TVSquad

TV syndication upfront ad sales are brisk, with syndicators expected to sell higher levels of ad inventory, similar to the broadcast networks.

Sales are more than 50% complete, with one syndicator, Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, more than 70% sold out of its 2008-09 ad inventory, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

What's it all mean? It means that syndication upfront totals are expected to be around $2.4 billion, up 4.5% from last year.

Maybe one reason is that syndicators are incorporating more product integration into their packages, especially with talk and entertainment shows. Strong categories include packaged goods, pharmaceuticals, movies, and fast food.

Hmmm ... I wonder what they're saying. That TV viewers sit around eating Big Macs, doing drugs, and woofing down Cheetos? Yeah, that can't be right.

It looks like Oprah is getting in bed with someone else, figuratively speaking. Sony Pictures TV will be distributing her new upcoming spin-off talk show hosted by heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz.

This marks a change from her usual relationship with CBS Television Distribution which distributes her own show as well as the spin-offs involving Doctor Phil and Rachael Ray. Dr. Oz is being perceived by many as a competitor to Dr. Phil, whose host's ethics have recently been in free-fall. CBS is already planning to launch its own spin-off of Doctor Phil called The Doctors.

Say it's 11 AM; Opie and Anthony's XM show is over and you're looking for something to listen to. So why don't you turn on the channel that's the perfect follow-up: Oprah and Friends!

Yes, kiddies, Oprah and her cabal have started a satellite radio station. But you might have to concentrate hard to actually hear the big O on the channel; according to this article, she will only be on one 30 minute show per week, dishing with her buddy Gayle King about celebrities and whatnot.

What you will hear are the people whose careers O has propped up through her TV show: King, trainer Bob Greene, financial expert Jean Chatsky (mmm... Jean Chatsky), psychologist Dr. Robin Smith, and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Oh, and Maya Angelou gets a show, too (let's hope little Jimmy Norton does a guest shot in an O/O&A crossover). So, it's just like the Oprah show you love, but longer and more self-important. Enjoy!