The Tyra Banks Show Comes to The CW

Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution and The CW Television Network announced today that after four seasons in first-run syndication, Telepictures Productions’ Emmy®-winning talk program The Tyra Banks Show will move to The CW with the launch of its forthcoming fifth season in September 2009.

The Tyra Banks Show will air on The CW in double runs on weekday afternoons from 3:00–4:00 p.m. and 4:00–5:00 p.m., and the agreement puts the hourlong series hosted and executive produced by the multitalented Banks – recently honored by Glamour magazine as one of its Women of the Year for 2008 – on the same network as her highly rated primetime reality competition program America’s Next Top Model.

The announcement was made today by John Maatta, Chief Operating Officer, The CW, and Ken Werner, President, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution (WBDTD).

Under terms of the deal, new episodes of The Tyra Banks Show will continue to air in first-run syndication on “Tyra”-affiliated stations representing over 97% of the country through the completion of the 2008–2009 season.

“We are excited to join forces with The CW to bring ‘The Tyra Banks Show’ to the network for its fifth season. In its four seasons on the air, the show has built a devoted audience among Women 18–49 while helping stations grow among the young female viewers that associate strongly with Tyra herself,” said Werner. “We think moving ‘Tyra’ to network affiliates who have enjoyed such tremendous success with ‘Top Model’ creates a great opportunity for the network to broaden its appeal in early fringe, as well as advantage our show. The strategic alignment of interests for stations, The CW and ‘The Tyra Banks Show’ makes all the sense in the world.”

“We’ve had the distinct pleasure of having an icon like Tyra Banks and ‘America’s Next Top Model’ as the cornerstone of The CW’s primetime schedule and overall programming strategy from day one,” said Maatta. “The addition of ‘The Tyra Banks Show’ to The CW’s Monday through Friday afternoon block further unifies our brand as a destination for women and serves as the ideal companion to bridge daytime and primetime, for our network and our affiliated stations.”

“Tyra has made an authentic connection with young women on her talk show for the last four years with her message of empowerment. We are thrilled that the show will now be on The CW, enabling Tyra to continue her success while collaborating with the network to cross-promote her brand in both daytime and primetime, maximizing her audiences and impact on one home,” said Hilary Estey McLoughlin, President, Telepictures Productions.

“I’m thrilled to have ‘The Tyra Banks Show’ join The CW, where I already have an amazing partnership and where my audience knows to look for me,” said Banks. “With ‘Top Model’ in primetime and ‘The Tyra Banks Show’ in daytime, it’s a match made in heaven.”

In its fourth season to date and in a ratings environment where many syndicated talk shows are facing yearly declines, “Tyra” is matching its third season performance among Women 18–49 with an 0.8 rating and among Women 25–54 with an 0.7 rating. “Tyra” also continues to be a magnet for young female viewers and is the only talk show in syndication to grow year-to-year among Women 18–34, posting a 1.0 season-to-date rating, up +25% from 0.8 through the same period last year. (Source: Live + Same Day AA Rating, Premiere–11/11/07 vs. Premiere–11/9/08).

Additionally, “Tyra” has delivered year-to-year time period performance gains for stations in the metered markets during the November sweep to date. In the all-market weighted average, “Tyra” improves stations’ November 2007 time period with Women 18–49 by +50% in rating and +33% in share, holds 100% rating and share among Women 25–54, and grows over the year-ago time period among Women 18–34 by +75% in rating and +67% in share. “Tyra” also recruits viewers to the television screen, improving upon lead-in share by +33% among Women 18–49 and +150% among Women 18–34, while maintaining 100% of lead-in share with Women 25–54. (Source: NSI WRAP Overnights, November 2008 to date: 10/30/08–11/17/08, Live Rating/Share, Weighted Market Average, vs. ¼ hour lead-in.)

Banks was recently included as one of Forbes magazine’s Celebrity 100, was a Cosmopolitan magazine “Fun Fearless Phenom,” was featured in Newsweek’s “Women in Leadership” issue for 2008, and was included in Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in both 2006 and 2007.

The Tyra Banks Show won the 2008 Daytime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Informative and returned for its fourth season on September 8, 2008. Speaking to a new generation of women in a relevant voice, “Tyra” remains committed to inspiring and empowering women of all ages in a dynamic atmosphere that fosters honest talk. Tyra has proven herself as a reliable “go-to” for young women – for advice, politics, fashion, and pop culture direction.

As a result of “Tyra” moving to The CW, WBDTD will immediately take Telepictures Productions’ new court program Judge Jeanine Pirro into the first-run syndication marketplace, with the show being offered to stations for fall 2009. Judge Jeanine Pirro currently airs from 3:00–4:00 p.m. weekdays on The CW as part of a two-hour block of Monday–Friday programming supplied by WBDTD which also includes the sitcoms The Wayans Bros. and The Jamie Foxx Show in the 4:00–5:00 p.m. hour.

“Tyra” originates from the Chelsea Television Studios in New York City and also airs on the Oxygen network. The series is produced by Bankable Productions in association with Telepictures Productions and is distributed by Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. The executive producers are Cathy Chermol, John Redmann, Rachel Miskowiec and Tyra Banks.