Posted by chicagomedia.org on July 09, 2009 at 11:09:03:
Tribune, Fox Rolling With '30 Rock' In 2011
By Harry A. Jessell
TVNEWSDAY, Jul 8 2009, 7:53 PM ET
NBC's Peabody-winning comedy 30 Rock will make its broadcast syndication debut in fall 2011 with the help of top-market Fox and Tribune stations, it was announced today by Barry Wallach, president, NBCU Domestic Television Distribution.
In a straight barter deal, Fox has agreed to the air the sitcom on seven stations, including WNYW New York (DMA 1), KTTV Los Angeles (DMA 2), KDFW Dallas (DMA 5), KRIV Houston (DMA 10), KSAZ Phoenix (DMA 12), KMSP Minneapolis (DMA 15) and WOFL Orlando (DMA 19).
On the same terms, Tribune will broadcast it on 11 stations, including WGN Chicago (DMA 3); WPHL Philadelphia (DMA 4); WDCW Washington (DMA 9); KCPQ Seattle (DMA 14); WSFL Miami (DMA 16); KTXL Sacramento (DMA 20); KRCW Portland, Ore. (DMA 22); KSWB San Diego (DMA 28); WXMI Grand Rapids, Mich. (DMA 39); WPMT Harrisburg, Pa. (DMA 41); and WNOL New Orleans (DMA 53).
In both cases, the stations will air double runs six days a week and keep four minutes of the ad inventory. NBCU will keep the remaining.
The two deals put 30 Rock in seven of the top 10 markets and 13 of the top 20. Holes in the top 10 lineup include San Francisco, Boston and Atlanta.
According to Variety, the show has also been sold to cable networks Comedy Central and Tribune's WGN America for $800,000 per episode after a bidding war with TBS and E! Entertainment. 30 Rock's cable run will be concurrent with broadcast.
Negotiations on the broadcast deal were led by Sean O'Boyle, executive vice president/general sales manager, NBCU Domestic Television Distribution, who worked with Frank Cicha, senior vice president, programming, Fox Television Stations, and Sean Compton, senior vice president, programming and entertainment, Tribune Broadcasting.
A slow starter, the sitcom, which stars Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, has been picking up audience on its Thursday-night network run.
The series delivered a 3.9 in adults 18-49 during the just completed 2008-2009 TV season, having grown 44 percent from its first to third season, according to Nielsen Media Research.
30 Rock also had the highest percentage growth in key adult demographics among all primetime sitcoms last season, NBCU said.