Author Topic: Tracking Prime Access 1st-Run Shows (Read 7514 times)

chris319 · « **Reply #15 on:** March 30, 2005, 06:09:32 PM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Mar 30 2005, 02:39 PM\']Agreed, but I'd be hard-pressed to name even one show in syndication today (even off-network strips) that don't have some kind of national advertising (more properly barter + cash) tied to them.

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That's simply and evolutionary change in the business. Stations like barter because a show arrives partially pre-sold and because their cash outlay is lower. It doesn't get to the question of why a show could "go" with as few as five stations cleared.

ChuckNet · « **Reply #16 on:** March 30, 2005, 06:55:25 PM »

Quote

How could a show get the go-ahead with only 13 stations?

Hey, the syndie Marshall HS launched w/(I think) only a half-dozen stations initially signed on just a coupla yrs earlier.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #17 on:** March 30, 2005, 07:03:52 PM »

[quote name=\'ChuckNet\' date=\'Mar 30 2005, 06:55 PM\']

Quote

How could a show get the go-ahead with only 13 stations?

Hey, the syndie Marshall HS launched w/(I think) only a half-dozen stations initially signed on just a coupla yrs earlier.

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")

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As has been intimated, one sale to the NBC O&O's was enough to launch the show.

One thing that intrigued me was that some of the once a week shows that launched in fall 74 weren't even on network daytime until spring (CS) or summer (NTT) or at all (MP). In the case of 25KP, the daytime counterpart had been cancelled by CBS and picked up by ABC by the time the Cullen version hit the airwaves on the CBS O&Os in the fall. Was there such a thing as a NATPE convention in 74?

DrBear · « **Reply #18 on:** March 31, 2005, 08:23:37 AM »

At least that makes sense - Syndie Squares, after all, could just tape a sixth show after the first five; it's a known running property; expenses would be a lot lower than for a new startup. A fewer number of stations could sign on - especially if they're in top-10 markets - for a reasonable chance at success.

aaron sica · « **Reply #19 on:** March 31, 2005, 08:52:11 AM »

[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 30 2005, 09:24 AM\']
Didn't syndie WML and Concentration air earlier in the day in some areas? Surely a show with only 30 or 40 stations clearing it wouldn't last as many seasons as those did.

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Some of my old TVG's from 1975 have WML? running on WPVI at 2:30 in the afternoon..."Big Showdown" aired (on a delay, I would presume) at 9:30am instead.

Jimmy Owen · « **Reply #20 on:** March 31, 2005, 09:02:00 AM »

This survey is for prime access only, so many of the strips would have more stations. There was an attempt by the O&Os and other big market stations to not air strips at 7:30, as it would be seen as violating the "spirit of the rule." NBC would be the first to break with that tradition when they went with a five-night a week "Feud" in Sept 80. Usually in smaller top-50 markets, you'd find a strip at 7 and a checkerboard at 7:30. Of course markets 51-INF were allowed to show whatever they wanted, off-net rerun or not.

aaron sica · « **Reply #21 on:** March 31, 2005, 09:20:53 AM »

[quote name=\'Jimmy Owen\' date=\'Mar 31 2005, 09:02 AM\']This survey is for prime access only, so many of the strips would have more stations. There was an attempt by the O&Os and other big market stations to not air strips at 7:30, as it would be seen as violating the "spirit of the rule." NBC would be the first to break with that tradition when they went with a five-night a week "Feud" in Sept 80. Usually in smaller top-50 markets, you'd find a strip at 7 and a checkerboard at 7:30. Of course markets 51-INF were allowed to show whatever they wanted, off-net rerun or not.

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That's what WGAL did from 1978 to 1980. They aired TTD at 7, and then a checkerboard from 7:30 to 8. Starting in 1980, they went with an additional newscast at 7, and the big 80's hit "PM Magazine" at 7:30. TTD went to WHP instead. Oddly enough, in the last week of August 1980, the TVG had both 8 (WGAL) *and* 21 (WHP) airing TTD at 7pm. I'm assuming this was an error on TVG's part...I don't think it would have been possible for *both* stations to air the show?

Ian Wallis · « **Reply #22 on:** March 31, 2005, 09:33:14 AM »

In many cities, the "checkerboard" shows were also seen on weekends. WIVB Buffalo ran "Treasure Hunt" every Saturday night at 7:30; and during the time they had "Let's Make a Deal", they ran it Sunday nights at 7. This was back when the CBS Sunday schedule started at 7:30.

I have some New York TVGuides from the '70s that list shows like "Break the Bank", nighttime "Price is Right" and "Match Game PM" on Saturday evenings.

aaron sica · « **Reply #23 on:** March 31, 2005, 09:48:57 AM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Mar 31 2005, 09:33 AM\']
I have some New York TVGuides from the '70s that list shows like "Break the Bank", nighttime "Price is Right" and "Match Game PM" on Saturday evenings.

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As per a 1981 TVG that I have, MGPM aired up until September 1981 on WABC-7, Tuesday nights at 7:30. So, on Tuesdays, you could see the daily syndie on WCBS-2 at 4:30pm, and three hours later, the weekly syndie on WABC-7 at 7:30. Weird.

The syndie TPiR also aired on WCBS at 7:30pm as late as at least June 1981.

zachhoran · « **Reply #24 on:** March 31, 2005, 09:52:14 AM »

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Mar 31 2005, 09:20 AM\']

That's what WGAL did from 1978 to 1980. They aired TTD at 7, and then a checkerboard from 7:30 to 8. Starting in 1980, they went with an additional newscast at 7, and the big 80's hit "PM Magazine" at 7:30. TTD went to WHP instead. Oddly enough, in the last week of August 1980, the TVG had both 8 (WGAL) *and* 21 (WHP) airing TTD at 7pm. I'm assuming this was an error on TVG's part...I don't think it would have been possible for *both* stations to air the show?

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It's possible both stations could have aired it for a brief period. KYW(at 12:30PM, season one reruns) and WPVI(beginning of season two) in Philly BOTH aired Trebek J! on the week of 9/9/85-9/13/85.

uncamark · « **Reply #25 on:** March 31, 2005, 11:57:54 AM »

Since WLS in Chicago stripped an hour of news at 6 p.m. weeknights, "MG PM" aired after the Sunday movie and the local *and* network late news (this was when ABC did a Saturday and Sunday night 15-minute late newscat) and was later joined by the second airing of "Squares." (The first airing ran in "LMAD"'s old Saturday at 6:30 p.m. slot.) The reason I don't give exact times is that back then, "The ABC Sunday Night Movie" frequently ran over 10 p.m. CT.

It wasn't that barter *wasn't* being used in prime access--a lot of the less successful variety and scripted shows like "Stand Up and Cheer" and "Simon Locke/Police Surgeon" were barter, as was the more successful "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom," Lawrence Welk and "Hee Haw." It's just that for the most part, game shows remained all-cash ("The Movie Game" and "Sports Challenge" were the only barter games in syndication that come to mind). What changed things was the development of "cash plus" in the 80s, I believe created by Paramount for "ET," where the station pays *both* a license fee and holds ad time for the syndicator. That has become SOP for almost every strip syndicated series, with the once-a-week shows almost entirely barter and the only series going all-cash being the "I Love Lucy" and "Honeymooners" reruns at 2 a.m. when the station's not running infomercials.

SRIV94 · « **Reply #26 on:** March 31, 2005, 01:35:42 PM »

[quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Mar 31 2005, 10:57 AM\']Since WLS in Chicago stripped an hour of news at 6 p.m. weeknights, "MG PM" aired after the Sunday movie and the local *and* network late news (this was when ABC did a Saturday and Sunday night 15-minute late newscat) and was later joined by the second airing of "Squares." (The first airing ran in "LMAD"'s old Saturday at 6:30 p.m. slot.) The reason I don't give exact times is that back then, "The ABC Sunday Night Movie" frequently ran over 10 p.m. CT.

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It may have started that way, but I distinctly remember a few seasons in which WLS aired MGPM Sundays at 5:30 CT (right before ABC's prime-time lineup kicked in). I do happen to have an anecdote that explains why I remember that, but I'd like people to think that I have some semblance of a life.

Doug

DrBear · « **Reply #27 on:** March 31, 2005, 08:49:09 PM »

For what it's worth, two from Green Bay...

1. At the time of WML - and I'm going from memory, don't bite if I'm wrong - "As the World Turns" was going to one-hour, 12:30-1:30 CT. Since the station that carried it had a noon-1 one-hour "noon show," it ran WML at 1 p.m. and then ran ATWT at 3.

2. The NBC affil (at the time) ran game shows every night - Tuesdays and Thursdays were "Squares" nights, Match Game was on Mondays, and so on - and ran a promo showing what was on which night with Hot Chocolate's 'Every 1's a Winner" as the music.

Don Howard · « **Reply #28 on:** April 01, 2005, 12:05:56 AM »

[quote name=\'Ian Wallis\' date=\'Mar 31 2005, 09:33 AM\']I have some New York TVGuides from the '70s that list shows like "Break the Bank", nighttime "Price is Right" and "Match Game PM" on Saturday evenings.

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When WJW Television 8 in Cleveland moved Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman to 7pm weeknights in early 1977, the Friday at 7pm show (Break The Bank) was kicked down to 11:30pm on Sundays.

uncamark · « **Reply #29 on:** April 01, 2005, 12:10:26 PM »

[quote name=\'SRIV94\' date=\'Mar 31 2005, 01:35 PM\'][quote name=\'uncamark\' date=\'Mar 31 2005, 10:57 AM\']Since WLS in Chicago stripped an hour of news at 6 p.m. weeknights, "MG PM" aired after the Sunday movie and the local *and* network late news (this was when ABC did a Saturday and Sunday night 15-minute late newscat) and was later joined by the second airing of "Squares." (The first airing ran in "LMAD"'s old Saturday at 6:30 p.m. slot.) The reason I don't give exact times is that back then, "The ABC Sunday Night Movie" frequently ran over 10 p.m. CT.

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It may have started that way, but I distinctly remember a few seasons in which WLS aired MGPM Sundays at 5:30 CT (right before ABC's prime-time lineup kicked in). I do happen to have an anecdote that explains why I remember that, but I'd like people to think that I have some semblance of a life.

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And to complete that station's profile, the prime time version of "High Rollers" ran its one season on WLS on Sundays at 5 p.m.--and "MG PM" might've been at 5:30 p.m.