Merv Griffin Game Show Clears NBC-Owned Stations in Major Markets

LOS ANGELES, February 21: The
new Merv Griffin game show, Let’s Play Crosswords, has been cleared for a fall launch as a syndicated
strip by NBC-owned stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco
and Dallas.

From Merv Griffin Entertainment,
Program Partners and the William Morris Agency (WMA), Let’s Play Crossword is a fast-paced game show series that follows a
“Q&A” format. Under the agreement inked with NBC Universal Domestic
Television Distribution, all parties will jointly develop a broadband offering
that will launch from the NBC stations’ websites. The companies involved are
also exploring an opportunity to produce the series at NBC-owned facilities at
WMAQ in Chicago. The deal calls for NBC Universal Domestic Television
Distribution to represent national barter advertising sales.