Upgrades for Universal
By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/14/2003
Universal Domestic Television has scored upgrades for Maury, Blind Date and The Jerry Springer Show in two major markets. In San Francisco, the country's fifth-largest market, WB affiliate KBWB(TV) has shifted Maury's first runs to 5 p.m. from 10 a.m.; another run of the show will remain at 1 p.m. During the May sweeps, Maury's 1 p.m. run scored the station's highest share in daytime in women 18-34 and 18-49 and tied for highest rating in those demos.
With Maury out of the 10 a.m. slot, KBWB is airing a double run of Sony's Shipmates in the hour. The show has not been renewed in syndication for fall, but sources say Sony is exploring a cable deal for it for fall 2004.
At 5 p.m., KBWB had been airing double runs of Buena Vista's Home Improvement.
Granite Broadcasting's KBWB also has brought over Blind Date from Young's KRON-TV. The half-hour dating strip airs at noon on the WB affiliate, leading into Twentieth's Ex-Treme Dating. KRON-TV had been airing Blind Date at noon and now is running locally produced Rob Black and Your Money. Blind Date is No. 1 in the dating genre. In its fourth season, the show is down 5% year-to-year in national household ratings and flat in adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54.
In Sacramento, Calif., DMA 19, CBS affiliate KOVR-TV is moving Jerry Springer to 3 p.m. from 9 a.m., bumping Sony's Ricki Lake to 2 p.m. Jerry has been a solid performer all year for Sinclair-owned KOVR, boosting its Early Show lead-in by 143% among women 18-49 and improving the time period by 240% in the demo compared to last year. Among women 18-34, Jerry increased its Early Show lead-in by 122% and was up 300% over last year.
Nationally, Jerry, down 11% year-to-year in households, is fifth among the 15 talk shows, behind King World's Oprah Winfrey Show, King World's Dr. Phil, Maury, and Buena Vista's Live With Regis and Kelly.
Maury, in particular, has been doing well for Universal this season, seeing year-to-year improvement in all the key female demos though remaining flat in households. Last week, Maury was the No. 3-rated talker, with a 3.5 household rating, behind Oprah's 5.5 and Dr. Phil's 4.4.
