Disney/ABC Renews 'Katie' for Second Season

Rookie talker's sophomore campaign cleared in 95% of U.S.

By Tim Baysinger -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/30/2013 4:12:32 PM

Disney/ABC renewed Katie Couric's new talk show for a second season on Wednesday.

Disney/ABC cleared Katie among its existing stations in over 95% of the country, which include the ABC owned station group. The show also airs on stations from broadcast groups including Allbritton Communications, Belo Corporation, Cox Media Group, Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television, LIN Broadcasting, Media General, Meredith, Raycom, Scripps Howard Broadcasting, Sinclair and Young Broadcasting, among others.

The syndicated talker has averaged a 1.9 HH rating season-to-date through the week ending Jan. 20, according to Nielsen. Couric's exclusive interview with Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, which aired Jan. 24, propelled the show to its best single-day viewership, an average of 3.5 million viewers.

Katie is among five new syndicated talk shows that debuted this season, none of which have posted break-out success in the ratings. NBCUniversal's Steve Harvey and Trisha Goddard, which have averaged a 1.4 and 0.5 ratings season-to-date, respectively, were renewed prior to this week's NATPE conference in Miami. There's not yet been an official word on the fates of CTD'S The Jeff Probst Show (0.7 rating season-to-date) or Twentieth's Ricki Lake (0.7 rating season-to-date).

The second season will be the first full campaign that new executive producer Michael Morrison will helm, having replaced original EP Jeff Zucker in December. Zucker left Katie to be the new president of CNN Worldwide.