OXYGEN MEDIA ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE CABLE RIGHTS TO "AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL"
Network Acquires Full Library - Including Current and Future Cycles - of Groundbreaking Reality Competition Series Created and Hosted By Supermodel Tyra Banks
New York - September 25, 2008 - Oxygen has acquired the exclusive cable rights to the groundbreaking reality competition series "America's Next Top Model." The announcement was made today by Jason Klarman, General Manager, Oxygen Media. The network will bring viewers all the "Top Model" fashion challenges, photo shoots and model mayhem as the full library of the hit series joins Oxygen in January, 2009. In an agreement with CBS Television Distribution, Oxygen will retain exclusive cable rights to all episodes including the 11th cycle currently airing on the CW, the show's 12th cycle now in production and repeat airings of any future cycles beyond.
Created and hosted by world-renowned supermodel Tyra Banks, "America's Next Top Model" premiered in 2003 and became a phenomenal television success, especially among young women - "Generation O," Oxygen's target audience. For the last full cycle of the show on the CW (2/20/08-5/14/08), the median viewer age was 32, and for the first three episodes this season (9/3/08-9/17/08) on the CW, the show's median viewer age is 31.9. The "Top Model" genre of programming and the show's personalities have already proven successful on Oxygen, with "The Tyra Banks Show" airing daily on the network and former "Top Model" judge Janice Dickinson's series "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency" now in its fourth season.
"'America's Next Top Model' is a perfect complement to Oxygen's programming strategy, delivering fun and entertaining shows for women who like to 'Live Out Loud,'" said Klarman. " It's got all the right ingredients - a lot of fashion, plenty of beauty and a ton of drama. It really hits the bullseye with Generation O."
"The acquisition of this franchise will be a great fit for Oxygen's slate of original programming and introduce the show to an untapped demographically desirable cable audience," said Scott Koondel, Executive Vice President of Off-Network, Cable and Interactive Media for CBS Television Distribution.
"America's Next Top Model," currently airing its 11th cycle on the CW, has 14 beautiful participants living together and competing for the ultimate prize - being named "America's Next Top Model." The participants' abilities are tested each week as they strive to master the runway and fashion photo shoots, perfect publicity skills and learn the business aspects of becoming a supermodel, all under 24-hour-a-day surveillance of the "America's Next Top Model" cameras.
Supermodel Tyra Banks mentors the participants, and leads a panel of judges, comprised of leading fashion industry experts. Over the course of the series, judges have included supermodels Janice Dickinson, Twiggy and Paulina Porizkova; photographer Nigel Barker; runway expert J. Alexander; photo shoot director J. Manuel; fashion stylist Nole Marin; designer Kimora Lee Simmons and fashion editors Beau Quiliian and Eric Nicholson.
"America's Next Top Model" is produced by 10 by 10 Entertainment, in association with Bankable Productions. Tyra Banks is the creator and executive producer along with Ken Mok ("Making the Band") and Daniel Soiseth ("Hell's Kitchen").
About Oxygen:
Oxygen is a program service of NBC Universal Cable Entertainment and is currently available in over 73 million homes. The network was launched in 2000 to fill a void in the television landscape -- creating a network targeted to younger women. Oxygen is rewriting the rulebook for women's television, with a vast array of unconventional and original programming including "The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency," "Coolio's Rules," "The Bad Girls Club" and "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood."
About CBS Television Distribution:
CBS Television Distribution is the preeminent company in worldwide television syndication. Comprised of the assets of King World Productions, CBS Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Home Entertainment. CTD produces or distributes 11 first-run series and holds the largest internationally distributed television library at 70,000 hours strong. CTD is a unit of CBS Corp.
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