No Sex In The City
TBS to air milder ‘Sex and the City’
Atlanta-based TBS Superstation has a deal to air a cleaned-up version of HBO’s “Sex and the City,” starting in June.
TBS will be the first network other than HBO to air the episodes — one of the first big deals Steve Koonin has struck since taking over the network in April.
“Sex and the City,” something of a social phenomenon as well as a hit for HBO, centers on four single women living in New York City and stars Sarah Jessica Parker.
Because they knew some scenes would be too racy for regular cable, producers originally shot the same scenes from a different angle so that the show could be reworked for a mainstream audience.
Owned by Turner Broadcasting System, TBS is one the largest and most established networks on cable, but ratings have slipped in recent years.
So far this year, average viewership is down 7 percent from a year ago.
Koonin, executive vice president and chief operating officer of both TBS and TNT, said only one-third of people who get TBS Superstation also get HBO. So “Sex and the City” is “a virtual original,” he said.
TBS is buying rights to air shows exclusively for 15 months. After that, Tribune Co. has a deal to air the episodes on its stations across the country.
In Atlanta, it will continue to air only on TBS.
At TNT, Koonin has boosted ratings significantly in recent years. So far this year, TNT has increased viewership 19 percent compared with last year.
Koonin credits his success to narrowing the focus of the general entertainment network around a drama theme.
When Koonin added TBS to his repertoire, he said he also would narrow the focus of the network.
Though he declined to spell out TBS’ new focus and branding campaign, which will launch next year, Koonin has already made key changes. In addition to buying “Sex and the City,” he has shut down the TBS Superstation’s original movie business and is working on plans for reality shows.
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