ET assured of life through 2006-07

Joe Schlosser -- Broadcasting & Cable, 11/13/2000

Just as executives at Warner Bros. and NBC were announcing long-term plans to upgrade Access Hollywood, Paramount executives were putting the final touches on renewals for top dog Entertainment Tonight that will keep it in place at least through the 2005-06 season.

Entertainment Tonight, which is currently in its 20th season and aired its 5,000th episode on Friday, Nov. 10, has been renewed in 70% of the country through the 2004-05 season and another 50% through 2005-06. Paramount Domestic Television Distribution executives are giving credit to Warner Bros. and NBC's plans with Access Hollywood for their extensive renewal list.

"I want to thank Warner Bros. because they have allowed stations to take stock of what they have on their air, and that has supplied us with the catalyst to do the renewals that we have just completed," says John Nogawski, Paramount's president of sales. "Our renewals have really come over the last two months because of the Access Hollywood plans."

Eight CBS O & Os have renewed the newsmagazine through the 2005-06 season including the top-three markets: Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. ET has also been renewed on six Belo stations through 2005-06 including Dallas, Phoenix, St. Louis and Tulsa. Cox stations in Seattle, Charlotte and Dayton have picked up renewals through the 2006-07 season, and Gannett's Cleveland, Denver and Buffalo stations have renewed through the 2006-07 season as well.

Young Broadcasting's KRON-TV San Francisco is now signed on through 2005-06, and Post-Newsweek stations in Houston and San Antonio are good through 2005-06.