Mounting shows in first-run syndication has become financially daunting as production costs have risen and ratings have plummeted. As a result, TV stations and producers are finding innovative ways to get offerings on the air — acquiring shows off streaming services, allowing them to air concurrently on other platforms, expanding existing programs and creating local offerings that can also run regionally. While local linear television is an increasingly challenged business, broadcasters are devising interesting new solutions to solve their programming problems.
“It’s really hard to pay for things these days,” Fox Television Stations executive VP Frank Cicha said. “People are figuring out how to do some interesting stuff to pay for new programming. That’s the upside and the optimism of it all.”
