‘CSI’ Creator Anthony Zuiker Pacts With Sinclair to Create Original Content for Stations and Outside Buyers

17.10.2022 - 08:29 / variety.com

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Anthony Zuiker and Sinclair Broadcast Group have struck an unusual deal that calls for the “CSI” creator to work with the station group giant on crafting original content, some drawn from Sinclair’s wealth of local news archives.  The plan is to sell shows in syndication to other stations as well as to assemble docu series pulled from the archives of its 185 TV stations that can be licensed to outside buyers. Zuiker will also consult with Sinclair’s news directors and journalists on amping up the storytelling qualities of local news reports, particularly on big national stories.   Zuiker was recruited for the job by Scott Ehrlich, who joined the Baltimore-based TV station giant in May as chief innovation officer.  

“This is another post-COVID example of a paradigm shift in how content creators are going to get things on the air,” Zuiker told Variety.   Sinclair’s motivation for giving Zuiker a budget to incubate ideas is to address its desperate need for fresh daytime, afternoon and early evening shows. The major studios have pulled back from producing for traditional first-run syndication amid the focus on building global direct-to-consumer platforms. But that has left hundreds of TV stations around the country desperate to fill hours with something other than more reruns.   “We’ve got a pipeline problem,” he says. “Talk shows and game shows have been on our air as long as we’ve existed. But we’re not getting them anymore from our old suppliers.”  Zuiker is about to go to pilot on a talk show and a game show. He’s also actively hunting for documentary opportunities.  Zuiker first connected with Sinclair executives at the 2019 NATPE conference in Miami. He was approached to create a