It is always sunny in Philadelphia as reruns of FX comedy go for big bucks

It is always sunny in Philadelphia as reruns of FX comedy go for big bucks

It just got a little sunnier in Philadelphia.

No, we're not talking about the Phillies being on the verge of making the World Series for the second year in a row. News Corp.'s Twentieth Television has just sold reruns of the FX sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadephia" to Viacom's Comedy Central for roughly $400,000 per episode plus some commercial inventory, people familiar with the deal say.

For a cable comedy, that is a pretty healthy price tag. Throw in the commercial time and the value of the deal could end up being being north of $700,000 per episode for Twentieth Television and the creative team behind the show. Of course, that is also dependent on the economy and what is happening in the advertising market when Comedy Central starts running the show.

While the $400,000 cash part of the deal still pales compared with what a hit comedy in broadcast television can get in rerun sales (Lifetime paid Twentieth Television about $800,000 per episode for reruns of "How I Met Your Mother"), the gap is definitely narrowing.

Furthermore, the cost of producing an episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is nowhere near what a typical episode of "How I Met Your Mother" or NBC Universal's "30 Rock" runs, meaning that the little sitcom that could -- which is off to a strong start this season -- could end up turning a very nice profit.

While FX looked at buying the reruns, Twentieth Television, by selling to Comedy Central, doesn't have to worry about any producers thinking it cut a sweetheart deal within the company. That has been a problem in the past, as actors Alan Alda and David Duchovny and producer Steven Bochco sued News Corp. claiming just that over rerun sales of "M*A*S*H," "The X-Files" and "NYPD Blue," respectively, from Twentieth to FX.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: FX's "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Credit: Craig Blankenhorn / FX

Oprah to interview Sarah Palin

Oprah Winfrey will interview former Alaska governor Sarah Palin on her talk show on Nov. 16. Winfrey will get the first interview that the former vice presidential candidate is giving to promote her new book, "Going Rogue."

"[F]ollowing her decision to step down as governor of her home state of Alaska, and on the eve of the release of her first book, Palin will speak first to Oprah in a world exclusive interview," a statement from Oprah's production company said on Tuesday.

You may recall that there was a kerfuffle when a report emerged in September 2008 that Winfrey, a prominent backer of President Barack Obama (who was then a candidate for president), said she thought it best not to have Palin on her show until after the election was over. In November of 2008, a report emerged that Winfrey's show had extended an invitation for Palin to appear on the show.

poll by twiigs.com

The full release from "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is below. Read more on The Swamp.

OPRAH TALKS TO SARAH PALIN
ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH

CHICAGO, IL â€" In a world exclusive, Oprah Winfrey will interview former Alaska
governor Sarah Palin for an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to air
Monday, November 16, 2009.  Winfrey and Palin will meet for the very first
time on the episode, which will mark Palin's first interview to discuss her
upcoming book, "Going Rogue: An American Life" and her first-ever
appearance on the "Oprah" show.

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin burst onto the national political scene as
running mate for Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.  Now,
following her decision to step down as governor of her home state of Alaska,
and on the eve of the release of her first book, Palin will speak first to Oprah
in a world exclusive interview.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show: Exclusive â€" Oprah Talks to Sarah Palin" airs on
Monday, November 16, 2009 (check local listings).

For more information visit www.oprah.com.  Also, follow Oprah on Twitter
@Oprah or become a fan of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Facebook.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" has remained the number one talk show for 23
consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.* It is
produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 215
domestic stations by CBS Television Distribution and to 147 countries by CBS
Studios International.

Whoa! Who should pay debate touches quite a nerve
Criminy, so much angst over who pays for a couple of hamburgers at the Ye Olde Malt Shoppe.
Nation's Retailers Engage In Online Book Pricing War

The book industry is reeling as the price of some of its hottest books drops to a new low at some online stores. The price war took off last week when Walmart cut its price for online pre-orders of 10 upcoming best-sellers to $10. Amazon countered with a similar discount of $9, which Wal-Mart then took down to $8.99. Now, Target is entering the fray.

FILM: The Man Is Steel, the Tank Is Only Iron
NEW YORK, Oct 20 (IPS)"War is not made by heroes or Hollywood studs," says director Samuel Maoz. "War is mostly made by young and inexperienced guys. Children that are sent to go after and kill the ones they used to play with. That's what this really is about."