IN BRIEF

Universal Worldwide Television executives will hit the road July 30 in an effort to carry marketing and promo launch tips to stations signed on for syndicated series Blind Date and new spin-off The 5th Wheel. The 15-city tour will be broken into three legs over three weeks.

For the second straight week, reality shows and summer reruns propelled NBC to a victory in households, total viewers and adults 18-49. For the week ended July 15, NBC averaged a network-best 5.8 rating/11 share in households, 8.3 million viewers and a 3.5/11 in adults 18-49, according to Nielsen Media Research. CBS was second in both households (5.7/11) and total viewers (8 million), while Fox used the Major League Baseball All-Star Game to jump into second place in adults 18-49 with a 2.9/10 in the demo.

NBC is expected to pick up 13 more episodes each of summer reality series Spy TV and Fear Factor. Word is, the two will be plugged into the net's fall schedule, although it's unclear where. NBC is said to be scaling back Weakest Link to one day a week this fall, which would leave an opening for either the half-hour Spy TV or hour Fear Factor. Currently, Spy TV airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m., with a repeat on Tuesdays. Fear Factor runs Mondays at 8 p.m. Although strong ratings-performers for NBC, both shows have caught flak for their controversial content. An official announcement is expected this week.