CSI: NY SOLD IN 75% OF THE COUNTRY BY KING WORLD FOR WEEKEND BROADCAST SYNDICATION BEGINNING FALL 2008
SERIES SOLD IN ALL TOP 30 MARKETS
Santa Monica, CA, January 11, 2005 -- King World Productions has sold the weekend broadcast syndication rights to the hit CBS series CSI: NY to stations representing 75% of the country for debut in Fall 2008, it was announced today by Roger King, CEO, CBS Enterprises and King World Productions.
Stations included represent such groups as Viacom, Belo, Hearst-Argyle, Gannett, Scripps Howard, Meredith, Emmis, Cox, Media General, Capitol, Landmark, Dispatch, Freedom and Grey.
Stations sold thus far include all Top 30 markets. The Top 20 are WCBS (New York), KCBS (Los Angeles), WBBM (Chicago), KYW (Philadelphia), WBZ (Boston), KPIX (San Francisco), KTVT (Dallas), WUSA (Washington, DC), WUPA (Atlanta), WKBD (Detroit), KHOU (Houston), KSTW (Seattle), WTOG (Tampa), WCCO (Minneapolis), KTVK (Phoenix), WEWS (Cleveland), WFOR (Miami), KCNC (Denver), KCRA (Sacramento) and WKCF (Orlando).
"The CSI: franchise continues to be a ratings juggernaut," said King. "We�re thrilled to be able to offer stations the opportunity to continue bringing this top quality programming to their viewers through the rest of the decade."
Currently, King World delivers to stations two different episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation each weekend, keeping the syndicated version fresh for viewers, and will continue this practice with CSI: Miami beginning in Fall 2006 and CSI: NY in Fall 2008.
CSI: NY, which premiered on CBS this past September, is the #15 most watched series in prime time. It�s #1 in its time period, having achieved CBS' best performance in more than 10 years.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is the highest rated syndicated weekend hour to debut since 1997, and has increased 25% in GAA Rating since its September 2004 syndication launch. It currently ranks in the Top Ten of all syndicated programming. In first-run prime time, the series is #1, and its audience continues to grow. CSI: Miami is the #3 series on primetime television with an average of nearly twenty million viewers weekly.
The CSI: series are produced by CBS Productions and Alliance Atlantis Communications in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television.
King World Productions, Inc. is the preeminent company in television syndication, distributing six of the Top Ten syndicated series, including the two highest-rated talk shows and two highest-rated game shows. Among its stable of quality, critically-acclaimed programming are America�s favorite game show, Wheel of Fortune, which has ranked #1 among all syndicated strips since its debut 22 years ago, and Jeopardy!, America�s favorite quiz show, which has ranked #2 among all syndicated strips for the past 20 seasons. In addition, King World distributes The Oprah Winfrey Show, which has been the #1-rated talk series for the past 18 seasons, and Dr. Phil, which has ranked as the #2-rated talk series since its debut in Fall 2002. Additionally, for the past 16 seasons, King World has produced and distributed Inside Edition, the longest-running and highest-rated newsmagazine in syndication. King World also syndicates the CBS Television Network primetime hits, Everybody Loves Raymond, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY. The King World slate also includes CBS MarketWatch Weekend, Bob Vila�s Home Again and Mr. Food.
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