Acme Communications Inc.'s morning show, The Daily Buzz, which launched Monday at all 10 of
ACME's owned stations, will expand at the end of the month into over 100
more small markets.
The three-hour morning show, targeting younger viewers and produced out of
WBDT(TV) Dayton, Ohio, will launch Sept. 30 on the 109
cable-based local stations belonging to The WB+ group. The 100+ group includes
all markets smaller than DMA No. 100, with the exceptions of Lafayette, Ind., and
Fairbanks, Alaska.
ACME's stations are in markets as large as St. Louis (DMA No. 22); Portland,
Ore. (23); Salt Lake City (35); and Albuquerque, N.M. (48) covering 5.4 percent of the country. All of the ACME stations are The WB Television Network
affiliates except KASY-TV, which is a United Paramount Network affiliate. The additional 109 cable
markets will add another 7.5 percent.
While The WB 100+ group is part of the same broad family as ACME, ACME
president Doug Gealy sees the quick expansion as a solid "foot in the door" for
even wider syndication. The show will not be branded as a WB product and,
therefore, it will not be limited to WB affiliates. Gealy said interest has already
been expressed by UPN, Fox and other younger-skewing affiliates that have not
had morning shows, and ACME is considering going with a syndicator for
distribution.
Although ACME noted that Phil Donahue started out in Dayton, now DMA No.
60, that show also moved to major market Chicago as it grew. But Gealy said that
while the network morning shows more obviously reflect their New York
locations, using satellite technology and on-location reports, the Buzz`s
Midwest, midmarket home doesn't have to be limiting.
"We picked Dayton because we needed a station in the Eastern time zone and
this one had our best studio facility and good staffing," Gealy said. "It was a
strong station for a start-up."
Executive producer for The Daily Buzz is Robin Radin, formerly with
Fox 11 Morning News at KTTV(TV) Los Angeles. The show
will be anchored by Los Angeles transplants Ron Corning and Andrea Jackson, with
Peggy Bunker reporting and Mitch English doing weather. It will also include
national and international news from CNN Newsource.
