WXYZ, WEWS Take 'Dr. Oz' Prescription

The two Scripps stations have signed to air the Sony Pictures talk show. It will assume the coveted 4 p.m. slot to be vacated by Oprah next year.
TVNewsCheck,

Dr. Oz today strengthened its case to become Oprah's replacement by securing three-year deals to take Oprah's 4 p.m. time slots on Scripps' ABC affiliates WXYZ Detroit and WEWS Cleveland beginning in 2011-12, industry sources have confirmed.

Distributed by Sony Pictures Television, the hour-long talk show has now secured deals in six of the top 20 markets, including the top four. It will air at 4 p.m. in all six markets. In five markets, it will serve as local news lead-in.

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In three of the markets Dr. Oz is replacing CBS Television Distribution's Oprah, the No. 1 daytime talk show that's going off the air in fall 2011.

In Detroit, Dr. Oz will move over from Post-Newsweek's NBC affiliate WDIV.

In Cleveland, Dr. Oz was renewed by WEWS, but it's getting upgraded from 10 a.m. to Oprah's 4 p.m. news lead-in slot.

Sony only this week began formally pitching stations on Dr. Oz, which is in the first year of its first two-year deals in broadcast syndication.

Syndicators have been salivating over Oprah's to-be-vacated slots since November when Winfrey announced she's pulling the plug on her show to launch OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network in partnership with Discovery Communications.

Sony is pitching Oz as an ideal replacement. Co-produced by Winfrey's Harpo Productions, host Mehmet Oz made his TV name on Oprah. His show has a similar tone to Oprah in that it's about improving viewers' lives.

And it's highly rated. It was the No. 3 daytime talk show in the just-concluded broadcast season with a 2.7 household rating. It trailed only Oprah (4.9) and CTD's Dr. Phil (2.9).

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Overnights, adults 18-49 for 2月 3, 2012
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    3.9/11
  • 2.
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