NBCUniversal is ceasing original production for first-run syndication, which will mean the end of “Access Hollywood” and “Access Hollywood Live,” as well as talk shows “Karamo” and “The Steve Wilkos Show.”
This important step shows how difficult it has become to capture daytime TV viewers in the era of YouTube and massive audience fragmentation. NBC Universal stated flatly that market conditions no longer support the traditional syndication model. “Access Hollywood,” an entertainment news magazine launched by NBC in 1996 to compete with CBS’ “Entertainment Tonight,” plans to produce original episodes through September.
“Karamo” and “Steve Wilkos” have already finished production, but original episodes are scheduled to air through the summer. NBCUniversal previously announced that its daytime flagship show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, would end after its seventh season this year.
In first-run syndication, production companies such as NBCUniversal sell television shows to broadcasters on a market-by-market basis, rather than distributing them to a single network platform. The format was once a huge revenue source for stars like Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil McGraw, Rosie O’Donnell, Ellen DeGeneres, and most recently Kelly Clarkson. But the disruption caused by streaming and other changes has made it difficult for major companies to justify their investments as revenues decline.
“NBCUniversal is changing its first-run syndication division to match the programming preferences of local stations,” said Frances Berwick, Bravo chairman and head of Peacock Unscripted, who oversees the first-run syndication division. “While we are ending production on first-run programming, we remain active in distributing our existing program library and other off-network titles. These shows have provided our viewers with great talk and entertainment content for many years, and we are extremely proud of the team behind them.”
This year, in addition to Clarkson, the first syndicated show Sherri Shepherd (with Debmar Merkli) also announced that it would end by the end of the year. As Variety recently pointed out, with Clarkson and Shepard’s departures, there are still no new daytime speakers to replace them. A longtime flagship, “Live With Kelly and Mark” remains the number one daytime entertainment talk show and is expected to continue to do so. Among the industry’s remaining daytime talk shows that have been renewed so far are CBS Media Ventures’ “Drew Barrymore” and Warner Bros./Telepictures’ “Jennifer Hudson.”
“I think it’s a sign that the economic situation has changed,” Frank Chicha, FOX’s programming director, told Variety last month about the difficult world of daytime talk and syndication. “The level of viewership these shows were drawing couldn’t justify the cost.”
“Access Hollywood” is celebrating its 30th anniversary and is hosted by Mario Lopez, Kit Hoover, Scott Evans and Zuri Hall. Executive producers are Mike Merson and Julie Cooper. Karamo, hosted by Karamo Brown, returns for its fourth season and is executive produced by Kelly Shannon and Gloria Harrison Hall. “The Steve Wilkos Show,” now in its 19th season in national syndication, is the second-longest running daytime talk show in production. The executive producer is Rachel Wilkos.
NBCU’s syndication unit, most recently known as NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, was created from the 2004 merger of NBC and Universal, which combined NBC Enterprises and Universal Domestic TV Distribution into one entity.
“Access Hollywood” has a bit of a long history when it comes to syndication distribution companies. Produced by NBC Studios and aired primarily on NBC stations since its debut in 1996, it was initially distributed by New World/Genesis Distribution, then 20th Television, and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. When NBC launched its own syndication division, NBC Enterprises took over distribution.
