EXCLUSIVE: Debmar-Mercury to Launch Test of 'Father Albert' on July 11

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Debmar-Mercury will launch the summer test of its new talk show, Father Albert, on July 11 on Fox TV stations in six markets, a Fox spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday (May 25).

The six markets are WNYW New York at noon, KTTV Los Angeles at 2 p.m., KDFW Dallas at 1 p.m., WTVT Tampa at 11 a.m., KMSP Minneapolis at 1 p.m. and KSAZ Phoenix at 1 p.m. The test is expected to run for five weeks.

Father Albert Cutie made international headlines when the then Catholic priest was caught kissing his girlfriend, Ruhama Buni Canellis, on a beach in his home town of Miami. Cutie left the Catholic priesthood, became an Episcopalian, and married Canellis in 2009. In December 2010, the couple welcomed a daughter. The couple also has a son from Canellis' previous relationship.

Besides being a priest, Cutie has made a name for himself hosting a daily talk show on Telemundo, a weekly talk show on Telemundo International, and several radio programs. He's also written several books, including his most recent, Dilemma, which was published in January.

Paige Albiniak
Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.