Degrassi Achieves 85-Percent-Plus Clearance in the U.S.

LOS ANGELES, June 25: Program Partners has cleared the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation in more than 85 percent of the U.S. market for a fall syndication launch in September.

The series has recently been added to 33 new affiliate stations throughout the U.S. from the Belo, Clear Channel, Freedom, Gray, Lockwood, LIN, Schurz, Sinclair, and Weigel groups. With these clearances, the show is now cleared in 19 of the top 20 and 27 of the top 30 markets.

The series is currently airing on The N, MTV Networks night-time network for teens. Degrassi is The Ns highest-rated program, and the network will premiere new episodes of the series this summer every Friday night at 8 p.m., beginning June 29. Produced by Toronto-based Epitome Pictures, the series is a fictional drama series that chronicles the trials and tribulations of a group of youth at the newly refurbished Degrassi Community School. The series is based on a 25-year legacy that began with executive producer and co-creator Linda Schulyer.

Program Partners is marketing Degrassi: The Next Generation as an outgrowth of its overall distribution agreement with Thunderbird Films.