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Home , Kelly Ripa

lifestyle SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2016

Feature Kelly Ripa is pissed! The drama continues with the ‘Live’ anchors

elly Ripa will return to “Live With Kelly and Michael” on Tuesday, Kending a leave of absence that abruptly began after ABC announced this week that her co-host, , would depart to join the network’s morning-news franchise “.”

“I wanted to thank you all for giving me the time to process co-host Erin Andrews joining Strahan for Thursday and Ben Sherwood and his team would have to be truly nuts to perfect fit with “Live’s” breezy mix of host chat about the head- this new information,” Ripa told the “Live” staff in an email. Friday’s episodes. “Pretty Little Liars” stay Shay Mitchell table a sure-thing in “Live”-which has been renewed by its 238 lines, celebrity guests and lifestyle segments. The show is pro- “Your kindness, support, and love has overwhelmed me. We remains scheduled to guest co-host on Monday. affiliate stations nationwide through the 2019-20 season-in duced out of WABC-TV New York using that station’s facilities are a family and I look forward to seeing you all on Tuesday Ripa’s contract to host “Live” runs through the end of the favor of an untested new hour of “GMA” at a time of fierce and crew, which makes it an extremely cost-effective produc- morning.” 2016-17 season. ABC had indicated that Strahan will stay on as competition in the morning show wars. tion for Disney. Ripa stole the spotlight from Strahan last Wednesday Ripa’s co-host for the next four months, then in September The hurdles for ABC to take over the 9 a.m. hour on its 200- “Live” at present is the No. 2 ranked daytime talk show, when, the morning after ABC announced that he would leave transition full time to “GMA,” where he has been a part-time plus affiliate stations for an extra hour of “GMA” are significant. close behind “Dr. Phil” in total viewers for the season to date. “Live” for “GMA” this summer, she failed to show up for work. It contributor since 2014. The search for Strahan’s replacement But more important, pursuing such an effort would break a In women 25-54, the key daytime demo, the show draws a 1.4, was not until several hours later that an ABC spokesperson will then begin in earnest. cardinal rule of television: If something is working, don’t break tied with Ellen DeGeneres’ yakker and just a tenth of a point attempted to explain Ripa’s absence, saying she was on a “pre- Strahan joined “Live” in 2012 at the end of a nine-month it. And “Live,” by any measure, is a workhorse for Disney. behind “Dr. Phil.” In women 18-49 it pulls a 1.0 for the season arranged vacation” and would also be out Thursday, Friday search for a replacement for retired co-host . Ripa The removal of Strahan flies in the face of the don’t-mess- to date, just a hair behind “Dr. Phil.” “Live’s” numbers are and Monday. has been with the show since 2001. with-success mantra, but “Live’s” past precedent indicates that impressive given that “Dr. Phil” and “Ellen” typically air in after- the show can weather turnover at the host desk. Ripa suc- noon time slots when the overall number of people watching ceeded in 2001; Strahan replaced the television is larger than in the morning. show’s founding host, Regis Philbin, in 2012 after Ripa went Meanwhile, for ABC to expand to a third hour of “GMA” through nearly a year of on-air guest hosts before finding the would require enlisting all of its affiliate stations to clear the 9 right match. a.m. hour for network programming. That would not be an “Live” is appointment TV for about 4 million viewers for the easy process as many of those stations have long-term com- season to date, and the vast majority of its affiliate stations run mitments to existing shows such as “Live” and other syndicat- the show at 9 a.m., coming out of national or local news pro- ed hits. It would likely require serious horse-trading between grams. Moving the show even by an hour on ABC’s O&Os the network and affiliates. could easily disrupt a viewer routine that “Live” has developed For all these reasons and more, ABC reps should be taken over decades. Monkeying with that habit would be the TV at their word when they insist that “Live” isn’t going anywhere equivalent of ABC shooting itself in the remote control. Never anytime soon. That’s as much of a certainty as the fact that underestimate the importance of strong a.m. ratings on affili- ABC has just handed Ripa a truckload of leverage for negotiat- ate stations to help power a network’s primetime’s perform- ing a new deal to succeed her existing contract, which is ance. The morning audience feeds into the afternoon and ear- believed to run through the 2016-17 season. Knowledgeable ly evening newscasts which flow into primetime-this remains industry sources say those discussions will begin sooner the natural order of things for broadcast networks and their rather than later, probably as soon as Ripa returns to the “Live” affiliates, despite the multiplatform viewing revolution. set as expected next week. — Reuters “Live” is often mistaken for an ABC network program but in fact it is syndicated by Disney/ABC TV Group’s first-run distri- bution arm. The show is carried by various affiliates of the Big Four networks across the country. All of those stations pay license fees for the show to Disney, and they hand over a few minutes of the advertising time in each hour, allowing Disney to market those spots as a national ad buy. The vast majority of “Live” stations run the show at 9 a.m., coming out of local or national morning news programs-the

Ripa leaving her New York apartment holding a copy of the Malcolm Gladwell book “David and Goliath” which sources are speculating it as Kelly throwing shade towards Live’s production company Disney. Sources told Variety that Ripa was surprised and angry to find out about Strahan’s departure after last Tuesday’s show, Cancelation rumors just ahead of the official announcement. Strahan received a The drama that erupted behind the scenes this week on call from “Live” Tuesday evening telling him that Ripa would “Live with Kelly and Michael” has stirred renewed speculation not be at work the next day. The disappearing act sparked about ABC’s interest in expanding “Good Morning America” to tabloid headlines and speculation on everything from the a third hour at 9 a.m. That hour at present is occupied on the relationship between Ripa and Strahan to the judgment of ABC O&Os and many ABC affiliate stations by “Live.” ABC top brass, including Disney-ABC Television Group chief But would Disney deliberately dismantle an enduring a.m. Ben Sherwood. franchise that generates an estimated $85 million-$90 million While Ripa maintained media silence throughout her annually in license fees and advertising revenue? That’s hard absence, Strahan took to “GMA” on Thursday to singe her to imagine in any rational scenario. praises. “If it weren’t for her, if it weren’t for [‘Live’ executive ABC brass are taking lumps for ham-fisted talent relations producer] Michael Gelman and the staff there that really in the way they broke the news to Kelly Ripa that her co-host boosted me up and made me look a lot better than I really am, of the past four years, Michael Strahan, will be heading to I never would have had a chance to be here,” Strahan said. “GMA” full time as of the fall. Ripa expressed her displeasure That same day Ripa made her first public appearance since with the decision by sitting out the rest of this week’s “Live” Tuesday’s episode of “Live,” photographed leaving her New broadcasts, leading to some awkward on-air moments for all York apartment holding a copy of the Malcolm Gladwell book involved. “David and Goliath.” Comedian Ana Gasteyer filled in for Ripa The Ripa rift has led to a lot of snickers and second-guess- Wednesday, with sportscaster and “Dancing With the Stars” ing within ABC and Disney. But Disney/ABC TV Group chief Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahanat better times.

Michael Strahan and Comedian Ana Gasteyer who filled in for Ripa on Wednesday’ telecast of the show. Kelly Ripa and rumored to be new host of “Live” co-hosting in the past with Billie Lourd during the production of “Live”.