Celeb-hosted talk-shows down in ratings

from broadcasting and cable

Celeb Talk Shows Down
By Ben Grossman

Syndicators are increasingly hesitant about commiting to
personality-driven talk shows for the coming year, and the ratings for
this past sweeps indicate that backing off may be wise. That's because
all nine veteran talkers are down from the same period last year,
according to the national household ratings for the second week of
November sweeps (the most recent numbers available).

The Oprah Winfrey Show led with a 7.1 rating but was down 14% on the
year. Dr. Phil and Live With Regis and Kelly (5.3 and 3.5,
respectively) were the only shows with just single-digit drops, each
falling 5% on the year. The Martha Stewat Show, despite being the only
talk show to see week-to-week improvement (up 7%) for the week ended
Nov. 19, was off 17% from last year at a 1.5.

The rookie class isn't faring much better. Rachael Ray Show leads with
a 2.1 average on the week, while Keith Ablow (1.1), Greg Behrendt
(0.8) and Megan Mullally (0.8) are all praying for a second season.

Tony Calguire...

Wow. If Greg Behrendt and Keith Ablow can't parlay their celebrity into a
successful talk show, what hope is there for anyone else? It's as if our
culture is no longer obsessed with stars!

Rob Jensen...

Our culture *is* obsessed with stars. It's just that this bunch
*aren't* stars, except for Mullally, who's already had her 15 minutes.

-- Rob

Analysts and producers offer little explanation for the downturn. They
referred to the glut of big-name shows possibly diluting audience, and
some believed that the talk segment simply appeared to be in a down
cycle.

The game-show category continues to grow, with Wheel of Fortune
hitting a season-high 9.0 on the week, up 6% on the year. Jeopardy!
also reached a season high, averaging a 7.2 and recording a 6% bump
over last year. Who Wants To Be a Millionaire was up 3% on the year to
a 3.3, while Family Feud was off 5% to a 1.8.

The magazine veterans showed mixed results on the week. Access
Hollywood recorded a season-high 2.8, marking an 8% rise over last
year. Entertainment Tonight held steady on the year at a 5.5, while
there were year-to-year declines for Inside Edition (5% at a 3.5), The
Insider (10% at a 2.7) and Extra (8% at a 2.3).

Geraldo at Large, in its first year of national ratings, rode heavy
coverage of News Corp.'s O.J. Simpson project to record a series-best
1.7 average on the week.

Meanwhile, the entire court genre is down or flat year-over-year.
Judge Judy held steady at a 4.8, Judge Joe Brown was off 6% at a 3.0,
and People's Court was off 3% at a 2.8. Judge Mathis was flat on the
year at a 2.6, and Divorce Court was off 19% at a 2.1. Judge Alex also
hit a season high with a 2.1, although it was off 9% from the previous
year, while Judge Hatchett was down 16% at a 1.6.

While syndicators continue to show interest in the court genre, the
recent numbers aren't exactly encouraging.

Favorable Verdict for 'Maria'

Sony Pictures Television last week made Judge Maria Lopez the first
rookie syndicated show to be renewed. The show has been cleared in
more than 91% of the country, in 17 of the top 20 markets and 22 of
the top 25. Station groups renewing for the 2007-08 season include CBS
Corp., Clear Channel, Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune.

This comes despite Lopez's slow start, ranking a distant last in the
national household ratings for the week ended Nov. 19. The program
averaged just a 0.9, well behind fellow rookie Cristina's Court, a
Twentieth Television production that averaged a 1.4 rating on the
week.

The lowest-rated veteran court show on the week was Judge Hatchett,
which averaged a 1.6. The other six court shows averaged at least a
2.1, led by Judge Judy.

Lopez's second season could witness even greater competition, with
several more court shows under consideration for fall 2007.
Syndicators like their relatively low cost; they often run under
$200,000 per week.

Lopez debuted on Sept. 11 this season and films in New York City.—B.G.