• • --WipcóffülL^WMk— Production big business for Big 3 ABC, CBS and NBC in-house units take on growing importance By David Tobenkin lysts, with networks hoping to assure graming for years. NBC has produced or the first time, the in-house themselves of a distribution pipeline The Tonight Show for more than three production units of ABC, CBS by buying one. decades. And network news division- Fand NBC are the leading suppli- The networks, in short, have produced magazine shows have pro- ers to their networks. And the pace is become programing players. But their liferated over the past two seasons as expected to accelerate, making stu- top executives say that the activities the networks try to emulate the suc- dios' television production operations of their in-house units are revealing cess of CBS's 60 Minutes and amor- pale in comparison. the limits as well as the potential of tize the cost of their expensive news The in-house production units of their production operations. operations. ABC, NBC, and CBS together are "We won't see a day—or we But entertainment—and prime time supplying 14 hours of 1994-95 prime shouldn't see a day—when we are in particular—is the final frontier. time programing. That output is programing 50% of the entertainment Driving the expansion is the hope of expected to accelerate even further programing on ABC," says David containing production costs. ABC's after the fin-syn rules limiting net- Westin, president of production for Westin said that while his divisions work ownership of their shows and the ABC Television Network Group. cannot produce a show less expen- syndication activities sunset next "There are too many talent arrange- sively than a studio, he can structure November. ments out there for you to be able to production deals so that license fees Fears that the networks will favor corner the market on enough shows shows developed by their production for a successful schedule. And the arms over outside product is one of number-one mandate is to have top- the major reasons why rumors of a rated shows, not shows we own." studio takeover of a network have In reality, the networks have active- heated up in recent weeks, say ana- ly produced much of their own pro- The Big 3 as Producers N indicates a new show; R, a returning series. Also listed is the show's network or distribution method. NBC's 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' NBC Productions John Agoglia, president; Michaei Zinberg, president, creative affairs Fresh Prince, 30 minutes (R) - NBC Martin Short, 30 minutes (N) • NBC ABC Productions' 'McKenna' Cosby Mysteries, 60 minutes (N) - NBC CBS's 'Gordon Elliott Show' ABC Television Network Group Homicide, 60 minutes (R) - NBC Tonight Show, 60 minutes (R) - NBC CBS Entertainment Productions David Westin, president of production Conan O'Brien, 60 minutes (R) - NBC Andy Hill, president My So-Called Life, 60 minutes (N) - ABC Greg Kinnear, 30 minutes (R) - NBC Me and the Boys, 30 minutes (N) - ABC Name Your Adventure, 30 mm. (R) - NBC Walker, Texas Ranger, 60 mm. (R) - CBS California Dreams, 30 minutes (R) - NBC Dr. Quinn, 60 minutes (Ft) - CBS The Boys Are Back, 30 minutes IN) - CBS McKenna, 60 minutes (N) - ABC Saved by the Bell, 30 minutes (R) - NBC Dave's World, 30 minutes (R) - CBS The Commish, 60 minutes (R) - ABC Saved by the Bell, 30 minutes (R) - oft net Touched by an Angel, 60 minutes (N) - CBS On Our Own, 30 minutes (N) - ABC Punky Brewster, 30 minutes (R) - off net Rescue 911, 60 minutes (Ft) - CBS Fresh Prince, 30 minutes (N) - off net Gordon Elliott, 60 minutes (N) - synd. Blue Skies, 30 minutes (N) - ABC Thunder Alley, 30 minutes (R) • ABC California Oreams, 30 minutes (N) • off net .