INTRODUCTION

This SPECIAL EDITION #1 of the KATZ PROGRAMMING NEWSLETTER is sent along to provide you with more detailed information on the 1999-2000 syndicated programming season. This mailing includes commentary on key returning shows, as well as the programs that have just premiered.

In addition, we have provided MARKET TRACKS for all of the new strips for the first week(s) through Friday September 24, 1999. These printouts include weighted historical average (where they existed) for programming in the time periods in September 1998 and November 1998, along with the current (target) program’s daily performance and its lead-in from Monday 9/20-Friday 9/24. These breakouts also provide averages for the prior weeks when available. The programs at the bottom of each market specific column are the program’s competition in the time period ranked by ratings for the most recent week (9/20). On each page the first column is not market specific, but is the compilation of all schedulings across the current 46 metered market sample from New York (NY #1) to Las Vegas (LV #56) representing 64.019 % of the United States. In that column are the daily and weekly averages for that market grouping. We believe that this can provide stations with detailed information on all of the new shows for 1999.

With all of these materials, we hope that you will once again have the informational arsenal to put into some perspective the ratings that have been part of the FLASH reports faxed and e-mailed to stations, as well as the trade articles looking at the new season results.

Every talk show host, new and old, seems to be hell bent on finding solutions. Of course you & I may disagree with them on what the problem really is. One fact that is indisputable is that all talk shows are having a hard time improving time periods and creating a buzz among viewers.

PREMIERING TALK SHOWS

R. JOY BROWNE

Typically, Dr. Joy opens her show with a line saying "we can work together to find a solution." Well, be quick about it Joy; you’re only averaging a 1.2 rating with a 4 share, under delivering time period history by 33% and your lead-in by 43%.

Thirty three of Dr. Joy’s clearances are in daytime with a season-to-date average of 1.3/5, down 29% from lead-in and time period history. Joy’s shares declined in week two from week one in 16 markets (1 to 3 points) and were up in 8 markets (1 to 2 points). Unfortunately, there are no good stories to report.

With eight early fringe clearances Dr. Joy has one good story to report in Phoenix (KPHO 3PM 2.8/8) where she holds her lead-in, is up one share point over time period history and grew 2 share points in week two. Her eight market average is 1.8/5, 29% below her lead-in and flat with year ago history.

A CBS production via their ownership of Eyemark, Dr. Joy runs on the CBS O&O’s. Their flagship station, WCBS in NY, is averaging a 1.2/4, 43% below its soap lead-in and 34% below Howie last fall. The other O&O stories are comparable.

QUEEN LATIFAH

The woman who is not afraid to share her opinions, which are numerous and strong, finished her first full week with a 1.5/5, slightly below year ago (1.7/6).

Twenty nine of Latifah’s clearances are in daytime (1.7/5), nine are in early fringe (1.9/5), and seven are in late fringe (1.9/5). Her daytime and early fringe averages are just one share point below lead-in and history while in late fringe her share is tied with both.

Latifah has six double runs, the best of which are in New York, Chicago, Atlanta and New Orleans. In New York (WNYW 9AM & 12M) she delivers a promising 1.5/5 in the morning and even better 2/6 in late fringe. Latifah delivered the same number (WICU 1.9/4) in Chicago at 5PM & 10PM, both holding lead-in but slightly below year ago history. In Atlanta her 4PM play (WATL 2/5) is significantly stronger than her 11AM (0.6/3). The early fringe builds on an animation lead-in. She also has an interesting double run in New Orleans (WNOL) where at 5PM (3.1/6) the show builds on a Home Improvement lead-in (2.1/5) and at 11PM (5.1/12) where it also builds on a Wayan Brothers lead-in (6.2/11) and year ago history (4.4/9).

Other good stories are: Greensboro (WGHP/10AM) 4.4/19 vs. 2.4/0 last fall, Jacksonville (WJWB 12N) 2.8/8 vs. 1.6/4 history, Memphis (WHBQ 4PM) 4.9/11 vs. 3.2/7 and Norfolk (WAVY 3PM) 3.5/9 vs. Howie’s 6 share last fall.

The gist of Latifah’s first full week is her ability to hold her lead-in and deliver comparable numbers to what the time period had been doing. It suggests that if the producers settle down with the topics that work best for Latifah (in our opinion, light/humorous topics), the audience is open to her and she may begin to build. Since demographically her strength should be with a younger audience, a’la Ricki’s early fringe should be the daypart to watch.

LEEZA

A five year test run on network television obviously doesn’t guarantee success in syndication. Leeza only premiered in syndication with a 1.4/5 average across 42 markets and has not shown any growth in her first two weeks. In daytime, Leeza’s 15 traditional affiliate clearances performed no better than her 12 WB/UPN, 3 FOX or 1 IND. Her 31 market average is 1.5/5 compared to a 6 share lead-in and year ago time period history.

In early fringe, Leeza has 3 clearances (1.3/3), two traditional independents and one traditional ABC. The later is WFTS Tampa at 4PM (2.8/7) where Leeza drops from her 12 share General Hospital lead-in and under performes Montel’s 9 share last fall.

MARTIN SHORT

It seems that most people we talk to are rooting for Martin Short, but as yet, the folks in those metered households haven’t embraced him. His 39 market average sits at a 1.7/5, down from his 7 share lead-in and 8 share time period history.

Daytime (1.8/7) audiences in particular, don’t seem to be buying into Marty’s humor, skits and interviews. He falls 37% from his lead-in and under performs last September by 30%. It is not unusual to see the show’s shares in these 20 markets sag between lead-in and lead-out.

In seven early fringe situations (1.8/5), Martin does a better job holding his lead-in (flat on average), but still falls short of time period history by 50%.

Late fringe (1.8/6) audiences in nine markets have not reacted quite so negatively as the daytime set. He only slips 14% from his 7 share lead-in and time period history.

Marty gets high marks for the doing all the extra pieces and skits, but perhaps he needs to do fewer of them until the audiences get to know him rather than his over the top characters. We could also do with less of his side kick Michael McGraw.

Martin Short is a KING WORLD show, soon to be part of the CBS family. His, arguably, flagship station, WCBS, is averaging a 1.8/5, up 25% from the Dr. Joy Brown lead-in, but 37% below time period history (Judge Judy).

RICHARD SIMMONS – DREAM MAKER

Richard has been busy in his first week bringing other people’s dreams to life, but has yet to fulfill his own. His 32 market average, mostly on WB affiliates (1.2/5) is 29% below lead-in and 17% below history.

The majority of his 25 daytime slots (1.1/4) are on Tribune stations – he is a Tribune show after all. The show is 43% below his average lead-in and 34% below year ago time period shares.

Dream Maker has four early fringe (1.3/4) stations: two NBC and two traditional Indies. The former: PX/KPNX 3PM (1.4/4), is down 33% below its Sunset Beach lead-in and 50% below Howie last fall; ST/KSL 4PM (3.0/9), is down a whopping 55% from the Povich lead-in and 10% from year ago time period.

It is unfair to call a show after just one week, so we will watch this dream to see how it turns out…

RETURNING TALK SHOWS

DONNY & MARIE

One of the two 1998 talk shows to make it to year two (by virtue of two year deals), Donny & Marie (1.7/6) has considerably better clearances and time periods than Roseanne, the other sophomore show.

Of Donny & Marie’s 45 total clearances, 32 are in daytime (1.6/6) where the show finished week one of its second season 14% below its average 7 share lead-in and tied with time period history. Donny & Marie held their same slot from last fall in eleven of these markets and with the exception of three markets, where they post down 1 or 2 share points and one where they are flat, they have grown between 1 and 8 share points:

DL/KTVT 9AM 1.5/6 (+2)

TP/WFLA 10AM 2.4/9 (+3)

MI/WSVN 10AM 3.8/14 (+5)

SM/KTXL 9AM 1.9/7 (+3)

KC/KMBC 10AM 4.1/9 (+8)

BH/WBRC 10AM 3.9/12 (+4)

WP/WPBF 10AM 1.6/6 (+1)

We will watch these markets closely over the coming weeks to see if the show continues to grow with some of the new production directions. Also remember, this was a show launched by the FOX O & O’s and as such most of their daytime clearances are still on FOX. Out of the 32, they only have eight traditional affiliates. The FOX O&O flagship station in NY/WNYW at 12N has a 1.2/4 with the show, flat with their local news lead-in and news history.

Donny & Marie have four early fringe (3.1/11) clearances, three returning from last season: MN/KARE 3PM (2.8/13), PX/KSAZ 3PM (4.4/12) and NV/WKRN 3PM (3.3/9). All three reflect year to year growth. The fourth, SE/KING 3PM (2.1/9) fell below Roseanne and Howie’s performance in that slot last September and November, but given the paltry 3 share lead-in being provided by Passions, Donny & Marie’s current 9 share is an accomplishment.

FORGIVE or FORGET

With 46 markets, all but 3 being UPN, WB and FOX, Forgive or Forget has three weeks of its second season under its belt averaging a 1.7/6, 14% below a 7 share lead-in and flat with history.

The same pattern is found in daytime (1.5/5) where Forgive or Forget has 35 clearances. The show is 17% below its 6 share lead-in and flat with history. There are several good stories to point out. Not surprisingly, many are where Forgive was allowed to stay in the time period. CH/WPWR 1PM (2.1/7), DE/WJBK 9AM (3.4/12), AT/WAGA 1PM (4.0/13), HN/KRIV 9AM (2.7/10), CT/WCCB 10AM (2.4/10), CI/WXIX 9AM (2.8/11), SA/KABB 2PM (2.6/7) and finally a very good story, MS/WHBQ 2PM (5.2/14). The last is being fueled by a very good Divorce Court lead-in. All of these good stories are not only strong numbers in today’s daytime environment, but are performing above time period history.

As an early fringe player (2.5/6) with only 6 clearances, all on UPN or FOX,

Forgive or Forget is 33% below its lead-in and flat with last fall. Its best story is BL/WUTB 5PM (3.6/9), below Judge Joe Brown’s 12 share lead-in, but building on its own 6 share from last November.

Forgive or Forget also has a couple of good stories in its eight late fringe (1.8/8) markets where it typically holds lead-in and history. These strong stories are in: HN/KRIV 11:30PM (3.2/10), TP/WTVT 12:30AM (2.7/13) and MI/WSVN 11:45PM (2.2 /6).

JENNY JONES

With 46 markets and multiple plays in most, Jenny is averaging a 1.7/6, 14% below an average 7 share lead-in and year ago history.

In daytime, Jenny has 38 markets, also with double runs and averages a 1.9/7, holding lead-in and just 12% off an 8 share time period history. Ten of these stations are traditional affiliates. Contrary to what one usually sees, in many markets where Jenny remained in the same slot from last season her shares are down a bit.

Jenny has 12 early fringe stations, half are NBC and half a mix of FOX, WB, UPN, IND (2.3/6). The average is only slightly off a 7 share lead-in and 25% off the 8 share time period history.

Jenny in late fringe (1.7/7) retains most of her average 8 share lead-in and all of the time period history. Of her ten late fringe slots only WDIV in Detroit (12:30AM 3.2/12) is a traditional affiliate.

MARTHA STEWART

Officially in her new hour-only format, Martha Stewart finished her first three weeks in 44 markets with a 1.9/8, 14% over her 7 share lead-in and flat with year ago history.

Of her 37 daytime stations (2.1/8), Martha remained in the same slot in 19. There has been some erosion on a few stations, but nothing so radical that at this early stage one should call it a pattern.

THE MAURY SHOW

That’s Maury Povich to most of us. Entering his second year as a Studios USA show, Maury has 46 stations cleared (2.9/11) in the metered markets with several double runs. He and Ricki Lake are the only talk shows so far this season to be able to boast an increase over time period history (+10%). He also outperforms his average lead-in by 10%.

Thirty six of these stations are in daytime (3.0/11) and several of them are also double running in the same daypart. Again, he is 10% above lead-in and history. He remains in the same time period in 24 markets and in most cases he is up year to year. Best stories are found in this group: MN/KARE 2PM (3.6/19), CL/WJW 11AM (4.0/15), PX/KTVK 10AM (4.8/18), PT/WTAE 10AM (4.4/17), CT/WBTV 9AM (4.8/18), ML/WITI 11AM (3.4/13), NO/WDSU 9AM (4.6/16), NF/WAVY 9AM (4.5/14), GR/WGHP 11AM (4.8/18) and JX/WJXT 10AM (7.4/24). Twenty two of his daytime stations are traditional affiliates.

Maury’s eight early fringe (4.1/13) stations are 30% above lead-in and 18% above time period history. In six of the eight he held his slot from last season. Maury only registers decreases in 2 markets, where coincidentally his lead-in is Passions. In both markets, Orlando and Kansas City, he improves on the Passions respective 10 and 3 shares.

MONTEL WILLIAMS

Finishing week two of his 1999 season (2.0/7) in 46 markets, Montel holds his lead-in as well as time period history.

In daytime (1.7/9), 19 of his 29 stations are UPN and FOX with a couple of WB. The remaining 10 are traditional affiliates. Montel is flat with his average lead-in and only 14% below the 7 share time period history. While he held onto his slot in 13 of the 29 markets, his shares so far are off a bit in most. His best stories are in: PT/WPXI 10AM (3.5/13) replacing and beating Jenny Jones as well as his Later Today lead-in, and SL/KSDK 10AM (3.3/15) beating last year’s Sunset Beach.

In early fringe (2.8/8) Montel has 23 clearances, 17 of which are on traditional affiliates. As in daytime, he holds his lead-in and is only one share point off the average time period history. In the 13 markets where Montel remained in the same slot he is down in seven, up on five and flat in one.

While it is fair to say that Montel has plateaued, as one of Paramount’s prize shows, we can be sure a push will be made to re-energize and re-focus the show.

OPRAH WINFREY

While her lead is certainly not what it used to be, Oprah is still ‘tops’ among talk shows (4.7/14) in the 46 metered markets. She improves on her lead-in by an average 17%, but is 7% off year the ago share (15).

Oprah’s early fringe (5.8/15) number in 45 metered markets and morning number (6.9/24) in Chicago (WLS 9AM) reflect a 7-8% decline from last fall’s share. She builds on her early fringe lead-in by an average 7%. In Chicago it’s a whopping 60% increase.

Oprah also has 11 late fringe (2.3/9) clearances in the metered markets. She typically drops off 10% from her lead-in and 25% from last year’s history.

REGIS & KATHIE LEE

Regis’ 45 market average (3.9/15) is flat with history and 7% above the 14 share lead-in. Regis changed stations or time periods in ten markets and improved over the history in seven of these by 1-9 share points. They are still a 9AM show in all but four markets: Memphis, where they lead-out of religion and paid and Providence, Las Vegas and Indianapolis where they follow Later Today.

RICKI LAKE

Ricki’s (2.0/6) 46 market average with multiple plays, reflects a 20% increase over lead-in and time period history.

In daytime (1.6/6) she has the same pattern – 20% above lead-in and history on 32 stations, a few of which also have multiple runs.

In early fringe (2.7/6), historically her strong suit, Ricki is flat versus lead-in and history. She replaced another show in ten markets and improved the time period in four so far and is flat in one.

With all those multiple runs its not surprising that Ricki has as many as 12 late fringe (1.8/6) plays. This reflects a 20% increase over lead-in and 50% lead-in over history.

ROSEANNE

Roseanne (1.1/6) is down to 30 clearances in the 46 metered markets. Most of these stations are now running her in late fringe: 3 between midnight and 1AM, and 22 post 1AM. For the sake of comparison, last September, Roseanne premiered with 21 daytime and 15 early fringe slots.

She has three daytime slots: SE/KING 11AM (0.8/4), below Days of our Lives last fall (2.5/11), CL/WOIO 9AM (0.7/3) below Dr. Quinn’s (1.2/5) history and CT/WCNC 12N (0.8/3) below Sunset’s 1.2/4 history.

Her one early fringe is in Kansas City on KSHB 3PM (1.0/4), below her own history (2.0/6).

OSIE O’DONNELL

Overall, Rosie (3.7/11) is outperforming her lead-in by 10% and is flat with last fall.

With only 7 daytime (4.2/14) slots in the metered markets, she is holding her own – flat with lead-in and history. She’s remained in the same time periods in five of these markets. In SM/KOVR 2PM (2.5/9), she replaced Povich (3.4/12) and in NO/WVUE 10AM (0.9/3) she replaced Forgive or Forget (2.6/7).

In early fringe (3.5/10) she is also 11% above her average lead-in and tied with the time period history.

SALLY JESSY RAPHAEL

Two weeks into her new season and Sally (3.2/11) is holding her lead-in and history in 46 markets.

Thirty one of these are daytime plays (3.0/11). She picked up ten new slots and improved the shares in five of them, was flat in two and was below year ago in 3 markets.

In 17 early fringe (3.9/11) clearances she builds on her lead-in by 10% and holds last year’s share. She is new to four of these slots and increases the time period share in two and is flat in two.

JERRY SPRINGER

In his 45 market average (2.8/11) which includes multiple plays, Jerry is 14% above his lead-in and 28% below the time period history.

Thirty of these clearances are in daytime (2.7/10), where they are on average 42% above their lead-in, and 9% below last fall. Jerry picked up eight new clearances vs. last September in which he outperforms the previous show in five markets, is flat in two and down in one.

In 24 early fringe (3.6/9) markets Springer performs 13% above his average lead-in and 25% below time period history. In those 24 markets he’s down in ten markets between 3 and 11 share points: Atlanta –3, Houston –6, Phoenix –7, Denver –4, Orlando –5, Baltimore –11, Kansas City –6, San Antonio –8, New Orleans –7 and West Palm Beach –6.

PREMIERING GAME SHOWS

FAMILY FEUD

Keeping with the theme of the summer’s biggest game hit, my final answer is Family Feud. Louie Anderson has embraced the concept for the millennium and added his humor to this tried and true perennial. Feud on average and across the metered sample, is up from lead-in and both the available September and November time period performances, delivering 1.5/5 for week #1 (ncluding second runs). Concentrating on access in the key markets, the survey sez that Feud is basically on par with time period history despite lesser clearances in Dallas, St. Louis and Birmingham. With several pre-emptions for baseball KTVU/SF at 7:30 PM delivered a 4.0/7, while KCAL/LA at 7:00PM had an average 4.1/7 for 4 telecasts, up from its Real TV lead-in (3.8/7) and 3.1/6 September ’98 time period history. In daytime, Louie and the feudin’ families are scheduled in 24 markets with 9 double runs. On average, the program’s 1.6/6 is up from lead-ins and both available September ’98 and November ’98 time periods. With competitive numbers in New York, the Feud delivers a 2+ rating and double digit share in PH/WCAU 2.7/11, DC/WJLA 2.9/14, CL/WOIO 2.8/11, and RD/WRAL 4.4/15. Better than a 2 rating was registered for week #1 additionally in Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Norfolk, West Palm Beach and Las Vegas in daytime plays. With only three schedulings in early fringe, the best is in Salt Lake City on KTVX paired with a Jeopardy lead-out, where the Feud delivers a 3.2/13, up from its General Hospital (2.4/10) lead-in and only behind Maury (4.5/18) on KSL. Feud in Salt Lake beats Martin Short and FOX/UPN/WB animation head-to-head. With less promotion and fewer access clearances, Family Feud, at this stage, seems to be following in the footsteps of last year’s Hollywood Squares as a bona fide success story. This should be the needed shot in the arm for Pearson to further exploit the prestigious Goodson library for the likes of To Tell the Truth, What’s My Line and The Better Sex.

Blind Date

As the stepchild of Dating Game, Love Connection and Change of Heart, Blind Date was specifically designed to inherit late fringe time periods. Roger Loge and his roaming cameras occupy slots in late night in 26 markets prior to 2AM. Averaging a 1.7/4, the Date is off its 1.8/5 September/November ’98 time period histories and expectedly off its 2.2/5 late fringe lead-ins. The best stories were registered in ML/WISN 3.7/10 and NO/WNOL 3.8/11. Positive results were also tallied by NY/WWOR 2.5/4, DL/KDAF 2.2/9, MI/WDZL 2.1/9, PX/KTUP 2.9/6, IN/WNDY 2.1/5, RD/WRAZ 2.2/5 and LV/KFBT 2.2/5. Though often below time period levels, the above numbers are an encouraging early sign for a program with little promotional buzz. In daytime plays among the three stories, the best is HN/KPRC at 12:30PM after local news delivering 2.5/7 up from the Access Hollywood numbers (2.3/7) last fall. Blind Date struggles between Ricki Lake (2.5/6) and Frasier (3.2/6) delivering a 2.0/4 for KCOP/LA in the 6PM slot. WPWR/CH at 3:30PM achieves a 2.1/6, off from Judge Judy (3.7/11), but up from its time period (9/98) Who’s the Boss levels of 1.7/5. In some sixth day airings, the program delivered some additional positive stories. WLWT/CI has two airings Saturdays 7PM 4.3/9 and after SNL at 1AM winning with a 2.9/11. WISN/ML with a 3.9/10 is holding its Squares lead-in at 3.9/10 and 3.9/12 from 11-12Midnight.

Like the dates, some of the stories for the first week of Blind Date are good and some are pure disasters. But just like the couples, some are encouraged to keep on trying. Others may decide on a date-less life. Stations should be encouraged by Blind Date’s program style, production values and pace but also concerned by its first week ratings performance.

RETURNING GAME SHOWS

WHEEL OF FORTUNE

Wheel of Fortune remains at the top of every household ratings list in syndication. Pat & Vanna rule, winning time period contests in NY, LA, CH, BN, DL, DE, HN, SE, TP, MN, PT, SL, OR, PD, HT, CI, ML, CO, SA, BH, MS, NO, WP, GR and JX for every airing last week (9/20-9/24/99). Unlike years past, the program is challenged on occasion in some market situations, but for the three (3) week season-to-date, Wheel is averaging a 10.4/19 across the 46 metered markets, up from a 9.8/18 lead-in and a 9.3/18 available 9/98 time period history. Wheel faces its stiffest competiton from Seinfeld in Denver and Salt Lake City, newscasts in Altanta (ABC); Nashville and Oklahoma City (local), ET in Baltimore and Denver and Inside Edition in Providence. That said, the program continues to thrive in its 16^th season and is justifiably renewed through 2005 by some accounts.

JEOPARDY

Before there was a final answer, the final Jeopardy question ruled syndication. Before there was Regis, there was Alex. And the numbers prove its viability. Jeopardy most often runs in tandem with Wheel of Fortune in access. Time period wins in that configuration were scored in NY, LA, PH, SF, DC, DE, TP, MI, OR, IN, CI, CO, WP and GR for every airing last week (9/20-9/24/99) in the 30 market metered sample. Jeopardy at 9.1/18 is up from the 8.7/18 time period sample for 9/98 with available history. Like its frequent companion show, Jeopardy does have challangers including ET (AT), baseball (CL), news (NV/BH) and Inside Edition (JX). Similar time period wins are registered in early fringe in CH, DL, HN, SL, ML, NO and LV. The quiz show falls prey to Oprah in MN, KC and SA, news in Baltimore, and Days/Rosie in Denver among the 14 market sample, achieving a 7.0/18 for the first three weeks of the season in early fringe off the 7.2/19 (9/98) and 7.3/19 of November ’98. Like Wheel, Jeopardy is occasionally tattered and torn in the hand-to-hand combat of syndication but remains solid in its 15^th season on the air with an average 9.6/19 for the season-to-date excluding double runs and late plays and just edging its 9.5/19 from last fall.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARES

Taking Whoopi Goldberg to block, stations have returned Hollywood Squares for its sophomore season, with some already renewing for post grad studies for another three years or a total of four more years. Bruce Villanch, Caroline Rhea, Gilbert Godfried and Tom Bergeron have all become part of the nation’s family like Paul Lynde, Charlie Weaver, Wally Cox, Rose Marie and Peter Marshall did with the original. With carry-over champs and secret squares, viewers have a day-to-day rooting interest. The two week 4.7/9 average across all airings is just above the 4.6/9 from last September. Of the 44 markets plays nearly 50% of the coverage (29 markets) present the Squares in access, averaging a 4.7/8, season-to-date up from last September’s time period (4.5/8). With a 5+ rating and double digit share are BN, PX, DV, PD, BL, HT, CI, WP and the best stories being SE/KING 6.7/13, MI/WFOR 6.6/11, PT/KDKA 8.5/14, OR/WKMG 6.2/11, and KC/KMBC 7.5/14. Early fringe yielded an average 5.1/13 (off last September’s 6.0/15) but with solid stories in HN/KHOU 6.0/16, SM/KXTV 6.3/12, NF/WVEC 6.3/12 and LV/KVBC 6.1/12. The best of the limited daytime plays was RD/WRAL 6.1/21 at 10AM. The game of X’s and O’s has yielded more wins than loses so far this year.

CHANGE OF HEART

The forerunner for Blind Date, now without its Love Connection pairings, and predominately airing in late fringe, Change of Heart starts its second season this September. The program delivered an average 2.0/7 in those late night slots. Heart was roughly on par with the available September ’98 (2.1/7) and November ’98 (2.0/7) time period histories. It delivered a 2.5 or better rating in the following clearances: NY/WPIX 3.6/11, LA/KCAL 2.6/10, CH/WPWR 2.6/11, PX/KUTP 3.1/7, OR/WKCF 2.8/6, RD/WRDC 2.9/8, SA/KAAB 3.2/12, and NO/WVUE 2.6/7. The best of three access stories is ML/WDJT 2.9/5 off the Judge Judy (3.4/6) September ’98 levels, but up from the Judge Mills Lane (1.7/3) November ’98 history. In all schedulings the program delivers September ’98 time period history of 1.8/6 up from the November ’98 levels at 1.8/5. The same is true for the mostly second runs in daytime/afternoon slots with a 1.3/4 average, same as September ’98 time periods, up from 1.2/4 last November. Since we all heralded the Change of Heart performances from last fall, maintaining those levels in this competitive environment must be considered as successful for the program in its second year. It may be the "little program that could" in syndication.

BEST OF NEWLYWED/DATING GAME

Back for another season with "best" of past production on its way to the Game Show cable network. Bob Eubanks and Chuck Woolery are logically still leading contestants through the game for trips and second honeymoons. It appears that PH/WGTW has the only hour scheduling (0.6/1), though there are some back-to-back stories. In daytime, the Newlywed Game delivers an average 0.8/3 at last fall levels. The same 0.8/3 for the Dating Game is just up from 0.7/3 (9/98) and 0.6/2 (11/98) time period history. The same levels and rating and share performance was delivered by both shows across all time periods. The visibly best on-going story is in Los Angeles on KCAL, Newlywed Game (1.8/5) and Dating Game (1.5/4) from 4:30-5:30 PM. Dating Game is off from the Change of Heart (2.9/6) from last November and Newlywed Game is off from the Dating Game (2.7/7) from last November. The programs seem to have a role filling program holes but not contributing much to the time period performances with less than a 1.0 rating for most schedulings.

REALITY – THE COURT SHOWS

Reality programming has made a tremendous comeback over the last few years fuelled by the successful return of the court genre. This season has seen the largest number of court shows in syndication than in any previous season, thus beginning the search for the point of diminishing returns in the category. The ranking report below indicates continued strength overall in this genre but there is a potential for over-saturation beginning to emerge.

COURT SHOW RANKING					% vs	% vs	% vs
					LI	9/98 TP	11/98 TP
		Rtg	/	Shr	Rtg	Rtg^	Rtg
Judge Judy	All Cases	5.1	/	12	27.5%	21.4%	8.5%
Judge Joe Brown	All Cases	2.8	/	9	12.0%	27.3%	3.7%
People's Court	All Cases	2.4	/	8	50.0%	20.0%	20.0%
Divorce Court	All Cases	2.3	/	8	9.5%	27.8%	27.8%
Judge Mills Lane	All Cases	1.9	/	6	5.6%	0.0%	-5.0%
Judge Mathis	All Cases	1.7	/	6	6.3%	-5.6%	-5.6%

^ in the available markets

PREMIERING Reality/COURT

DIVORCE COURT

Divorce Court’s Judge Mablean Ephraim is off to a good start, besting returning court show Mills Lane and nearly tying third year veteran People’s Court in the metered market average delivery. Bolstered by an excellent lineup, Divorce Court is generally gaining from lead-in and is already besting November 1998 ratings delivery in the time period. The program is playing best in daytime and early fringe and less well in late fringe. The court show has shown special strength in Southern and ethnic markets, much like other programs in this genre. The four-week trend is flat since week two. Of special note were WAGA (AT) and WBRC (BH) where the show has averaged over a six rating and has equaled its lead-in, Judge Judy.

^ in the available markets

JUDGE MATHIS

The other new player in the court genre is Judge Mathis. His launch has averaged a repectable 1.7/6 in mainly daytime clearances. While Judge Mathis is ranked lowest among the court programs, the program gains (on average) from lead-in and is only slightly lower in delivery from November 1998 time period. Like most court shows the program plays best in early fringe and daytime. WVUE (NO) and WJWB (JX) both had outstanding performances of 4.6/12 (+44% over Queen Latifah lead-in rating) and 4.0/13 (+25% over People’s Court lead-in rating).

^ in the available markets

RETURNING Reality/COURT

JUDGE JUDY

The "Queen of the Bench," Judge Judy, continues to reign supreme over the court genre with a dominant 5.1/12 average delivery. The show is up an average 27.5% from lead-in and 8.5% from last November’s time period ratings delivery. Unlike last September, some stations are getting good results with the program in access. In this difficult daypart, Judy has shown that it can be a self-starter (up 22% from lead-in) but hasn’t improved time periods thus far.

^ in the available markets

JUDGE JOE BROWN

Sophomore court sensation Joe Brown continues to generate good numbers, averaging a 2.8/9 and ranking #2 among the court shows. Some of the success of the show last season could be attributed to its many Judge Judy lead-out slots, but this season only eight of the 45 metered markets have Judge Judy and Joe Brown paired. The program continues to perform best in daytime and shows good growth compared to November 1998 time period delivery. The recent bad publicity for Joe Brown (criticism for his absence from the Memphis bench due to his taping schedule) may have hurt him politically in Tennessee, but there has been no impact in the ratings.

^ in the available markets

THE PEOPLE’S COURT

Judge Judy’s spouse Jerry Schiendlin has electrified the previously moribund People’s Court with his "in-your-face," Judge Judy-style. Judge Jerry’s antics have had an excellent impact on the program’s performance. The show jumps an average 50% from lead-in and even more in early fringe and is up 20% from November 1998 delivery. The show has grown exceptionally stronger in early fringe than in years past. The program is especially strong on NBC affiliates where it jump starts early fringe after weak soap delivery by Passions as seen in New York and Dallas. The show has become a self-starter and the ratings performance could well extend the life span of the show by several seasons.

^ in the available markets

JUDGE MILLS LANE

Pugnacious Judge Mills Lane continues to perform at only adequate levels, ranking fifth of six court shows in the metered markets. The show does gain an average 5% from lead-in, but is down an average 5% from November 1998 time period delivery. In the top ten markets the show has shifted time periods in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, DC and Detroit. These moves could hurt the show’s performance in the short term. With Paramount now owning Judge Judy, Joe Brown and Mills Lane, Mills would be the first court show they’d look at if they want to trim their portfolio.

^ in the available markets

REALITY – MAGAZINES & OTHERS

As sanguine and robust as the court arena is, the newsmagazines and other reality programs continue to slowly slide in their delivery. There was only one new player in this category, National Enquirer which is off to a slow start.

OTHER REALITY RANKING					% vs	% vs	% vs
					LI	9/98 TP	11/98 TP
		Rtg	/	Shr	Rtg	Rtg^	Rtg
Entertainmnt T	All Cases	4.4	/	11	0.0%	33.3%	7.3%
Inside Edition	All Cases	3.5	/	11	-10.3%	34.6%	12.9%
Extra	All Cases	3.4	/	8	-15.0%	9.7%	3.0%
Access H’wood	All Cases	2.4	/	7	-7.7%	9.1%	4.3%
Real TV	All Cases	2.3	/	6	-11.5%	4.5%	-4.2%
Cops	All Cases	1.6	/	6	-11.1%	14.3%	0.0%
NTL Enquirer	All Cases	1.5	/	5	-21.1%	-11.8%	-16.7%

^ in the available markets

PREMIERING Reality/MAGAZINE

NATIONAL ENQUIRER

Mike Walker’s National Enquirer has broken precious little news and the celebrity dish has been pretty empty so far and the ratings reflect that. The show ranks dead last among the non-court reality programs. The show is used mainly as daytime fill by independents, UPN, WB and Fox stations. The best performances are found as news lead-outs such as in Los Angeles (KCAL), Atlanta (WAGA), Phoenix (KSAZ) and Memphis (WHBQ). However, the show fails to work in late fringe, even with a news lead-in. The long term future of this show looks to be shaky unless they can improve the content and find better quality time periods.

^ in the available markets

RETURNING Reality/MAGAZINES & OTHERS

ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT

Entertainment Tonight remains the top performer in the magazine category averaging a 4.4/11 overall. The show is designed for access and it plays best in that daypart. The trend in that daypart is stable, but in late fringe the show is looking less stable. Of course, the rich demographic delivery of this program and the advertiser support for the show always makes E.T. a blue chip property.

^ in the available markets

INSIDE EDITION

King World’s Inside Edition continues solid performances in a wide range of dayparts. The show is achieving some good numbers in early fringe where the program is trending up from last November and is up from its lead-in. Much like Entertainment Tonight, the show may be developing problems in late fringe.

^ in the available markets

EXTRA

Extra remains a mediocre worker in access for the NBC owned stations in the metered markets. Like E.T., the show works best in access with a newscast lead-in. The show doesn’t generally hold its lead-in and is down 10.5% in ratings delivery from November 1998 prime access time period levels.

^ in the available markets

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD

Access Hollywood continues to struggle in the metered market ratings. Its best performances are in access, but most stations program the show in late fringe where it is downtrending. The best performances are in Philadelphia (WCAU- 6.6/11) and New York (WNBC- 5.7/9).

^ in the available markets

REAL TV

Paramount’s Real TV continues to be used mainly as daytime and late night filler, but some stations continue to use the program in more important time periods. In no daypart is the show holding (on average) its lead-in and in no daypart is the program (on average) holding the November 1998 time period delivery. Real TV’s best number is a 6.2/10 on KCRA in Sacramento and it has acceptable performances in Phoenix (WPNX), San Diego (KUSI), Houston (KHWB) and St. Louis (KTVI).

^ in the available markets

COPS

Those syndication bad boys, Cops, is used mainly as late night fill. The show is generally downtrending and is fading as a force in syndication. The exceptions to this trend are KSAZ in Phoenix and WBRC in Birmingham who triple strip the show. In Phoenix, it averages 3.3/10 (1:00PM), 3.7/11 (1:30PM) and 2.3/9 (11:30PM) and Birmingham’s insomniacs give it 3.1/12 (1:00AM), 3.3/14 (1:30AM) and 2.7/15 (4:00AM).

^ in the available markets

PREMIERING OFF-NET

LAUGH IT OUT… 3^RD ROCK and DREW CAREY

At the conclusion of week #2 the close race is on between those pesky 3rd Rock From the Sun (3.4/7) aliens and The Drew Carey Show (3.1/6). 3rd Rock continues to take a slight lead in the metered markets, but keep in mind that the better part of 3rd Rock’s clearances are on FOX stations (37 mkts) while Drew airs on primarily a combination of WB (22 mkts) and FOX (17 mkts) affiliates. Neither sitcom has come out of the gate with stellar results, both posting slight declines from September ’98 time period and remaining stable from week 1 to week 2. In six occurrences (CH, SM, SL, CT, NV, ML) where the two sitcoms go head to head, the out of this world 3rd Rock is the true victor in four of those instances. Also keep in mind that last season, while Friends did premiere to "friendlier" numbers, it wasn’t the strong debut that stations had hoped for. However, Friends has gone on to deliver top-notch ratings. With that said, and since neither air on traditional affiliates in the metered sample, we will not have a full evaluation of their performances until the November book.

^3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN

Airing in all 46 of the metered markets, 3rd Rock posts a 3.4/7 average, on par with its lead-in and down slightly from its 4.0/8 September ’98 history. Double run in about 10 markets (only two of which are back-to-back), 3rd Rock is spread across several dayparts. In 22 early fringe occurrences, 3rd Rock averages a 3.5/7, flat from its lead-in and down 13% from year ago time period. Its best early fringe story is in ST (KSTU/5:30PM) 6.9/17 where the sitcom is #1 or #2 in the time period, is up 13% from its Home Improvement lead-in and status quo from The Simpsons performance in September ’98. Other solid performances can be found in SM (KQCA/6:30PM) 4.7/9 and CO (WTTE/6:30PM) 4.6/10. In 14 access occurrences, 3rd Rock averages a 3.2/6, down from its 3.8/7 lead-in and off 25% from year ago time period. Its three highest numbers can be found in TP (WTVT/7PM) 4.4/8, SA (KABB/6PM) 6.1/10 and NV (WZTV/6PM) 4.6/8. In six access markets (TP, CL, PX, OR, HT, SA), 3rd Rock and Drew are situated in a comedy block with the former the lead-in in four. In three out of the four, Drew dropped off a share. 3rd Rock posts a 3.4/8 late fringe average, flat from its lead-in and off 11% from year ago time period. Airing at 11PM in all three instances, 3rd Rock’s best performances are in KC (WDAF) 5.0/14, GR (WGHP) 5.2/11 and MS (WHBQ) 6.1/13.

THE DREW CAREY SHOW

Averaging a 3.1/6 in the overall metered sample (where the sitcom is double run in slightly more than half of its markets), Drew posted a 15% HH drop-off from lead-in (3.7/7) and a 14% decline versus September ’98 history. Airing predominantly in access, Drew delivers a 3.3/6 in the daypart, down 14% from its 3.8/7 lead-in and 25% from its 4.2/8 year ago history. Drew’s best story is in CO (WTTE/7PM) 5.6/11, up 10% from its 3rd Rock lead-in, up 10% from September ‘98’s Frasier and #3 in the time period. Other solid performances exhibiting year ago time period and week to week growth can be found in CH (WGN/6:30PM) 4.6/9, SL (KPLR/6:30PM) 4.1/8 and CL (WJW/7:30PM) 4.4/8. Since "Cleveland Rocks" on Drew Carey one would think the delivery for the sitcom’s hometown would be stronger. In the markets where the sitcom is double pumped in access, Drew is able to hold on to itself as a lead-in. In late fringe, Drew scores a 2.9/6, down a share from its lead-in and on par with year ago history. Highest numbers occur in SL (KPLR/10:30PM) 6.4/13, CL (WJW/11PM) 5.0/10 and CH (WGN/10:30PM) 3.6/7.

FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK ABOUT …

CAROLINE IN THE CITY

After its first week in syndication, the only place now to find Caroline in the City, the sitcom isn’t setting any performance records. Airing predominantly on a combination of WB and UPN affiliates in the metered markets, the cartoonist Caroline has only averaged a 1.5/4, off September ’98 history (2.2/5) its lead-in (2.3/5) by 20%. With the majority of Caroline’s clearances in late fringe, the sitcom posts a 1.9/5 in the daypart, under performing year ago HH share (2.2/6) by 17% and its average lead-in (3.1/7) by 29%. The best story in late fringe can be found on a FOX affiliate in SA (KABB/11:30PM) 4.9/14 where Caroline is 2^nd or 3^rd in the time period leading out of Frasier and delivers a 27% increase from Ricki’s year ago performance in the time period. Other solid showings can be found in HN (KHWB/11:30PM) 2.8/8 where Caroline is up 60% over Cheers’ September ’98 delivery, in CH (WGN/11:30PM) 2.7/8 and in CO (WBNS/12:30AM) 2.9/12 on its only traditional affiliate clearance. In early fringe, Caroline only achieved a 1.4/3, down 50% from year ago’s 2.7/6 average and down 25% from its average lead-ins. The top score in the daypart is in CI (WSTR/5:30PM) 2.8/7, where the program is up 17% from September ’98 time period (Ricki). Caroline’s four access clearances post a 1.7/3, off 40% from its various lead-ins and year ago levels. The sitcom’s nine daytime markets only deliver a 0.8/3, down 25% from lead-in and September ’98 history.

SCREEN GEMS NETWORK

Columbia’s blast to the past I Dream of Jeannie/Bewitched comedy block can be found on mostly UPN stations with a few WB, Indies and FOX added to the fold. Overall, the hour blinks a 0.8/3 metered market average its first week, on par with the time periods of year ago September. Airing primarily in daytime, the retro Screen Gems twitches a 0.8/3, flat from lead-in (0.7/3) and year ago time period. The Screen Gem’s best story in the daypart is in CH (WPWR/9AM) 1.6/6 where the hour is flat from its Family Ties lead-in and up 50% from September ’98’s Comedy Classics. WNDY in Indianapolis posts a good growth story at 9AM (1.2/5), up 150% from the year ago Family Matters/Hangin’ w/Mr. Cooper block. Other solid performances can be found in MI (WBFS/9AM) 1.6/5, DE (WKBD/9AM) 1.4/5, PX (KASW/1PM) 1.2/4 and JX (WTEV/9AM) 1.2/4. The rest of Screen Gems’ clearances are in early morning and overnight time periods.

THE WAYANS BROTHERS

Straight off the WB network, The Wayans Brothers is following in the footsteps of previous WB alumni Sister, Sister which bowed into syndication with a 2.8/6 last September. Overall, The Wayans Brothers achieved a 2.3/6 metered market average - up 20% over last year’s available time period delivery of a 2.2/5. The two best dayparts are in early fringe (3.2/7) flat from last September’s available time periods and in access – 2.7/5 flat from September’98 available time periods (2.6/5). When paired together with The Parent’Hood, in seven metered markets, The Wayans Brothers improved on its lead-in by increasing over The Parent’Hood by 25% in HH Share (2.2/4 to a 2.5/5). The best stories include NO (WNOL/10:30PM) 6.0/11– up 38% over last year’s time period, MI (WBFS/7:30PM) 5.7/10 – up 11% over last September’s time period delivery, JX(WTEV/7:30PM) 4.4/7 – up 40% over September’98 time period, AT (WATL/6:30PM) 4.0/7 and NY (WPIX/6:00PM) 3.6/7.

THE PARENT ‘HOOD

The second of the WB sitcom pair The Parent ’Hood did not fare as well achieving a 1.8/5 overall, flat from last year’s available time periods. Much like The Wayans Brothers, The Parent ’Hood’s best dayparts were access (only on 2 stations) 2.9/5 – up 67% from last year’s available time periods and early fringe where it achieved a 2.3/5. Interestingly enough, there were three shows that led into The Parent ’Hood at least four times – The Wayans Brothers, In The House and Boy Meets World. Even more interesting was that Boy Meets World was the highest rated lead-in show with a 2.1/5 and that The Parent ‘Hood retained 100% of Boy Meets World’s lead-in share. The best stories include NO (WNOL/6:00PM) 4.6/8 – up 60% from September ’98 time period, MI (WBFS/5:30PM) 3.8/8 – flat from last September’s time period and CH (WGN/4:30PM) 3.7/9 – up 50% from last year’s time period.

IN THE HOUSE

Unlike the two WB sitcoms, In The House is one of the first off-network-network sitcoms. Back in 1995-96 In The House premiered on NBC as a companion piece to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and the following year was moved to the fledgling UPN network. Overall, In The House achieved a 2.1/5 which is flat from September ’98 available time periods. The best delivery in a daypart is in access where it achieved a 3.6/6 – flat from last year’s available time period. The strongest pairing for In The House is Sister, Sister which led into it in six markets. While Sister, Sister averaged a 3.2/7, In The House followed with a 2.7/5, retaining 71% of its lead-in. The best stories include HN (KTXH/6:00PM) 4.8/8, flat from September ’98 time periods, MI (WBFS/6:30PM) 4.8/8, RD (WRDC/7:30PM) 4.2/7, CI (WSTR/10:00PM) 4.0/6 – up 20% over last year’s time periods and NY (WWOR/7:00PM) 3.8/7 – up 17% from last September’s time periods.

UNHAPPILY EVER AFTER

When talking about Unhappily Ever After, the subject of Married…With Children is usually one of the first things that comes to mind. When Married premiered in syndication back in 1991 it generated a 5 household rating in late fringe dayparts and took the television landscape by storm. Unfortunately, Unhappily Ever After does not seem to have had the same impact in late fringe or anywhere else for that matter. Overall, Unhappily Ever After has decreased 17% in share over its September 1998 time period deliveries. When broken down by daypart, Unhappily is down 33% in share in daytime, down 20% in share in early fringe, down 50% in share in access and flat in late fringe – all over their respective September ’98 time period deliveries. The best stories for Unhappily Ever After are SL (KPLR/ 12:00mid) 3.8/15 – up 50% in share over September ‘98 time period, PX (KUTP/ 5:30PM) 3.0/6 and MS (WLM/ 12:30am) 2.8/9 – up 29% over last year’s time period.

STAR TREK : VOYAGER – THE TRADITION CONTINUES

First there was Star Trek, then The Next Generation, then Deep Space Nine and now Voyager continues the franchise tradition of being stripped in syndication. While Voyager is cleared in only 30 markets, 70% of them are UPN stations. This strip is only averaging a 2.0/4, down 20% in share over last September’s available time periods. The best stories are: ST (KJZZ/9:00PM) 3.8/7 – up 75% over year ago time period, PD (KPTV/11:00PM) 3.4/7 – up 17% over last September’s time period and LV (KVWB/10:00PM) 3.5/6 – up 50% over last year’s time period.

RETURNING OFF-NET

FRIENDS

You’ve got to have them … After all, at the conclusion of the first week of the Central Perk gang’s 2^nd season in syndication, the Friends are still in great demand. Achieving an overall 5.0/10 metered market average, Friends is up 25% over its lead-in and has boosted September ’98 time period by 25% and Oct ’98 by 11%. (For the purpose of a Friends to Friends comparison, we had to reference Oct ’98 history. Friends did not premiere until late September last year and its performance in the respective metered markets is not reflected until October.) Airing on predominantly FOX/UPN/WB affiliates (there are five traditional affiliates in the mix) Friends is double run in approximately 42 out of the 46 metered markets, most of which are split between access and late fringe clearances. In access, Friends achieves a 5.9/11, up 38% from its average lead-in share (4.4/8), up 38% from September ’98 time period (4.2/8) and up 22% from Oct ’98 time period (5.0/9). The better stories where Friends exhibits growth over its lead-in and/or year ago time period delivery can be found in DL (KDAF/6PM) 8.1/15, ST (KJZZ/6PM) 6.9/16, DV (KWGN/6PM) 6.9/14, LA (KTLA/7PM) 6.9/13 and LV (KVVU/7:30PM) 10.1/16. The Friends’ performance in late fringe posts a 4.9/10, increasing 43% from its lead-in and 11% from September and Oct ’98 history. Positive stories include SA (KENS/10:30PM) 9.0/16, KC (WDAF/10:30PM) 7.3/15, MS (WHBQ/10:30PM) 7.3/14 and LA (KTLA/11PM) 5.7/13 -- all experience growth versus year ago September and October. After its first week replacing Seinfeld in NY (WPIX/11PM) 6.7/12, FRIENDS posted a 25% decline from Seinfeld’s September ’98 performance and a 14% drop from Seinfeld’s Oct ’98 performance. In approximately 35 out of 46 markets, Friends remains in the same time period as it did in Oct ’98, increasing its own overall performance 22% (from a 4.8/9 to a 5.7/11).

SEINFELD

Though showing signs of aging, this little show about "nothing" continues to turn in a solid performance for its stations. Delivering a 5.4/10 metered market average for the week of 9/20, Seinfeld (in its 5^th year in syndication) is flat versus its average lead-ins and September ’98 time period. Taking a further step back, let’s review Seinfeld’s performance in the markets where he has remained in the same time period since September ’97. In those 28 metered markets we find that, overall, Seinfeld has been experiencing an 8% drop each year and a 15% decline from September ’97 to September ’99. In actual numbers, the sitcom went from a 7.1/13 to a 6.7/12 to its most current 5.9/11 -- fortunately, on average, not as significant a loss as other programs have had. Individually, the stories vary. The majority of Seinfeld’s clearances are in access (34 mkts) where the show posts a 5.7/10, flat from lead-in and down 9% from year ago time period’s 6.3/11. One of its best stories can be found in DV (KDVR/6:30PM) 8.0/15 where Seinfeld increases 25% over its Drew Carey lead-in and has boosted its previous Seinfeld performance 15-25% from September ’98 and ’97. Other strong performances can be found in ST (KSTU/6:30PM) 7.2/16, CH (WFLD/6:30PM) 7.5/14 and DC (WTTG/7:30PM) 7.3/13. WPIX in New York just moved Seinfeld from 11PM to 7:30PM this season. In its new access time slot, the sitcom posted a 6.0/10, on par with its Friends lead-in and up 25% from Fresh Prince’s year ago delivery. In late fringe, Seinfeld averages a 4.8/10 with its highest scores in KC (KCTV/11:30PM) 5.0/18 following Letterman and in SL (KPLR/10PM) 9.8/16 following Friends. In both cases Seinfeld improved upon his own September ’98 and ’97 performances.

THE SIMPSONS

Still a most viable player going into its 6^th year in syndication, The Simpsons achieves a solid 4.3/8 overall metered market average (for the weeks of 9/13 and 9/20). This delivery is up slightly from its 3.7/7 lead-in average and down a share from its 4.3/9 September '98 time period. The famous "first family" of Springfield is double run in the majority of its FOX/WB/UPN clearances with a mixture of back-to-back and double daypart airings. Bart, Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie can even be seen three times a day on WNYW in New York at 5:30PM (3.0/6), 7PM (5.4/9) and 11PM (2.7/5), all relatively in keeping with year ago time period. The same type of scenario can be found in St. Louis on KDNL at 4PM (2.8/7), 6:30PM (5.2/10) and 11PM (2.6/7), although the 4PM airing is up 2 shares from The Fresh Prince’s September ’98 performance (2.1/5). When broken out by daypart, The Simpsons airs primarily in early fringe with a 4.1/8 average versus September ‘98’s 4.1/9. Top stories where The Simpsons improves upon its lead-in and its own year ago performance include MN (WFTC/5&5:30PM) 5.6/14 & 6.3/15 and DV (KDVR/5:30PM) 6.2/14. In its second hottest daypart, access, The Simpsons score a 5.3/10, flat from September ’98 time period. The high scorers can be found in CH (WFLD/6PM) 7.3/15, ST (KSU+/6PM) 6.7/15, LV (KVVU/7PM) 7.6/13 and PD (KPDX/7:30PM) 5.6/11.

FRASIER

Back in syndication for the first week of its junior year, Frasier continues to deliver a solid performance. Posting a 4.1/8 overall metered market average, Frasier is up 14% from its average lead-ins and on par with year ago time period. Analyzing this sitcom by daypart, the good "Doc" airs primarily in late fringe, achieving a 4.1/9 average, up 13% from its average lead-ins, but down 10% from September ’98 time period (4.5/10). Top growth stories can be found in ST (KJZZ/10:30P) 5.8/13 (with a little help from its Friends lead-in), IN (WTTI/12:30AM) 3.0/13 and MN (WFTC/10:30PM) 4.7/11. Other high scorers include DL (KDAF/10:30PM) 6.4/12, NY (WPIX/11:30PM) 6.0/12 and OK (KOCB/10:30PM) 5.7/11. Frasier remains stable in access from September ’98 time period, garnering a 5.6/10 across 13 markets. The best access story is in SF (KRON/7PM) 7.1/14 where Frasier increases over its local news lead-in by 17% and boosts its own year ago HH share performance by 27%. Posting a 2.9/6 in early fringe (9 mkts), Frasier is up slightly from its 2.3/5 average lead-in and down a pinch from its year ago time period history (3.4/7). The top performance can be seen in PD (KPDX/6:30PM) 6.3/13, up 44% from its 3rd Rock lead-in share and up 18% from its own year ago performance. Frasier has remained in the same time period over the past year in about half of the metered market sample and has turned in a 5.0/9, status quo with his own year ago performance.

HOME IMPROVEMENT

At the beginning of year #5, Home Improvement is no longer delivering more power or fixing time periods, in fact, it is in need of its own repair. Home Improvement may be considered a product of its own overexposure -- double run from the beginning in too many markets. Currently double run in only three of its markets, Home Improvement posts an overall 2.9/7 metered market two week average versus September ‘98’s 3.3/8 (in September ’97 Improvement was achieving a double digit share average). The majority of its airings are in early fringe where the sitcom posts a 3.1/7 to year ago time period’s 3.8/8. Home Improvement’s only double digit performances can be found in ST (KSU+/5PM) 5.7/15, CH (WFLD/5PM) 4.7/11 and CI (WXIX/6PM) 4.3/10. In access, Home Improvement is left in but a few markets with a 4.2/8 average delivery, on par with year ago time period. Its top performance is in CI (WXIX/7:30PM) 5.4/10.

NEWSLETTER TABLE OF CONTENTS