Another significant shake-up is looming in the world of daytime television after NBCUniversal announced that it is shutting down its first-run syndication division. As a result, the network is axing several of its major programs. In the wake of the shift towards YouTube and TikTok as the primary sources of fast, affordable video content, the traditional daytime television landscape has become increasingly difficult to sustain.
The End of NBC’s Syndication Era
This decision marks the end of the syndication era that has been part of the television schedule for quite some time. The end is nigh for the entertainment news program that has been a staple of the television schedule for decades. As it turns out, the end of September 2026 marks the end of the impressive 30-year run of the popular Access Hollywood. In addition, this decision marks the end of one of the longest-running Hollywood news programs that has been on the air.
Additionally, two more programs will be shut down as part of this decision. As a result, The Steve Wilkos Show is ending after 19 years on the air. Furthermore, the daytime talk show Karamo is ending after four years on the air. In addition, NBCUniversal announced that the spin-off program, Access Daily, will shut down after the current season.
The production of Karamo and The Steve Wilkos Show has already come to a close, as they were filmed in Stamford, Connecticut. Access Hollywood and Access Daily, meanwhile, will continue to produce episodes until the summer as they wrap up their final seasons and go off the air later in 2026.
The move by NBCUniversal, however, signals a new direction for the company, as it will no longer produce new content for the first-run syndication model, where new programs are sold to local stations and air as a group rather than on a single network.
The company, instead, will look to distribute its extensive library of successful programs. Shows such as Dateline, Law & Order, and Chicago P.D. remain valuable to local stations looking for reliable programs to air.
The move by NBCUniversal comes as The Kelly Clarkson Show recently announced it would conclude its seventh season, underscoring that even successful daytime programs face the realities of the current television landscape.
The move, according to NBCUniversal’s unscripted division chairman Frances Berwick, aligns more closely with what local stations are choosing to air. Stations, as a result, have turned to airing local news, reruns of successful programs, or other content to attract advertising revenue.
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