• The Wrap, Monday, July 12, 2010 10:52 PM

Summer broadcast TV: It's not just for reruns and schlocky reality anymore. Or at least it won't be for long, thanks to a shifting dynamic in production costs -- reality is getting more expensive while scripted gets cheaper -- and advertisers' desire for fresh scripted fare.

"Advertisers do like to see the broadcast networks putting on fresh scripted shows during the summer like ABC is doing this year," one media buyer said. "There are the top-tier summer reality shows that advertisers will embrace. But for the most part, an advertiser would rather take a lower rating in a new scripted show than a higher rating in a lower-tier reality show." And proving that reality programming can be more pricey to produce than some scripted shows, ABC is paying about double the licensing fee for summer reality series "Wipeout" than it is for "Rookie Blue."

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