NBC Universal Sues Over Project Runway Move

NEW YORK, April 8: A deal
inked by The Weinstein Company (TWC) to move the hit reality series Project
Runway from Bravo to Lifetime has
raised the ire of Bravo’s parent company, NBC Universal, which is taking legal
action to “enforce its rights to this program.”

A NBC Universal statement
noted that the company has “continuing legal rights related to Project
Runway, including a right of first
refusal to future cycles of the series, which The Weinstein Company unfortunately
has refused to honor. NBC Universal regrettably had no alternative but to bring
legal action to enforce its rights to this program, including the right to
decide whether it is in the best interest of the company to continue to air the
show under the proposed financial terms.”

The five-year deal between
TWC and Lifetime Networks moves the show to the female-geared cable channel in
November 2008 for its sixth season. In its five seasons, the series, hosted by
Heidi Klum, has become one of Bravo’s highest-rated and most buzzed-about
shows. Klum and show mentor Tim Gunn, the chief creative officer at Liz
Claiborne, are both set to move with the series to Lifetime.

Responding to a lawsuit
filed against it in the New York Supreme Court, TWC said that NBC Universal
declined to complete for the right to renew the show. TWC says NBCU has sued to
try to “disrupt” the switch to a new network. “We believe that this lawsuit is
without merit,” said David Boies, counsel to The Weinstein Company. “While good
for the market for lawyers, it is always unfortunate when parties try to win in
court what they have lost in the marketplace.”

—By Mansha Daswani