Why else would the station nix Wheel of Fortune? I just got the following press release. Viewers will get double the dosage of Entertainment Tonight, at the expense of Wheel, effective September 12. Here’s the gruesome part:
ET will replace Wheel of Fortune, which will no longer air on the station.
You can read the full release after the jump.
WFAA-TV TO PREMIERE ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT (ET)
IN NEW, EARLIER TIME SLOT
Popular Newsmagazine to Air at 6:30 p.m. Beginning September 12
For Immediate Release…August 8, 2005…Dallas, Texas…WFAA (Channel 8) has announced the station will premiere Entertainment Tonight (ET), the most popular entertainment newsmagazine on television, in a brand new 6:30 p.m. time slot beginning September 12, 2005. Viewers can now catch ET earlier each weeknight following News 8 at 6 p.m. ET will continue to air at 11:05 p.m. weeknights following ABC News Nightline. ET has been setting the standard for entertainment news while featuring the most exclusive coverage of Hollywood and its newsmakers. ET will replace Wheel of Fortune, which will no longer air on the station.
ET was originally designed for an “access” time slot, or the time between early evening local news and the start of prime time programming, which is where ET will now air on WFAA beginning September 12. It will continue to air at 11:05 p.m. following ABC News Nightline.
“WFAA is continuously striving to improve and meet the demands of our viewers and advertisers by providing quality programming,” said Kathy Clements, WFAA president and general manager. “It’s rare for a station to have the opportunity to premiere a program with the sort of history ET has in D-FW in such a critical time slot. While ET is all about what’s current, what’s hot and happening now, the program has been on the air for years and has a strong following in our market. The new 6:30 p.m. air time will make it even more accessible for ET loyalists, as well as those viewers who may have wanted to watch the show, but went to bed before it aired.”
