THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW Hits All-Time High in Household Rating

Debmar-Mercury's nationally Syndicated THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW set a household ratings record during the week ended Oct. 19, hitting a 1.8 for the first time ever and topping the previous high of 1.7 achieved during the week ended Feb. 9 this year. The show also scored a season-high rating of a 1.2 rating among the key demo of women 25-54, according to the Nielsen national syndication rankings released today.

Household ratings for Wendy surged 14% over the prior week and 29% above the same week last season, pushing it beyond 2 million homes for only the second time. In the women 25-54 bracket, the talker gained 9% from the prior week and 20% from a year ago.

Ira Bernstein and Mort Marcus, co-presidents of Lionsgate-owned producer-distributor Debmar-Mercury, commented, "We are so gratified to see viewers and top stations flocking to Wendy, whose tremendous talent and strong production team, combined with provocative, must-see topics, have pushed her show into the top echelon of daytime TV talk. The phenomenal growth we have seen in recent years, culminating with this season's record national ratings and leap to the top of the women 25-54 demos in LPM markets, leads us to believe this program is poised for even greater success in the future."

Taped live in New York City, Wendy is renewed through 2017, airs in in 52 countries globally and also runs in the U.S. on BET at midnight. Featuring Williams' distinctive and entertaining personality, the show offers a diverse mix of interviews with celebrity guests from television, film, music and sports. Popular segments include "Hot Topics," in which Williams delivers her own unpredictable, honest and authentic take on the latest pop culture headlines. This marks the first full season of season all Hot Topics Mondays.

Turning 50 this past July, Williams celebrated her milestone birthday with a bucket list of items including making her standup comedy debut in Las Vegas. Williams' sold-out show was a huge hit and she will return for two more "Lipsck" comedy series performances this Friday and Saturday.

Expanding her media footprint, Williams and her husband, Kevin, launched the non-fiction television programming company Wendy Williams Productions (WWP) in 2013. The joint partnership with Debmar-Mercury finds, develops and produces original programming including the Lifetime original movie Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, set to air in November.

About Debmar-Mercury

Debmar-Mercury, a leading media company specializing in syndication, network, cable and ancillary markets, produces and distributes THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW and the new Craig Ferguson-hosted CELEBRITY NAME GAME with co-producer FremantleMedia North America; has U.S. distribution rights to FremantleMedia North America's Steve Harvey-hosted Family Feud; distributes Tyler Perry sitcoms House of Payne and spinoff Meet the Browns, as well as Revolution/CubeVision's ARE WE THERE YET? (starring Ice Cube); and, for FX, sitcoms including Lionsgate Television's ANGER MANAGEMENT (starring Charlie Sheen and now also airing in national off-network syndication); and has U.S. TV distribution rights to South Park, Hell's Kitchen and a movie library featuring titles from Revolution Studios. Debmar-Mercury is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), a leading global entertainment company.

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