Syndie Insider

NBC Enterprises officially has canceled Weakest Link and The Other Half, both in their sophomore season. Weakest Link, cleared mostly in late-night slots, averaged a 1.8 in households during February sweeps. Stations will get originals through July. Other Half, recently moved into midday slots on several NBC O&Os, averaged a 1.0; stations will receive originals through May sweeps, although they will have to air some repeats.

Also not returning next year: Warner Bros.' Jenny Jones, Tribune's Beyond With James Van Praagh and Twentieth's The Rob Nelson Show. Teetering on the edge are Warner Bros.' Caroline Rhea Show and Sony's Shipmates. Meanwhile, MGM and NBC's weekly action hour She Spies has been renewed for a second year.

Daytime television audiences increased 6% during February's cold weather, boosting many syndicated shows. Most new first-run game and talk strips showed sharp ratings growth last month compared with their September debuts. Buena Vista's Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, syndication's top new game show, had the biggest improvement among rookies, jumping 46% to an average 3.5 among households during sweeps. This season's other new game show, Sony's Pyramid, was up 18% to a 2.0. The biggest gains among rookie talkers were King World's Dr. Phil, up 25% to a 5.5, and NBC Enterprises' The John Walsh Show, up 36% to a 1.5. Among established talk shows, only the top three were up over last year: King World's Oprah, 16% to a 6.7; Buena Vista's Live With Regis and Kelly, 8% to a 4.2; and Universal's Maury, 6% to a 3.6.

The Heritage Networks has picked up the barter sales rights for Paramount Domestic Television's The Parkers and Resurrection Boulevard for fall. Urban sitcom The Parkers is in its fourth season on UPN; Latino drama Resurrection Boulevard aired on premium cable channel Showtime. Meanwhile, The Heritage Networks'Weekend Vibe, a weekly syndicated magazine series produced in partnership with Vibe Magazine, has been growing among African-American audiences, particularly among men 18-34 and 18-49. Weekend Vibe airs on stations covering 80% of U.S. homes and 95% of African-American homes.