In the latest sign that inhouse deals can go awry, WPIX New York has become the second Tribune Broadcasting station to downgrade its own Tribune Entertainment gameshow "Bzzz!"
The show has moved from 6 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on WPIX because of low ratings. Trib's WGN Chicago moved the relationship game show out of access to 3 p.m. three weeks ago.
At 6 p.m. on WPIX, "Bzzz!" placed fifth in the timeslot out of six stations, with a 4.2/8. That rating was 48% be-low the November 1995 8/14 average with "Full House," which has now returned to the timeslot.
The two downgrades call into question the future of the game strip. One Tribune Entertainment exec said no decision has been made on renewing the show for next season.
"We want to see how it does in the afternoon," the exec said. "We're trying to find a place to make it work."
After a week in its new New York home, "Bzzz!" is averaging a 1.1/4, leading out of "American Journal" and into a kids block. In Chicago, "Bzzz!" at 3 p.m. is averaging a 2.2/6, compared to the 2.4/4 performance average in ac-cess during the last November sweep. The strip loses 42% of its 3.8/12 "Jenny Jones" lead-in.
"Bzzz!" is produced by Ralph Edwards/Stu Billett Prods.
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