CBS Distribution Sells HOT IN CLEVELAND to 65% of U.S. TV Stations

CBS Television Distribution has sold the hit TV Land sitcom HOT IN CLEVELAND to TV stations in more than 65% of the United States, it was announced today by Joe DiSalvo, President of Sales, CTD.

The strip is already sold in 9 of the top 10 markets and 18 of the top 20 for a 2014 launch. CBS Television Stations in five of the top 10 markets bought the sitcom, including WLNY, New York; KCAL, Los Angeles; WPSG, Philadelphia; KTXA, Dallas-Ft. Worth; and KBCW, San Francisco-Oakland; as well as Weigel Broadcasting's WCIU, Chicago; Sunbeam Television's WLVI, Boston; Gannett's WATL, Atlanta; and Belo's KHOU, Houston.

Other sales include stations from Sinclair Broadcast Group, LIN TV, Cox Enterprises and Meredith Corp.

CTD acquired the exclusive broadcast domestic distribution rights for HOT IN CLEVELAND from TV Land last fall.

"Stations have enthusiastically embraced HOT IN CLEVELAND and see huge potential for this sitcom in their lineups," DiSalvo said. "HOT IN CLEVELAND has been a breakout hit for TV Land and is a perfect fit for the broad audience of broadcast syndication."

Debuting June 2010, HOT IN CLEVELAND's premiere episode was the highest-rated telecast in TV Land's 14-year history. Through its past three full seasons, HOT IN CLEVELAND averaged 3 million total viewers, according to Nielsen. The fourth season of HOT IN CLEVELAND starts production in August 2012.

The cast of HOT IN CLEVELAND has been recently honored with a Gracie Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Individual Episode as well as several accolades including Betty White's second Screen Actors Guild Award(R) nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role as "Elka," for which she won last year. White was also nominated for an Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The series was awarded a Creative Arts Emmy(R) Award for Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series (Michael Andrew Hynes and Maralee Zediker).

HOT IN CLEVELAND revolves around three fabulous best friends from LA - novelist Melanie Moretti (Valerie Bertinelli), eye-brow archer to the stars Joy Scroggs (Jane Leeves) and former soap star Victoria Chase (Wendie Malick) - who find their lives changed forever when their plane, headed for Paris, makes an unexpected landing. When the friends discover that life is better in Cleveland, they decide to stay. Starting over together, they rent a house that happens to come with a very opinionated caretaker, Elka Ostrovsky (White).

Filmed in front of a live audience, HOT IN CLEVELAND is executive produced by Emmy(R) Award-winner Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner of Hazy Mills Productions and is helmed by Emmy(R) Award-winning SuzAnne Martin ("Frasier," "Ellen") serving as executive producer, show runner and writer. Lynda Obst also serves as executive producer, and Larry W. Jones and Keith Cox are executive producers for TV Land. "Hot in Cleveland" is currently seen around the world in over 165 countries.

CBS Television Distribution is the preeminent company in television syndication. CTD produces or distributes 13 first-run series and holds the largest distributed television library at 70,000 hours strong. Among CTD's critically-acclaimed programs are the #1 syndicated series Judge Judy; talk leader Dr. Phil; the #1 and #2 rated game shows Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!; the Emmy Award-winning talk shows Rachael Ray and The Doctors; the #1 newsmagazine Entertainment Tonight and its sister show The Insider; the #2 newsmagazine Inside Edition; court shows Judge Joe Brown and Swift Justice With Jackie Glass; reality dating show Excused; the upcoming talk show The Jeff Probst Show; and popular off-network product, including the CSI and Star Trek franchises, Everybody Loves Raymond, Frasier, NCIS, Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0, Hot in Cleveland and Undercover Boss. In addition, CTD handles the domestic television distribution of CBS News, CBS Films and Showtime. CTD is a unit of CBS Corp.