Original Wheel Stations

The syndicated Wheel, which had a larger prize budget but identical gameplay, was a source of scorn when it was first announced as Merv had been trying to pitch a nighttime version off and on since 1977 with little progress: Syndicast failed in 1977, and 20th-Century Fox purchased the syndication rights in 1980 to no avail. While this effort had gotten off the ground, it was not without its long road:

King World, spending $2.2 million of its own money to cover product costs (including a Broadcasting ad detailing the show's huge success in daytime), opted to avoid the major markets and sell them on Wheel once it had taken off elsewhere. Five stations signed on for the 1983-84 season prior to NATPE 1983, with another 12 signing up there. By September, a total of 59 stations had been sold on the idea, albeit with smaller stations paying low fees; sometimes, King World only got $50 a day with a maximum of $1,200, barely breaking even.

One major obstacle was that Wheel was being aimed at the prime access hour (7:00-8:00 or 6:30-7:30 PM depending on the region), where game shows had been pushed out in favor of programs like The People's Court, PM Magazine, and Entertainment Tonight. The other obstacle was Family Feud, which had been ruling the syndication market since the late 1970s, and had only strengthened when it went daily in September 1980.

The fact that King World was going on with the show despite these hurdles came across as being suicidal.

As predicted, Wheel was not an out-of-the-box success...but by the end of the first quarter it took off greatly and continued expanding as the season progressed, with progressively more markets wanting the same high ratings; a large number of them also signed on for Merv and King World's new entry for the 1984-85 season: a Jeopardy! revival hosted by Alex Trebek.

In response to this new challenge, both versions of Feud went to a $400 goal with another Single question – a change which made the games longer, the shows more subject to editing, and only emphasized the production's age, causing it to be further beaten in the ratings until ending in 1985, by which point Vanna, Pat, and Alex had become household names.

Introducing a Wheel with Legs.

You want a fresh new access strip for Fall '83 because your current show is slipping, and yet you want a no-risk access strip. The new Wheel of Fortune fills both demands beautifully. It's a new entry in the access arena ready for a September '83 start, and it's 39 weeks of first-run originals to carry you through the May '84 sweeps with all-new, first-run stripping (39 and 13). Stations also know Wheel of Fortune is the only new access strip with a 9-year hit record of network daytime success (NBC's Number One show).