The E.W. Scripps Company will premiere its original shows Let’s Ask America and The List, on WPTV, NewsChannel 5, in West Palm Beach next month after the successful launch of the two shows in other markets last fall.
The List and Let’s Ask America will air Monday through Friday, at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. respectively, beginning Monday, Sept. 9.
The List is an entertainment news program that allows viewers to get caught up on the top stories of the day. Stories are delivered in user-friendly, easy-to-understand list formats and provide information that will improve viewers’ everyday lives. It arms viewers with important information to engage in conversation with friends, family and co-workers.
Let’s Ask America is a television game show created for the Internet age. Contestants compete for cash prizes from the comfort of their homes while connected to the show via their webcams. Let’s Ask America host Kevin Pereira tests their knowledge of the American mindset on current events and popular culture.
Following Let’s Ask America’s 2012 inaugural season, the readers of one of the industry’s leading voices, Buzzerblog, voted LAA the top new game show of 2012.
Warner Brothers/Telepictures will produce Let’s Ask America again this year with a veteran game show executive at the helm. Michael Canter and Jeff Krask, executive producers, have extensive game show experience. Let’s Ask America will debut a new set, new graphics, and other changes in the game play in season 2.
The new entertainment news programs last year replaced two longtime syndicated programs in the Scripps lineup. The programs aired primarily in the time periods before the networks’ primetime lineup or before early evening local newscasts. This fall, Let’s Ask America will air in all 13 of the Scripps network-affiliated television markets, and The List will air in seven markets.
Scripps also collaborates with Cox Media and Raycom Media to produce RightThisMinute, a daily program that gives viewers the first look at the best videos of the day before they go viral. RightThisMinute will air this fall in 126 markets, representing 85 percent distribution across the country.
“Both Let’s Ask America and The List have been very successful for us,” said Brian Lawlor, senior vice president of the Scripps television division. “Let’s Ask America performed strongly in the May ratings period, hitting the same demographic ratings as some popular syndicated sitcoms and beating Jeopardy in the important demographics in a couple of key markets. The List bested Wheel of Fortune, earning strong ratings in key demographic groups in a number of our markets.”
The Scripps Television Station Group consists of 13 network-affiliated television stations located in Bakersfield, Calif.; Baltimore, Md.; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Denver; Detroit; Indianapolis; Kansas City, Mo.; Phoenix; San Diego; Tampa; Tulsa, Okla.; and West Palm Beach, Fla.