Exclusive: 'Judge Karen's Court' To Remain Resurrected

Litton's Judge Karen's Court, which the distributor brought back to syndication after Sony cancelled the show in 2009, has been renewed for fall 2011.

Tribune's WPIX New York has picked the show up for another year, as have station groups Capital, Fusion, LIN, Nexstar, Roberts, Sinclair and Weigel. Nearly 60 stations have signed up for season two of Judge Karen. In addition, Weigel's WCIU Chicago is upgrading the show to 9 a.m., starting immediately.

Judge Karen originally premiered in fall 2008 and was produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. The show went off the air after that season when Sony decided to exit the court business and pursue other business, such as its co-productions with Harpo: Dr. Oz and Nate Berkus.

Litton brought the show back last fall at the behest of Sinclair Broadcast Group, in many cases selling the show into slots previously occupied by the now-cancelled Street Court. Thus far, it's averaging a 0.6 live plus same day household average for the season, according to Nielsen, putting it far behind the rest of syndication's court shows. However, it's the number-one freshman first-run show in top markets New York and Chicago, according to Litton.

Judge Karen's Court is hosted by Judge Karen Mills-Francis and executive produced by Rich Goldman.

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.