It's "Let's Make A Deal" and not "Deal Or No Deal" that
airs on CBS at either 10 AM or 3 PM. Putting a talk show
at 2 (ET) may entice stations now airing "Deal" at 3 to
move it to 10. The reason: program flow. Consider:
if the affiliate runs "Deal" at 3, the schedule will look like
this (times are Eastern):
11 AM Price Is Right (game)
12 N (Local)
12:30 Young And The Restless (soap)
1:30 Bold And The Beautiful (soap)
2 PM The Site (talk)
3 PM Let's Make A Deal (game)
But if "Deal" airs at 10, the schedule looks like this:
10 AM Let's Make A Deal (game)
11 AM Price Is Right (game)
12 N (Local)
12:30 Young And The Restless (soap)
1:30 Bold And The Beautiful (soap)
2 PM The Site (talk)
and more talk shows may follow from 3 to the start
of local news (usually 5 PM)
I like the program flow that results from having "Deal" at 10,
always thought it made more sense than having "Guiding Light"
at 10, and I'd like to see more stations airing "Deal" at 10.
There is one problem: the general manager of CBS affiliate WFMY
Greensboro, NC, which carries "Deal" at 3, told me that if the station
moves the show and the ratings go down, the station has to pay CBS
a penalty per point lost. That might discourage stations from moving
"Deal" to 10. It might also discourage stations from airing "The Site"
at 4, especially as long as Oprah is on the ABC or NBC affiliate, or even
after she's gone.