NBCU's 'Steve Harvey' Cleared in More Than 55% of the U.S.

NBCUniversal has cleared its new talk show, Steve Harvey, in more than 55% of the country for a fall 2012 debut, said Barry Wallach, president of NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution.

The one-hour talk show will be hosted by Harvey and produced by Endemol, with Harvey and Rushion McDonald executive producing. It's currently cleared on the NBC-owned TV station group, as well as on stations from the Fox, CBS, Hearst, Cox, Capital, Sinclair, Local TV, LIN Television and others.

Harvey already has made a splash in syndication, having taken over hosting duties on Debmar-Mercury's Family Feud and substantially grown the ratings, a rare feat in today's fragmented TV marketplace. He also hosts his own top-rated nationally-syndicated radio show.

Harvey and Disney-ABC's Katie are now set to launch next fall, with NBCU's new conflict talker Trisha Goddard sold to the Sinclair Broadcast Group. CBS Television Distribution is shopping Jeff Probst, and has achieved clearances in some markets, according to several sources. Warner Bros. and Twentieth are still working to clear Bethenny Frankel and Ricki Lake.

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.