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Anderson Cooper Pegged By Local Stations As The Next Oprah?

by Mark Joyella | 9:12 am, December 20th, 2010

In the last ten days, 40 local television stations have opted to sign contracts to carry Anderson Cooper’s new daytime talk show, Anderson, according to a report this morning in The Hollywood Reporter.

That rush of of signings pushes Anderson to 80 stations across the country, meaning about 70 percent of television viewers will be able to watch the show when it debuts in the fall. That kind of solid performance–for an untested show–indicates a strong belief among local television station managers that Cooper’s got the stuff to fill a big gap in TV’s daytime: the departure of long-reigning daytime queen Oprah Winfrey.

As THR’s Elizabeth Guider reports:

“The momentum for this show is robust,” said Meril, given how “quickly and aggressively” outlets have signed on. “Stations are recognizing ‘Anderson’ for both its instant wide-ranging appeal as well as its long-term franchise potential.” In all, stations repping the Allbritton, Capital, Citadel, Cordillera, Cox, Fisher, Fox, Freedom, Gannett, Hearst, Hubbard, LIN, Local TV, Media General, Meredith, Midwest, Morgan Murphy New Vision, Newport, Northwest, Raycom, Sarkes Tarzian, Schurz, Scripps, Sinclair, Smith Media, Titan and Tribune groups have bought the strip. Like gabbers Winfrey and before her Donahue, Anderson will target women looking to be informed and entertained, gain perspective and stay connected to the world around them.