Full Text COPYRIGHT Broadcasting Publications 1991
THE `WONDER' CLEARS
Turner has lined up 19 markets for 1992 syndication debut
Turner Program Services has cleared The Wonder Years, scheduled for a fall 1992 syndication start, in 19 markets covering about 23% of the U.S. In seven of those markets, the company has sold the show on a blind bid basis, while the other 12 sales were straight negotiations with the stations involved. Decisions on which way to proceed in the future will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Turner is selling the show for New World Television and has guaranteed the producer a reported $100 million in fees. TPS will receive a percentage of the sales it generates, probably around 35%, sources said.
TPS has been in the market with the ABC sitcom since last September, and has been pretty quiet about its progress in selling the show since doing deals with WPIX-TV New York, and the Fox-owned stations WFLD-TV Chicago and KTTV(TV) Los Angeles last year.
Most recently, TPS sold the program to independent KPLR-TV St. Louis, which acquired Roseanne shortly before making its Wonder Years purchase. About half of the stations sold so far fall out of the top 100 markets. They include: KMST-TV Salinas (109), KADY-TV Santa Barbara (112), KIMA-TV Yakima, Wash. (126), KRCR-TV Chico-Redding, Ca. (144), KRTV(TV) Boisie (135), KJTV(TV) Lubbock, Tx. (150), KIDK(TV) Idaho Falls (160). Two of the stations picking up the program are in unranked markets: KVOS(TV) Bellingham, Wash., which is outside Seattle, and KFWU(TV), an ABC affiliate at Fort Bragg, outside San Francisco.
According to TPS President Russell Barry, the company's sales strategy is on course. "We're about where we want to be," he said. The company's general strategy, said Barry, is to go into markets where Viacom has already sold Roseanne, also pegged for fall 1992 debut.
In New York, WNYW-TV picked up Roseanne before TPS sold the show to WPIX. In Los Angeles, KCOP-TV picked up Roseanne before KTTV bought The Wonder Years. "In general, we believe we're better off going into a market after Roseanne," said Barry. Viacom is in effect softening up the market for Turner, which wants to strike when sitcom buyers are ready to spend.
"There are two key shows in the sitcom market right now for 1992, ourselves and Roseanne," said Barry. However, Warner Bros. is also gauging interest in Murphy Brown for that year, and Columbia is expected to announce plans shortly for Designing Women.
Turner has been criticized by some reps for demanding a full minute of barter time, plus a cash license fee, for the show. "It's a good show, but not a major hit," said Dirk Kurlander, vice president, programing, Petry Television. "We question whether stations should aggressively pursue this show with that much barter in it. Even Roseanne, a certifiable hit, only has 30 seconds of barter per episode."
Barry acknowledged that stations have complained about the barter component. "They bellyache, but they accept it," he said. The biggest problem stations have, said Barry, is not giving up the time, per se, but that the deal limits their scheduling options. The one minute of barter, he said, allows the company to be more "flexible" in negotiating the cash license fee.
And, Barry notes that stations won't incur a price hike with the show if it goes more than five years, and are committed to carry barter in the show for only three-and-a-half years. If the show goes only six years on the network, instead of seven, the barter term will then be cut back to three years, said Barry.
As part of its presentation to stations, TPS is suggesting the show
has all the makings of a long-term syndication franchise--that is, strong,
broad-based appeal with viewers under the age of 50, including men and
women 18 to 49 and kids and teens.