Meredith Vieira PR Image - P 2013
Andrew Eccles/NBCThe Meredith Vieira Show, which was renewed for a second year on the NBC stations in major markets in October, has now sealed renewal deals with additional affiliates around the U.S., it was announced Monday by NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution.
The nationally syndicated daytime talk show starring former Today host Meredith Vieira has been renewed by station groups that include Hearst, Sinclair, Hubbard, Scripps, Gray, Dispatch, Graham Media, LIN, Bonten, Media General and Schurz.
That means it will be available on broadcast outlets in more than 80 percent of U.S. television homes.
“Meredith Vieira is a superb talent,” said Ed Swindler, president NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution and NBC Broadcast Operations, “and we are very happy our affiliates are supporting the show for season two.”
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Vieira’s show is the highest profile new daily syndicated talker of the 2014-2015 season.
In its first season, the show has gotten off to a fair but not fantastic start in the ratings. For the season to date, it has a 1.2 national rating (an average of about 1.5 million viewers a day), and a 0.6 in the key demographic group of women 25 to 54.
Like most other talk shows, the audience skews older than the demo. Meredith is averaging an audience just over 58 years of age.
For the last two weeks, the show has run even with the performance on the same stations in the same time periods last year and is off about 10 percent from its lead-in shows.
That is not surprising, as many of the lead-in shows are soap operas with established audiences that also benefit from viewing up to three or even seven days later by those who record the shows.
Vieira serves as executive producer along with Rich Sirop and Michael Glantz.
