"Dr. Oz" talker gets early slots for 2009 launch

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Just days into the 2008-09 season, talk show "Dr. Oz" has been cleared in 40% of the country for a fall 2009 launch.

"Oz," from Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Prods., features Oprah regular Dr. Mehmet Oz. It becomes the first first-run syndicated show to announce station clearances for next year, with most of those primarily in afternoon slots.

Distributor Sony Pictures Television has sold the show in 13 of the top 20 markets, including the Fox-owned stations in New York (WNYW), Los Angeles (KTTV) and Chicago (WFLD).

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter