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'Katie' A Go As Clearances Top 60% Of U.S.

Stiff weekly license fees, Couric's subpar showing on CBS and some other issues have made the new talker from Disney-ABC a challenging sale, say some broadcasters. But deals with Hearst, Cox, Scripps and others put the show in 20 of the top 25 markets and in good shape for a syndication debut next fall. They also boost it way out ahead of other talk shows vying for pickup for next season.
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With an annual budget in the tens of millions, coupled with Katie Couric’s subpar run on CBS News, and with lingering memories of another former Today host’s flameout in syndication, Disney-ABC has some reasons to be worried about Katie, its upcoming syndicated daytime talk show. But, at least it can say it’s lining up stations.

Disney-ABC has sold Katie to stations reaching more than 60% of TV homes for fall 2012, including 20 of the top 25 markets, Disney is announcing this morning. That includes the 22% clearance it secured early this past summer with ABC’s eight O&Os.

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Top 25 stations signing on include Belo's WFAA Dallas and KING Seattle; Hearst Television's WCVB Boston, WESH Orlando, Fla., and KCRA Sacramento, Calif.; Cox Media Group's WSB Atlanta and WSOC Charlotte, N.C.; Allbritton's WJLA Washington; Scripps' WXYZ Detroit and KNXV Phoenix; and McGraw-Hill's KMGH Denver. (Scripps is in the process of buying KMGH.)

Katie is being sold for two-year deals on a cash-plus-barter basis (4 national minutes, 10.5 local). Double runs are available.

“We wouldn’t buy it if we didn’t have a great deal of faith that they will put together a great show,” says Ray Heacox, general manager at KING. “Certainly, as an NBC affiliate, we had years of great experiences with Katie Couric on Today. We think she’s a perfect fit for our market.”

Most of the Katie stations are ABC affiliates and that's no surprise. To help ensure a place for the show, the ABC network decided to give up the 3 p.m. timeslot. That left a mid-afternoon hole for O&Os and affiliates alike.

“To have garnered such exceptional clearances in this short period of time is attributable to the enduring strength of the Katie Couric brand and her wide-ranging appeal as one of the brightest, most talented and most dynamic personalities in the business,” said Disney-ABC's Janice Marinelli in a statement. “We are enormously pleased to partner with such a stellar group of stations across the country.”

The show, which is executive produced by Jeff Zucker, the former CEO of NBC Universal and one-time Today executive producer, has had to overcome some obstacles to get to 60%, say broadcasters and other syndication watchers.

One reason is that — rightly or wrongly — the show is tainted by the memory of NBCU’s Jane Pauley. That 2004 show, like Katie, was hosted by a former Today host. It bowed to enormous expectations but quickly fizzled.

Another is that Couric is coming off a five-year stint as anchor of the CBS Evening News, where she was unable to carry over the enormous popularity she enjoyed at Today.

Plus, Disney-ABC is asking stations for stiff weekly license fees — from between $50,000 to $100,000 a week or more in top markets. In small markets, the asking price starts at $15,000.

Disney-ABC needs those fees to cover $1 million a week in production costs plus the take of Couric and Zucker, which is said to be $20 million a year.

Nonetheless, today's news means Katie will be making its syndication debut next fall. And it puts Katie ahead of other talk shows vying for pickup for the 2012-13 season.

Not far behind is NBC Universal’s Steve Harvey. NBC Owned Television Stations picked it up in its 10 markets, including New York and Los Angeles.

NBCU’s conflict talk show Trisha, with U.K. talk show host Trisha Goddard, has a decent shot at becoming a firm go, too. Last week, Sinclair Broadcast Group picked it up in 27 mostly midsize markets.

CBS Television Distribution is actively speaking with stations about a show with Jeff Probst, the Survivor host. Twentieth Television is out with Dancing with the Stars celebrity and former talk show host Ricki Lake.

A longer shot is Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution's Bethenny Frankel. NBCU’s Jenny McCarthy is essentially no longer in the running for 2012.

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