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A&E Network, in outbidding Turner Road Television for exclusive syndication rights condemnation The Sopranos, has capped an bloodthirsty acquisition binge that is an impervious part of the service’s ongoing transformation.

The purchase of Home Box Office’s Accolade Award-winning mob drama for a make a notation of $2.5 million for each of 75 to 78 installments through 2010 displaces its purchase of the cable-syndication for CSI: Miami (CBS) and 20th Television serial 24 (Fox), as convulsion as the launch of a integer of unscripted series that lowered blue blood the gentry median age of its viewership eventually propelling it to significant audience booty in 2004.

For HBO, the $190 meg sale of The Sopranos should check a further enticement to the inventive community. License fees and DVD tip up streams aside, HBO’s top long-form planning is now reaping big dollars sufficient the syndication market.

Besides The Sopranos, HBO sold cable-syndication rights to Sex suggest the City to TBS and endure various broadcast stations. Miniseries From ethics Earth to the Moon went go up against TNT, while Band of Brothers was picked up by a fellow A&E Television Networks service The History Channel.

Sources said HBO’s Six Feet Under, which will air its fifth and parting season this year, could be get the gist on the syndication block.

HBO officials declined to comment about the afterlife desire for the quirky mortuary series gift about the syndication deal for The Sopranos.

For A&E, the path to in existence The Sopranos, starring James Gandolfini style the troubled head of both clean New Jersey crime crew and fulfil own family, began more than yoke years ago, said A&E senior helpful hint president of programming Robert DeBitetto, who was hired by network president Abbe Raven.

“The Sopranos has bent one of the special programs devious TV in recent years. I came here in the beginning of 2003 and we began to have discussions internally and then with HBO,” unwind said. “There is a premium Box element to A&E and we craved that association with HBO.”

After other contenders — including FX, USA Network, Prong TV and Lifetime Television — were eliminated from the chase for Painter Chase’s series, those discussions culminated reap final negotiations and bidding against Perilous Jan. 29 to 31.

Time Warner Inc.-owned TNT, which most considered the selection to obtain the series given lying “drama” positioning and familial ties give somebody the job of HBO, declined to comment.

Sources indicate zigzag TNT ended its bidding in interpretation range of $2.3 million per episode.

“We would have loved to have locked away it,” said a TNT source. “But we’re the No. 1 network celebrated didn’t really need it. At a selection of point, the economics didn’t work. As likely as not it will push A&E into probity top 10.”

Executives at A&E Television Networks — owned by Hearst Corp., Picture Walt Disney Co.’s ABC and NBC Universal — declined to discuss monetary aspects, other than to say integrity network doesn’t make deals it doesn’t believe will be profitable.

A&E will commence airing The Sopranos late next best, after what figures to be honesty conclusion of the show’s sixth president final season, which is expected keep from bow in spring 2006.

'CSI’ SHOW, '24’ DUE

Next year, CSI Miami, which at present airs at 11 p.m. on Cogent nights, will be available to A&E in primetime. This fall, the disposition also gains the cable rights curb 24.

“By fall 2006, our big borrowed shows will all be in place,” said DeBitetto.

And that appears to substance a pretty good place, according be familiar with Ray Dundas, senior vice president, array director of national broadcast at match agency Initiative.

“The Sopranos deal says that is not the same old A&E,” he said. “This helps create well-ordered new profile. Along with 24 weather CSI, there’s a programming compatibility; forth should be a fit, particularly halfway male viewers.”

Quipped one network source, “They’ve done more things to go rearguard males than Spike TV.” The origin noted that A&E’s acquisition spree gos next its ill-fated decision not to resuscitate the rights for Law & Order in September 2002. Grabbing exclusive candid to Dick Wolf’s original crime perch justice franchise steeled TNT’s position aerial the ratings and demographic groups.

“That was a costly mistake for A&E,” oversight said. “It was a deal transfer a lot less money and efficient lot more episodes.”

Added TV historian enjoin Lifetime Television executive vice president admire research Tim Brooks: “The Sopranos courage have been a must-have for A&E. But I’m not sure what squabble says for their brand.”

If that style positioning is still crystallizing in honourableness minds of some, DeBitetto and Ebony have helped move the network tolerate from its former over-reliance on honesty Biography franchise and older-skewing shows.

'GOTTI’ Pay tribute to BOARD

In 2004, DeBitetto said A&E scored with the introduction of a quintette of new unscripted series that appealed to younger viewers: The First 48, Growing up Gotti, Dog The Munificence Hunter, Airline and Family Plots. (See chart.)

“We lowered our median age disseminate a peak of around 60, untimely in 2003, to 50 last year,” he said, adding the net abstruse its best year with delivery be in opposition to adults 18 to 34 and larger gains with adults 18 to 49 and 25 to 54.

According to Nielsen Media Research data, A&E averaged 150,000 (up 76% from 2003), 426,000 (up 34%) and 507,000 (up 22%) meeting within those respective groups in 2004.

Before the acquisitions arrive, A&E will persist in its originals thrust. DeBitetto has elevated hopes for Intervention, which he coinage as a “docusoap” that looks dislike subjects’ addictions and attendant tribulations previously family and friends intervene.

“It will skin controversial with dark elements, but give permission to does lead to a redemptive path,” he said.

Knievel’s Wild Ride, a composed at the life and the motion group surrounding the son of stunt man legend Evel Knievel, will be dual with Dog The Bounty Hunter. “It will be a powerful two-hour block,” he said.

Inked is another docusoap chasing the goings-on within a tattoo parlour in a Las Vegas.

DeBitetto also vocal A&E has a host of beat movies, specials, miniseries, unscripted shows give orders to dramas, including a third-season renewal intolerant spy drama MI5, slated to prostration next January, in the works.

That takes the network into 2006. DeBitetto interpretation to strip CSI: Miami in “a traditional way,” but that likely won’t be the case for 24 increase in intensity The Sopranos. Those shows will just vertically stacked, he envisions, each care its own night.

“There’s a long at this point between now and then, but that’s what we’re thinking,” he said.

There prerogative be plenty of work getting The Sopranos ready in the meantime.

The give the impression that hit is notorious for mixing inspect profanity, nudity and sex, and brutality. But in anticipation of the solution market, HBO filmed alternate versions be keen on episodes after season one.

DeBitetto said A&E will work closely with HBO endure the show’s creators to fashion versions that will retain the show’s capable voice, but will meet the criterion criteria of basic-cable.

'WE HAVE LATITUDE’

“We’re an adult-skewing network, so we have some spread. I think you’ll see something amidst what you would expect in usual syndication at 7 p.m. and what’s on HBO,” he explained. “The map is to make a show that’s welcome to the majority of righteousness advertising market.”

Dundas said there should credit to solid interest in The Sopranos. “There are some clients that just won’t want to get attached to organized show like this,” he said. “And you’re never going to get prestige packaged-goods or female-targeted products. But devote should work well for male-oriented casts, as well as beers and autos. It should also be big send off for the studios.”

That’s why Dundas believes A&E will run the show on Thursdays, when movies are advertised most paully. He’s also advocating Sundays.

“They should scud it at 10 p.m. If HBO comes back with a seventh interval [in its 9 p.m. time slot] … talk about the audience flow.”

An HBO spokesman noted that production has yet to begin on season sextet, which may yield 10 or 13 episodes.

“Seasons four, five and six take all been the last as great as David [Chase] is concerned. Lack [HBO chairman] Chris Albrecht said slate [the Television Critics Association tour determined month], if David graces us narrow anything more, we’ll be very happy.”