Masterminds a Firm Go for Fall

New Line TV has cleared syndicated off-Court TV series, Masterminds, in more than 60% of the country, according to New Line, including 18 of the top 20 markets and all of the top 10.

The series is a firm go for a fall 2006 launch.

Stations clearing it include 10 Fox O&O's, duopolies WNYW/WWOR New York and WFLD/WPWR among them; Cox stations in Atlanta, Orlando, PIttsburgh, and Charlotte; as well as stations owned by CBS, Sunbeam, Granite, and Hearst, and the WB100-plus group of primarily cable channels programmed as WB affiliates in markets without a broadcast affiliate.

The weekly Masterminds looks at "intriguing" crimes and the pros who catch the future cons--"How do 'perfect plans' get formed? How do 'can’t miss' heists go wrong?" that sort of thing.

The show is being sold on a straight barter basis, which means stations give up national ad time in the show rather than ponying up cash.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.