PhUGMING
THE 'WONDER' CLEARS
Turner has lined up 19 markets
for 1992 syndication debut
Turner Program Services has
cleared The Wonder Years, sched-
uled for a fall 1992 syndication
start, in 19 markets covering about 23%
of the U.S. In seven of those markets,
the company has sold the show on a
blind bid basis, while the other 12 sales
were straight negotiations with the sta-
tions involved. Decisions on which way
to proceed in the future will be made on
a case :by -case basis.
Turner is selling the show for New
World Television and has guaranteed the
producer a reported $100 million in fees.
TPS will receive a percentage of the
sales it generates, probably around 35 %,
sources said.
TPS has been in the market with the
ABC sitcom since last September, and
has been pretty quiet about its progress
in selling the show since doing deals
with wPIX -TV New York, and the Fox-
owned stations WFLD -TV Chicago and
KTFV(TV) Los Angeles last year.
Most recently, TPS sold the program
to independent KPLR -TV St. Louis,
which acquired Roseanne shortly before
making its Wonder Years purchase.
About half of the stations sold so far fall
out of the top 100 markets. They in-
clude: KMST-TV Salinas (109), KADY -TV
Santa Barbara (112), KIMA -TV Yakima,
Wash. (126), KRCR -TV Chico-Redding,
Ca. (144), KRTV(TV) Boisie (135),
KJTV(TV) Lubbock, Tx. (150), KIDK(TV)
Idaho Falls (160). Two of the stations
picking up the program are in unranked
markets: KvoS(TV) Bellingham, Wash.,
which is outside Seattle, and KFWU(TV),
an ABC affiliate at Fort Bragg, outside
San Francisco.
According to TPS President Russell
Barry, the company's sales strategy is
on course. "We're about where we
want to be," he said. The company's
general strategy, said Barry, is to go
into markets where Viacom has already
sold Roseanne, also pegged for fall
1992 debut.
In New York, WNYW -TV picked up
Roseanne before TPS sold the show to
WPIX. In Los Angeles, KCOP-TV picked
Broad(as$ing Feb 25 1991
up Roseanne before KTTV bought The Barry acknowledged that stations
Wonder Years. "In general, we believe have complained about the barter com-
we're better off going into a market after ponent. "They bellyache, but they ac-
Roseanne," said Barry. Viacom is in cept it," he said. The biggest problem
effect softening up the market for stations have, said Barry, is not giving
Turner, which wants to strike when sit- up the time, per se, but that the deal
com buyers are ready to spend. limits their scheduling options. The one
"There are two key shows in the sit- minute of barter, he said, allows the
com market right now for 1992, our- company to be more "flexible" in nego-
selves and Roseanne," said Barry. tiating the cash license fee.
However, Warner Bros. is also gauging And, Barry notes that stations won't
interest in Murphy Brown for that year, incur a price hike with the show if it
and Columbia is expected to announce goes more than five years, and are com-
plans shortly for Designing Women. mitted to carry barter in the show for
Turner has been criticized by some only three- and -a-half years. If the show
reps for demanding a full minute of bar- goes only six years on the network, in-
ter time, plus a cash license fee, for the stead of seven, the barter term will then
show. "It's a good show, but not a be cut back to three years, said Barry.
major hit," said Dick Kurlander, vice As part of its presentation to stations,
president, programing, Petry Television. TPS is suggesting the show has all the
"We question whether stations should makings of a long -term syndication fran-
aggressively pursue this show with that chise -that is, strong, broad -based ap-
much barter in it. Even Roseanne, a peal with viewers under the age of 50,
certifiable hit, only has 30 seconds of including men and women 18 to 49 and
barter per episode." kids and teens. 4111
Michael badman, most recently president of daytime,
children's and late night programs for ABC until De-
cember last year, has joined Goodson Productions as
vice president. His primary focus will be to oversee the
company's expansion into the cable and syndication
markets, working with Jonathan Goodson, Goodson
Productions, who oversees West Coast operations for
the company. He cited the company's collaberative
operating method as one reason for joining and said
Goodson's track record was another. "I've always
admired the enormous amount of talent here. While at
the networks I always knew they would explore every possible avenue of an
idea," he said. Brockman starts with Goodson on March 4 and said his
contract with the company is a multi -year deal.
Programing 31