KEEN FOR 'KEENEN'
Deal with Sinclair B'cast Group near
If the deal is signed, Sinclair will probably air the Wayans latenight strip as a lead-in to Columbia TriStar TV Distribution's rival latenight strip "Vibe" in at least some of its markets, according to a Sinclair source.
Buena Vista declined to comment on any pending deals, but the Sinclair source said, "We are on the one-yard line," and "my guess is Keenen will be the lead-off show. If Keenen rolls up and dies, then we'll flip-flop them."
Sources stressed that the deal isn't done and final decisions on timeslots will come later. Sinclair owns more than two dozen TV stations, including many Fox affiliates, in markets such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Milwaukee, but it's unlikely all the Sinclair stations will air the show.
Both "Vibe" and "The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show" are vying to capture the urban latenight audience left underserved by the cancellation of Arsenio Hall's latenight talker a few years ago. In the top markets, the two shows will probably compete head to head, with "Vibe" airing on Chris-Craft stations and "Keenen" airing on the Fox O&Os.
Outside the top markets, there are fewer outlets for the show, so "Vibe" and "Keenen" will be competing for the best timeslots, sometimes on the same stations. "Vibe" is already cleared on 186 stations covering 95% of the country, and it will most likely debut sometime this summer. The Wayans strips debuts in August.
