Syndicated 'Millionaire' Struggles for Renewal

[Brett Ferino]

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The syndicated version of game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" has been a success in its first season. It regularly finishes among the top 25 in rankings of syndicated programs.

Despite its track record, however, the show is not getting the automatic pickup that might be expected.

The difficulty is coming primarily in New York and Los Angeles, the country's two biggest markets and huge keys to the success of any syndicated show. Corporate synergy in the Viacom media conglomerate also plays a role.

One of "Millionaire's" biggest buyers is the group of CBS affiliates owned and operated by the network. They've picked up the game show for next season, according to The Hollywood Reporter. For the 2004-05 season, however, the CBS-owned stations also have an agreement to air a magazine show called "The Insider."

"The Insider" is a spinoff of "Entertainment Tonight," which is produced by Paramount Domestic TV. It and CBS are both units of Viacom.

The stations will likely pair "The Insider" with its parent show. In Los Angeles, that would mean bumping "Millionaire" from its plum 7:30 p.m. slot on KCBS or moving it to sister station KCAL, a non-affiliated channel also owned by Viacom.

New York's CBS affiliate is also planning to move the game show out of its current 4 p.m. timeslot come 2004, replacing it with "The People's Court."

"Millionaire," hosted by Meredith Vieira of "The View," is syndicated by Buena Vista TV, a unit of Disney.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------