'Affair' adds 10 markets

Despite low ratings, Twentieth TV clears 'Current'

By JOHN DEMPSEY

Twentieth TV has cleared 10 more markets for its daily half-hour "A Current Affair" series even as the show has slipped from the 3.3 rating it averaged during its March 21 premiere week to a 2.5 the week ended May 6.

During the week of May 2-6, ratings were down 29% from its lead-in and down 22% from programming in the year-ago time period.

But Twentieth is getting fresh stations to sign up for "Affair" despite less-than-stellar Nielsens because there are so few new syndicated shows in the marketplace to replace the larger number that won't be back after the 2004-05 season.

Other than "Current Affair," only three firstrun five-a-week syndicated series survived the winnowing-out process leading up to the 2005-06 season: NBC Universal's "The Martha Stewart Show," Warner Bros. Domestic TV's "The Tyra Banks Show" and Twentieth TV's "Judge Alex."

Eight of the 10 new contracts for "Affair" won't kick in until the fall; the two other stations -- WDRB Louisville, Ky., and WEHT Evansville, Ind. -- have already started stripping the show.

The eight coming onboard in September are WTKR Norfolk, Va.; WTNZ Knoxville, Tenn.; KVOA Tucson, Ariz.; KVRR Fargo, N.D.; KDLT Sioux Falls, S.D..; KQDS Duluth, Minn.; KCVU Chico-Redding, Calif.; and KVIQ Eureka, Calif.