"TMZ" AND "TMZ LIVE" RENEWED ON ALL OF THE FOX TELEVISION STATIONS FOR THREE MORE SEASONS, TAKING IT THROUGH THE 2019-20 SEASON
(June 20, 2016 - Burbank, CA) - Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution has renewed Telepictures' daily syndicated television series "TMZ" and "TMZ Live" through the 2019-20 season on the FOX Television Stations (FTS), it was announced today by Ken Werner, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, and Frank Cicha, Senior Vice President of Programming, FOX Television Stations. The extension includes all of the owned-and-operated FOX affiliates, such as WNYW-TV (New York), KTTV-TV (Los Angeles) and WFLD-TV (Chicago).
"Watching the folks at TMZ create a new paradigm for strip television has been incredibly exhilarating, so we're looking forward to these next three years. Besides, Harvey said if we didn't renew, he'd dig up dirt on us," said Frank Cicha, Senior Vice President of Programming, FOX Television Stations.
"The FOX Television Stations group has been an incredible station partner for 'TMZ' and 'TMZ Live' since their respective launches," said Ken Werner, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. "Nearly a decade ago, FOX took a chance when the TMZ website was transformed into a ground-breaking television series combining breaking entertainment news told through a unique comedic form of storytelling. Then, about five years ago, FOX once again took a chance launching 'TMZ Live' with a slow rollout across its stations, which has revolutionized the talk news/information format. Offering fresh episodes every day, these two series together have the unique benefit of working across multiple dayparts and as compatible programming across all genres, becoming one of the foundations of the fantastic success of their stations by attracting a younger, diverse and loyal audience."
Said Harvey Levin, Executive Producer, TMZ: "By the time this is over, my cup will be filled with Metamucil."
"TMZ" debuted in September 2007 with FOX serving as the primary station launch group and went on to become the highest-rated new first-run strip of the 2007-08 season among Households and all key Women and Adult demographics. "TMZ" is the elite recruiter in access as the only access magazine building on its A25-54 lead-in rating every single sweep since Nov 2008 (23 straight sweeps; eight seasons).
"TMZ Live" is a significant recruiter for the FOX Television Stations, improving +50% over its lead-in rating on key FOX O&O stations (0.6 A25-54 TMZ Live rating vs 0.4 lead-in rating).
The series features a one-of-a-kind original format unlike anything else on television, which has proven equally compatible with news, off-network sitcoms, game shows and magazine programs. Stations programming the series to play multiple times a day and in multiple dayparts have seen success regardless of the time of day and without the series cannibalizing viewers.
Produced by Harvey Levin Productions, Inc. and paraMedia, inc. in association with Telepictures, the series is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. Harvey Levin, Charles Latibeaudiere and Evan Rosenblum serve as the program's executive producers. "TMZ" also reaches beyond the world of entertainment to break stories in other genres like politics and sports. "TMZ" attributes its growth to multi-platform breaking news coverage and original reporting on entertainment events.
About Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution:
Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution is one of the leading distributors of entertainment programming to the domestic television marketplace, distributing first-run syndicated series, off-network television programs and theatrical motion pictures to local broadcast television stations, as well as to pay, cable, satellite and broadcast networks as well as subscription video-on-demand platforms throughout the U.S. WBDTD distributes first-run syndicated series from Telepictures Productions; off-network television programs from Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Horizon Television, as well as selected HBO Independent Productions and the Lorimar Television library; current feature films from Warner Bros. Pictures; and additional titles from the Studio's unmatched film and television library.
About Fox Television Stations:
FOX Television Stations is one of the nation's largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprising 28 stations in 17 markets and covering over 37% of U.S. television homes. This includes seven duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix, Orlando and Charlotte.
About Telepictures:
Telepictures is an industry-leading and Emmy Award-winning producer of innovative, multiplatform advertiser-friendly television series and digital content for the first-run syndication, cable and digital marketplace. Programs produced by Telepictures have won 93 Emmy Awards in the last 20 years, including Outstanding Talk Show or Outstanding Talk Show Host for 16 of the last 19 years. Telepictures series include "Crime Watch Daily," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "Ellen's Design Challenge," "Extra," "Hello Goodbye," "Judge Mathis," "MADtv," "The People's Court," "The Real," "TMZ," "TMZ Live" and "TMZ Sports." For more information about Telepictures programming, please visit www.telepicturestv.com.
|