Scripps did indeed drop the shows because CBS, in their view, was asking way too much for something they saw as old-skewing and past its prime. They had a good relationship with Warner Brothers and their head of first-run production Jim Paratore, who had come from the station community and had championed LAA as a demographic and technological breakthrough. It was being pitched as being capable of doing for game show audience sales what TMZ (another show Jim championed) did for magazine shows, and they bought into the possibility hook, line and sinker.
Tragically, Jim died shortly after the deals were done and before the series went into production (far too young at 58, may I add) and without his stewardship it ultimately floundered and never did become what he had envisioned it.
Regarding some of the other markets--aside from the stations willing to pay CBS (or the Kings') price in some of those cases the ratings and time slot potential for the barter quality were as good, if not better, than traditional affiliates may have offered. At the time KCOP licensed them they had such potential and they had done OK enough with JOKER/TIC when they had them to warrant consideration. And by the mid 90s the growth of FOX made those affiliates truly viable as well.
