “The List.” TVSpy checked in with Scripps to see how the shows were doing.

“We are very happy with the performance of both shows,” Robert Sullivan, vice president of content for Scripps told TVSpy. “Both have grown book to book in key demos since their launch last fall.” Read more

Ellen DeGeneres‘ daytime talk show has been renewed by the NBC Owned Television Stations and as well as 179 other stations, through the 2016-17 season.

Renewal of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” which is distributed by Warner Brothers, covers 96% of the country. In a statement announcing the news, NBC Owned Television Stations president Valari Staab called the show “the crown jewel” of the station group’s daytime lineup.

“We are proud and thrilled to extend our relationship with Ellen DeGeneres, all the great people working on her show and our friends at Warner Bros,” Staab said.

Jerry Penacoli has been named co-host of “Daytime,” WFLA‘s nationally syndicated show.

Penacoli has been a correspondent on “Extra” for 13 seasons. He has also been a host for E! Entertainment Television, an anchor for KYW in Philadelphia and a host and producer to WTVJ in Miami. His career began at WJKS in Jacksonville, where he was an anchor and general assignment reporter.

“I am very pleased to announce the addition of Jerry Penacoli to ‘Daytime,’ ” WFLA president and general manager Brad Moses said in a statement. “Our long standing relationship with ‘Extra’ and his frequent visits to guest host made him a staff and viewer favorite.”

“Daytime” airs in more than 130 markets across the country.

CBS Television Distribution‘s syndicated show, “Dr. Phil” is feeling the afterglow with local stations because of its resurgence in the ratings, according to TVNewsCheck.

“We were more than happy to renew Phil; its ratings have improved,” Randa Minkarah, senior vice president of Fisher Broadcasting, told TVNewsCheck. “The advertisers like Phil, too. It’s a known quantity to them.”

CBS Television Distribution shows “Dr. Phil” averaging a 3.2 household rating giving it a 23 percent lead over its nearest competitor. Read more

FOX Television Stations has announced “TMZ Live,” a one hour show that takes viewers inside the TMZ newsroom, will now air on all of its FOX stations.

FOX has been slowly adding the show to its station group since March 2012.  After a test run in the Los Angeles market on KTTV, it soon expanded into Phoenix (KSAZ), Boston (WFXT) Chicago (WFLD), Dallas (KDFW), Detroit (WJBK) and Minneapolis (KMSP). Beginning next Fall, FOX will air the show on its remaining stations including New York (WNYW), Philadelphia (WTXF), Washington, D.C (WTTG), Atlanta (WAGA), Houston (KRIV), Tampa (WTVT) and Orlando (WOFL).

“The distribution roll-out of “TMZ Live” is as unconventional and unique as the show itself,” said Ken Werner, president of Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. “This slow approach has translated into a strong and loyal daily audience, time period increases and younger demos.  It’s also created a demand in the markets where the series does not yet air.” Read more

Art Ginsburg, the TV chef who appeared on many local TV stations as “Mr. Food” has died after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer.

Ginsburg ended every segment where he gave simple cooking recipes for home chefs with his signature, “Oooh!  It’s so good!”

The “Mr. Food” franchise started in 1975 and five years later was syndicated in 9 markets.  In 1982, King World, currently CBS Television Distribution, began national syndication of the segments which are still aired in over 120 markets.

The “Mr. Food” website posted the news to its website saying,

Art’s commitment to anyone-can-do recipes and passion for helping others made him well-loved among his peers and among television viewers and website visitors. He was one of the first television celebrity chefs and paved a road for many who came after him.  His greatest love was for his wife, Ethel, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his daily visit into your homes via the television.

[Jake's DTV Blog]

Scripps Television is standing by its decision to drop syndicated ratings powerhouses “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy” from its stations, according to TVNewsCheck.

“There was no scenario where we thought we would immediately replace Wheel and Jeopardy’s ratings,” says Bob Sullivan, vice president of content at Scripps TV station group. “We have to rebuild the time periods. But we’re almost to goal in terms of what we thought we’d be doing — about 88% to estimate and we’re only six weeks into our first year.”

Scripps cut the cord to the two syndicated game shows in seven markets this September and replaced them with two of their own shows, “Let’s Ask America” and “The List.”  But the move may not work for other station groups since Scripps produces both shows. Read more