TV syndication

In U.S. TV industry, syndication is a practice of selling a set of programs (episodes of a TV drama, for example) to multiple stations.

This is similar to what TV networks do—they supply programs to affiliate stations. Both network and syndication are, indeed, major ways for stations to obtain programing without producing in-house.

However, syndication differs from network affiliation in that the contracts are limited to a specific set of programs, and the station typically get a right to freely schedule the program within certain conditions such as up to three times within a two-year period.

In syndication, the program is exchanged with either money, airtime, or the combination of both. The trade of program with airtime, which is used for advertisements, is called "barter."

There are two types of deals made through syndication, depending on the type of programs circulated. One is the programs already aired by the network affiliates, or off-the-net syndication. The other is the program made for syndication, or first-run syndication. Some quiz shows fall into this category.

Syndication:

is the terminology rather broadly used to describe secondary programming usages (beyond Original Run.) It includes secondary runs in the country of first issue, but also international usage which may or may not be managed by the originating producer. In many cases other companies, [TV stations] or individuals are engaged to do the syndication work, in other words to sell the product into the markets they are allowed to sell into by contract from the copyright holders, in most cases the producers.
can give viewers the chance to see classic programs again, although they may be cut to allow airtime for extra commercials.

While in earlier times, independent TV stations thrived on syndicated programming (including some venerable and quite profitable stations such as KMSP in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market), with the loosening of FCC regulations and the creation of three additional TV networks (Fox, The WB and UPN), most of these independents have become unprofitable and ceased operation.