Syndie Insider

Paramount has begun production on The Insider, and the show's staff is in place. D.J. Petroro and Ron Vandoor are the show's senior producers, reporting to Executive Producer Linda Bell Blue. Petroro comes from Access Hollywood, while Vandor moves over from Insider sister show Entertainment Tonight. Anthony Beilinsohn, John Palacio, Steve Tseckares and Jonathan Zager are supervising producers. Michael Delazzer and Julie Rashid, both of ET, have been named coordinating producers. The Insider, cleared in 98% of the U.S., premieres Sept. 13.

Passport Entertainment is bringing the televised poker craze to syndication, clearing weekly one-hour syndicated show The Ultimate Poker Challenge in more than 80% of the country. Of those clearances, more than 75% are in prime, access or fringe time periods. It's cleared on the Viacom and Sinclair Broadcast Groups and is double-running in many markets, including Chicago, Seattle and Las Vegas. The show is hosted by Chad Brown, formerly of As the World Turns, and it's taped before a live audience at the Plaza Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Dan Pugliese executive produces, and Sam Riddle produces. Tvi Media in New York is handling national ad sales.

Paramount's Entertainment Tonight remained the No. 1 magazine show in the week ending Aug. 15, holding steady at 4.5 in households, while growing 8% in women 18-49. King World's Inside Edition was up 3% to 3.3 in second place, and Warner Bros.' Extra! took third for a second straight week, again bumping NBC Universal's Access Hollywood to fourth. Extra! was up 5%, at 2.3, while Access Hollywood was right behind at 2.2, up 5% week-to-week. Meanwhile, Warner Bros.'Celebrity Justice had the biggest magazine increase, rebounding 20% to 1.2.