Tyra goes from syndication to the CW. Which one is better?
I think you can place this under the 'Well, duh!' category of programming decisions. Though, I'm not too sure it's the right choice. That's where you come in: I need you to give me some sense as to if the following move is a good idea or not.
See, Tyra Banks, who is the host of the CW's America's Next Top Model, also has a syndicated talk show called The Tyra Banks Show. The daytime talker has been around for four seasons now and has received fairly respectable numbers. Now, in agreement with the talk show's distributor, the program will be taken off of the syndication market after this season and added to the CW daytime lineup starting in 2009. There, it will make double weekday runs at 3:00 and 4:00 pm.
So, here's my dilemma: on the one hand this looks to be a sound idea. With Tyra hosting ANTM the inclusion of her talk show on the schedule is smart network thinking when it comes to synergy. On the other hand, by taking this on there's a chance for the show to lose audience rather than gain.
Right now, according to a recent press release, The Tyra Banks Show airs in first-run syndication in nearly 97% of the country. As far as I know, the CW is not enforcing affiliates to run its afternoon slate of programming, which currently comprises repeats of shows such as The Jaime Foxx Show and The Wayans Brothers. If this is the case, then there is a strong chance that viewers who once tuned in to Banks' talk show may not have the opportunity to see it again. If that time slot is covered by one of the many lucrative and long-lasting court shows currently on the air, the chances of Tyra taking its place will be small.
So, Tyra fans and non-fans, was this a good decision or not? Was it better to keep the show in syndication or keep the synergy going on a network that was 'this close' to being shutdown earlier this year? Your opinions are warranted.
| Yes, because it promotes network synergy. | |
|---|---|
| No, because it prevents the freedom the show had to go to other networks. | |
| Really don't care either way. |

6 Comments