B5 Cancelled?

[b5jms-owner at cs.columbia.edu]

Subject: B5 Cancelled?
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 No. | DATE        |  FROM
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+  1: Apr  9, 1996: ajp3 at cec.wustl.edu (Andrew Pann)
*  2: Apr  9, 1996: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)

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From: ajp3 at cec.wustl.edu (Andrew Pann)
Lines: 45

Just thought I'd pass this own to the moderated group -- just to be safe 
(to get the word out, if it is true).

In article <3169D56B.21FD at apollo3.com>,
Mark Sulkowski  <marks at apollo3.com> wrote:
>Just today, someone posted to the official B5 web page bulletin
>board that Warner Bros has finally decided to ditch PTEN, and,
>as a result, Babylon 5.  Warner Bros allegedly said that the
>only way B5 would continue is if it would be syndicated.  The
>poster suggested that people write Warner Bros to tell them to
>syndicate B5.  I don't have any official confirmation on any of
>this yet, so it could be "just a rumor".
>
>	Can anyone get official confirmation?
>
>	I hope this rumor is not true.  But if it is, I hope that
>EVERYONE here writes Warner Bros in support of B5.  Get all your
>friends to do this too.
>
>
>Mark S.


I've been told that the address to write to is:

Dick Robertson, President
Domestic Television Distribution
Warner Bros. Television
Triangle Bldg, 4th Floor
4000 Warner Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91522


At the very least, it may be wise to send a polite letter of 
inquiry/support in, just to show our presence and support.  :)


Andrew


-- 
Andrew Pann                            Washington University in St. Louis
ajp3 at cec.wustl.edu                     School of Engineering
Applied Science (Comp Sci)             Class of '98 (with luck!)


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From: jmsatb5 at aol.com (Jms at B5)
Lines: 39

Just to clarify this...yes, somebody posted that to the official WB
site...but it wasn't anybody in *ANY* way associated with Warner Bros. or
any of the stations.  

I've been saying for months now that PTEN seemed to be fading, and that we
would eventually end up in direct syndication.  This is months-old news. 
I can only assume that somebody here is getting his info wrong or is
deliberately distorting it.

We have not -- repeat, NOT -- been canceled.  For starters, the meeting at
which that decision will be made won't be held until the end of April,
first part of May.  The decision *cannot be made* until the execs finally
meet to assess everything at that time.  So any messages before then
should be dismissed.

Also, be sensible, look around...WB is spending a large amount of money,
well over a quarter million dollars, buying radio spots, and TV spots, and
the covers of newspaper TV magazines in over 80 major cities to promote
the coming batch of episodes.  Many TV stations are announcing that
they're returning to airing the show twice a week now.  WB is doing its
contest for B5.  If we were canceled, this would all stop *instantly*. 
But it's all going ahead.

And, finally, no one's said boo to us about it.  The day Kung Fu was
dropped, they were notified within 24 hours.  You *have* to be notified at
that point to make various financial arrangements, deal with sets, return
any deficits, and so on.  And again, no one has said anything of that sort
to us.

Have there been ups and downs?  Of course.  The syndicated TV market has
all but imploded over the last 2 years, thanks to WBN, UPN and Fox
swallowing up almost all the available time slots on indie stations.  But
we're still here....



 jms


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