PPI Shopping CTV's 'The Social'

PPI Releasing is shopping CTV's daytime talker, The Social, to TV stations for a fall 2014 launch.

The panel talk show premiered on CTV in September and is produced by Bell Media In-House Productions. Bell Media owns CTV.

The Social features
four female cohosts — news anchor Melissa Grelo, life coach Cynthia
Loyst, gossip blogger Lainey Lui and entertainment reporter Traci
Melchor — chatting about the news, pop culture, celebrity and lifestyle
topics of the day. As the show's name implies, it also integrates
social media networks, including Facebook and Twitter, into the
conversation, allowing viewers to interact while providing "unique
opportunities for advertisers," according to PPI.

"The popularity
of panel talk shows has skyrocketed as both viewers and stations
appreciate their diversity, breadth of subject matter and
entertainment," said PPI principal Ritch Colbert in a statement.

PPI
is offering the day-and-date series as a strip for next fall, although
the distributor also is discussing with stations a possible mid-season
launch in January 2014. The show will be sold for cash plus barter.

"By
2014, we'll have produced well over 200 episodes," said Rick Brace,
president, specialty channels and CTV production, in a statement. "We've
created an engaging series that is resonating with Canadian viewers,
and can launch in the U.S. next year with a solid foundation."

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.