• Los Angeles Times, Thursday, May 21, 2009 9:30 AM

For years, ABC seeded its prime-time schedule with shows produced by the company's production studio. But times are tougher now, and the Disney-owned network is breaking with tradition. This week, ABC announced that most of the new shows on its slate come from outside suppliers.

Warner Bros. Television is producing five of the new shows. 20th Century Fox Television is providing two, and one comes from Sony Pictures Television and producer Mark Burnett. The move might even save ABC money because most shows fail, losing millions for the studios that produce them. Even successful programs typically lose money until there are enough episodes to sell as syndicated reruns.

In contrast, NBC has adopted a more inward-focused philosophy than it had previously. Six of its seven new programs, including the prime-time "Jay Leno," will be produced by NBC's Universal Media Studios. Similarly, CBS picked up six new shows this week, and four of them will come from CBS Paramount Television.

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