Fcc Opens Window For Network Reruns

Television programs such as “Entertainment Tonight,” “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy” hit a regulatory bump in the road last week when the Federal Communications Commission voted 5-0 to drop a rule that gave syndicated shows a scheduling break in prime-time hours.

The 25-year-old prime-time access rule had required ABC, NBC and CBS affiliates in the top 50 television markets to reserve an hour (7-8 p.m. on the West Coast) for non-network programs.

Elimination of the rule will allow network rerun packages - old episodes of “Coach,” “Roseanne,” etc. - to run on network affiliates during an hour (7-8 p.m. in the West) where advertising rates can offset their expense.

Network reruns are generally more expensive than first-run syndicated programming, but they also tend to attract the younger audience that advertisers covet.

The decision won’t have an immediate impact on viewers, as the FCC voted to eliminate the old rule after one year. Long-term contracts between stations and syndicators will delay some programming changes, plus stations often negotiate for rights years before programs are eligible to begin their rerun cycle.