‘Millionaire’ Poorer in NY
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) -- The syndicated version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” has lost its prized 4 p.m. slot on WCBS in New York, the country’s top market. The CBS flagship is replacing it next season with Warner Bros. Domestic Television’s “The People’s Court,” which has been doing muscle ratings for rival WNBC. Analysts say the New York decision for Buena Vista Television’s high-profile syndicated version of “Millionaire,” hosted by Meredith Vieira, could turn out to be “critical” for the show in the long term. “It’s likely to get a lesser clearance in New York, which will impact the overall number and thus will impact its long-term viability,” one observer said. Sources said that BVT executives are looking to persuade WCBS to deprive King World’s “Hollywood Squares” of its primetime access slot at 7:30 p.m. next season and replace it with “Millionaire.” A spokeswoman for BVT declined comment on the reported battle in New York for the golden time slot, but a spokesman for King World said, “We have a contract with the CBS station to carry ‘Squares’ at 7:30 p.m. through the 2003-04 season.”
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) -- The syndicated version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” has lost its prized 4 p.m. slot on WCBS in New York, the country’s top market. The CBS flagship is replacing it next season with Warner Bros. Domestic Television’s “The People’s Court,” which has been doing muscle ratings for rival WNBC. Analysts say the New York decision for Buena Vista Television’s high-profile syndicated version of “Millionaire,” hosted by Meredith Vieira, could turn out to be “critical” for the show in the long term. “It’s likely to get a lesser clearance in New York, which will impact the overall number and thus will impact its long-term viability,” one observer said. Sources said that BVT executives are looking to persuade WCBS to deprive King World’s “Hollywood Squares” of its primetime access slot at 7:30 p.m. next season and replace it with “Millionaire.” A spokeswoman for BVT declined comment on the reported battle in New York for the golden time slot, but a spokesman for King World said, “We have a contract with the CBS station to carry ‘Squares’ at 7:30 p.m. through the 2003-04 season.”