Broadcast syndication

Some shows go to many stations. This is called syndication. Owners sell their shows to local stations. These stations do not belong to a big network.

Some shows are brand new. These are made just to be sold. Other shows are old. These are called reruns.

Stations can pay cash for a show. They can also trade airtime for it. This trade is called barter.

Selling shows can help make money. It can help pay for the show. This can happen even if the first run lost money.

Many shows play every day. Some shows play once a week. It is a fun way to watch TV!

Have you ever wondered how some shows appear on many channels? This way of sharing shows is called syndication. Instead of a big network airing a show, owners lease it to local stations. This is very common in the United States. In other parts of the world, most stations belong to one central network.

There are three main types of syndication. First is first-run syndication. These shows are made just to be sold to many stations. They are new when they start. Second is off-network syndication. These are often called reruns. These shows were first made for a big network. A show usually becomes a rerun after it has many episodes. This is often around 80 to 100 episodes.

Third is public broadcasting syndication. This helps stations like PBS share programs. A company called a syndicator handles the sales. They try to sell the show to many different areas. They can sell shows for cash. They can also use barter. Barter is when a station trades airtime for a show. Selling reruns can help a show make a profit. This can happen even if the show lost money at first.

Have you ever wondered how the same TV show appears on many different channels? This happens through a practice called broadcast syndication. In syndication, owners lease the right to show their content to local stations. This is very common in the United States. Most countries use centralized networks instead. In the U.S., local stations can act independently. This allows them to pick shows that fit their area.

There are three main ways this works. First-run syndication involves shows made specifically to be sold to many stations. These programs are brand new when they first air. Second is off-network syndication, which people often call reruns. These are shows that first aired on a big network. A show usually becomes a rerun after it reaches 80 to 100 episodes. Some genres might only need 65 episodes to start. Third is public broadcasting syndication. This helps stations like PBS share resources and programs.

A company called a syndicator manages the whole process. They try to license a show to one station in every media market. They might sell the show for cash. They also use a system called barter. In barter, the station trades its own airtime for the show. This allows the syndicator to keep some advertising money. Successful syndication can make a lot of money. It can even help a show make a profit after its first run.

Syndication has a long history in the United States. In the 1950s, Ziv Television Programs became a major player. They were the first big first-run syndicator. They created long-lasting series like The Cisco Kid. Ziv even filmed in color before most stations could show it. Other famous shows from that time include Sea Hunt and Highway Patrol. Later, the networks began syndicating their own reruns. This changed how the industry worked for many years.

Today, syndication links many different types of media together. Large station groups own many channels in big cities. These groups include Nexstar Media Group and ABC Owned Television Stations. They also own stations in places like New York City and Los Angeles. This makes it easier for syndicators to reach many people. Top shows can reach up to 98% of the country. Even when a show is old, it can stay popular. A great example is the show Law & Order.

Broadcast syndication is a business practice used in television and radio. It involves content owners leasing the rights to broadcast their programs to various stations. This happens without the content needing an official broadcast network to air it. In the United States, this system is very common because programming is often scheduled by networks through local independent affiliates. Most other countries do not use this model as widely. They often rely on centralized networks or stations that lack local affiliates. However, shows can sometimes be syndicated on an international scale.

There are three primary types of syndication used in the industry. First-run syndication involves programming that is broadcast for the very first time as a syndicated show. These programs are often created specifically to be sold directly into syndication rather than for a specific network. Off-network syndication is what people often call "reruns." This is the licensing of a program that previously aired on a television network. Public broadcasting syndication serves as a parallel service for member stations of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). This model resembles a news agency where competing networks share resources and rebroadcast each other's work.

The mechanism of syndication relies on a specialized company called a syndicator. A syndicator is a distribution company that attempts to license a show to one station in every media market. They may also target commonly owned station groups within a country or even internationally. There are different ways these deals are structured. A station might pay cash to purchase the rights to local advertisements. Alternatively, they might use a system called "barter." In a barter deal, the syndicator receives access to airtime in exchange for the program. This allows the syndicator to collect the advertising revenue themselves.

Off-network syndication follows a specific timeline and pattern. A show usually enters this stage after it has produced about four seasons of content. This typically equals between 80 and 100 episodes, though some genres may only require 65 episodes. Reruns are frequently found on stations affiliated with smaller networks like The CW Plus or MyNetworkTV. These smaller networks often have less network-provided daytime television than the "Big Four" networks. Successful syndication is a powerful financial tool. It can cover production costs and generate significant profit even if the show's initial network run lost money.

History shows that syndication helped fill gaps in early television schedules. In the early days, networks did not provide a full day of programming for their affiliates. As the number of stations grew in the 1960s, independent stations needed flexible content to fill their schedules. Ziv Television Programs became a major first-run syndicator during the 1950s. They created famous series such as The Cisco Kid, which was filmed in color. Other notable Ziv hits included Sea Hunt and Highway Patrol. As networks began syndicating their own reruns in the late 1950s, the first-run syndication market shrank for about a decade.

Modern syndication is highly efficient due to changes in station ownership. Since the 1970s, regulations have allowed for more station ownership concentration. Today, syndicators often license programs to large station groups rather than individual stations. Seven "key" station groups include Nexstar Media Group and ABC Owned Television Stations. Other major groups include NBC, CBS, Fox, Telemundo, and Televisa Univision. By securing deals with these groups, syndicators can gain access to massive markets like New York City and Los Angeles. This strategy allows them to achieve widespread national clearances very quickly.

Syndication also offers unique creative and structural differences from network television. Producers often enjoy more freedom because they do not have to follow a network's standards and practices departments. This can lead to more innovative ideas being explored. Additionally, syndicated programs often have reduced running times to allow for more commercials. For example, a standard 22-minute sitcom might be shortened to 20 minutes for syndication. Despite these changes, top-rated syndicated shows in the U.S. can reach a domestic market penetration of 98%. Even when people worried that reruns would kill a show, syndication actually increased the popularity of series like Law & Order.