Syndie Insider

Paramount Domestic Television has hired Steven Cojocaru—weekly contributor to NBC's Today show, style correspondent for NBC Enterprises' Access Hollywood and West Coast style editor for People magazine—as a correspondent for Entertainment Tonight. As part of the deal, Cojocaru and Paramount will develop a daytime talk show that will be "fun and frothy and celebrate show business," Cojocaru said, although the concept is only in the early stages. He will begin contributing to ET in late August. "The biggest stars in Hollywood really adore Steven, and they want to be around him," said Terry Wood, PDT's executive vice president of programming. Cojocaru will continue on Today and People but not on Access Hollywood.

After a year-long rollout, Twentieth Television finally launched Ex-treme Dating nationally in the week ended June 15, but its debut ratings left something to be desired. The show premiered with a 1.0 national household rating on 116 stations covering 81% of the U.S. In the metered markets, Ex-treme Dating averaged a 1.2 rating/4 share for the week, on par with its lead-in share but down 20% in both rating and share from its year-ago time period. Ex-treme Dating rated fifth out of syndication's six dating shows. Universal's Blind Date, the top dating show, was up 18% from the prior week to 2.0, while Warner Bros.' ElimiDate gained 6% to 1.8. Universal's Fifth Wheel rose 8% to 1.4. And Warner Bros.' Change of Heart was unchanged at 1.3. In last place at 0.8 was Sony's Shipmates, which, along with Change of Heart, is not expected to return next season.

Bill Hague has been named vice president of sales for King World's Midwest division, according to Roger King, CEO of CBS Enterprises and King World Productions. Hague will be based in Chicago, reporting to King World President of Domestic Television Sales Joe DiSalvo. He succeeds Mike Stornello, recently named King World senior vice president of development, and will head up Midwest sales. Hague joins King World from Frank N. Magid Associates.