Channel 7 drops "Jeopardy," "Wheel" adds new newscast and newsmag

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From The Denver Post:

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Denver’s KMGH-Channel 7 will drop the syndicated hits “Jeopardy” and “Wheel of Fortune” as of Sept. 8, as part of a switch by the Scripps TV station group. The move is a cost-cutting one by owner Scripps nationally.

A new 6 p.m. newscast and a half-hour newsmagazine, “The List,” will take over the time period beginning Monday, Sept. 8. The overall goal is to own and control (for advertising purposes) more of the on-air content.

According to a KMGH release:
7NEWS Right Now at 6 p.m. promises a new type of newscast that is not currently offered in Denver. Its upbeat, fast-paced style brings viewers non-stop weather coverage and the very latest on developing stories from the studio and in the streets. With 7NEWS anchors Anne Trujillo, Eric Kahnert and Mike Nelson, 7NEWS Right Now at 6 p.m. will target specific news missions and deliver more stories and weather updates than any other station in the Denver market.
“The List,” a national program with local inserts, is a newsmagazine that will focus on news and popular culture. It is executive produced by Rick Joyce, formerly of “Entertainment Tonight.”

Details on the 7News set and newscast are forthcoming. Not all Scripps stations are involved in launching a new newscast.

“Wheel of Fortune” is regularly the most-watched show in weekday syndication, followed by “Judge Judy” and, third, “Jeopardy.” All are products of CBS Television Distribution. For years stations have complained of the significant costs of syndicated fare and the trend has been away from buying such strip shows and toward generating homegrown content.



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[Chase]

It doesn't say in the article but I heard that both Wheel & Jeopardy will be moving to Fox 31 KDVR. I'm not sure yet what time it will air yet on Fox 31.

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From The Denver Post:

Fans of “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy!” won’t have to change their schedules — only their channels — when the syndicated hits move to Fox31 on Sept. 8.

“Jeopardy” will continue weeknights at 6 p.m., “Wheel” at 6:30 p.m., with a second run for “Jeopardy” at noon weekdays and 10 p.m. Saturdays on KDVR. “Wheel” will have an additional run at 11:30 p.m. Sundays.

The station has a two- to three-year commitment and plans to “pull out the stops” in terms of promotion and getting the Wheelmobile here as part of its national tour this spring.

As reported, KMGH is giving up the syndicated shows as part of a cost-cutting move by owner Scripps, instead installing a local newscast at 6 p.m. and a Scripps pop-culture newsmagazine at 6:30 p.m.

The costs of syndicated programming has risen dramatically over the years. Particularly longstanding deals with a single station, as in the case of KMGH, some decades, have resulted in exorbitant licensing fees. Word is Gannett’s KTVD was in the bidding as well as KDVR, and the deal was set at roughly $30,000 a week. (Note, during political ad season, the station will more than make up the costs in advertising. Candidates and causes in Colorado are kicking in as much as $3,000 per 30-second spot during the daytime syndicated hits.)

The addition of these syndicated shows marks a shift in direction for Fox31, which presented itself as the younger, edgier, indie alternative to the mainstream network affiliates. Now, it will have older-skewing game shows — including “Celebrity Name Game,” the Craig Ferguson show in which Tribune has part ownership, “Hot Bench,” another courtroom show, and “Judge Judy.”

The younger, edgier holdout in syndication: look for reruns of “The Simpsons” weeknights at 11 and 11:30 p.m. on Fox31.


More... (http://blogs.denverpost.com/ostrow/2014/08/27/jeopardy-wheel-fortune-land-fox31-sept-8/19767/)