“Dish Nation,” the half-hour entertainment news program featuring the leading drive-time personalities from across the nation has been sold to the FOX Television Stations. Set for a September launch, “Dish Nation” is also sold to Tribune, Lin, Local TV, and Cox stations. The announcement was made by Paul Franklin, EVP & General Manager of Broadcast Sales, Twentieth Television and Frank Cicha, SVP of Programming, Fox Television Stations.
Sold in 55% of the country, “Dish Nation” is a daily program highlighting the nation’s funniest radio shows; riffing on what’s hot and happening that day in pop culture. A fresh, new format, “Dish Nation” gives a comedic twist to the news that’s on everyone’s minds. Whether the latest on celebrity couples, breaking entertainment news, hot pop culture moments or what happened on reality TV the night before- the “Dish Nation” personalities from Atlanta, New York and Detroit offer their outrageous regional perspectives each day, 52 weeks a year.
This summer’s successful 6-week preview on select FOX Television Stations featured top market radio teams including New York’s The Big Show with Scott & Todd on WPLJ (Scott Shannon and Todd Pettengill); Atlanta’s Rickey Smiley Morning Show, heard locally on Atlanta’s WHTA and syndicated in over 60 markets nationwide, is hosted by Rickey Smiley and features Ebony Steele, Gary T, and HeadKrack; and Detroit’s Blaine & Allyson on WDVD hosted by Blaine Fowler and Allyson Martinek. In advance of the September premiere, additional radio teams from major markets will also be announced.
In regards to the announcement, Franklin stated: “This summer, Twentieth Television and the FOX Television Stations set out to present viewers a fresh, funny and modern take on the entertainment news genre. As exemplified by the positive viewer reaction, laugh-out-loud segments, and likeable radio personalities, we have succeeded. Serving as the perfect complement to magazine programs, especially TMZ, and off-network sitcoms, we are thrilled to launch ‘Dish Nation’ nationwide later this year.”
Stations set to premiere “Dish Nation,” now sold in 9 of the top 10 markets, include Fox Television Stations’ WNYW-FOX / WWOR-MNT (New York), KTTV-FOX / KCOP-MNT (Los Angeles), WFLD-FOX / WPWR-MNT (Chicago), WTXF-FOX (Philadelphia), WFXT-FOX (Boston), KDFW-FOX / KDFI-MNT (Dallas/Ft. Worth), WTTG-FOX / WDCA-MNT (Washington D.C.), KMSP-FOX / WFTC-MNT (Minneapolis), WJBK-FOX (Detroit), WAGA-FOX (Atlanta), WUTB-MNT (Baltimore), KRIV-FOX / KTXH-MNT (Houston), WTVT-FOX (Tampa), WOFL-FOX / WRBW-MNT (Orlando), KSAZ-FOX / KUTP-MNT (Phoenix), WHBQ-FOX (Memphis), KTBC-FOX (Austin) and WOGX-FOX (Ocala); Cox’s KTVU-FOX / KICU-TV (San Francisco); Tribune’s WXIN-FOX / WTTV-CW (Indianapolis), KCPQ-FOX / KZJO-TV (Seattle), KTXL-FOX (Sacramento), WGNO-ABC / WNOL-CW (New Orleans); Local’s KTVI-FOX / KPLR-CW (St. Louis), KSTU-FOX (Salt Lake City), WITI-FOX (Milwaukee ), WGHP-FOX (Greensboro); Lin’s WTNH-ABC, WCTX-MNT (Hartford), WWHO-CW (Columbus), WOOD-NBC / WOTV-ABC / WXSP-MNT (Grand Rapids), WAVY-NBC / WVBT-FOX (Norfolk), KRQE-CBS, KASA-FOX (Albuquerque), WIVB-CBS / WNLO-CW (Buffalo), WPRI-CBS / WNAC-FOX / WNAC-DT2-MNT (Providence), and WALA-FOX / WFNA-CW (Mobile).
Cicha added: “This was a unique idea that we thought had real potential if it could be executed on a day and date basis. The test proved that it could, so we’re ready to go.”
“Dish Nation” is produced by the Emmy-award winning Studio City and distributed by Twentieth Television.
(Source: Twentieth Television)
