
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, February 11, 1991                   TAG: 9102090136
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: E-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LOS ANGELES TIMES
DATELINE: HOLLYWOOD                                LENGTH: Short

PARAMOUNT UPS PRICE ON `CHEERS'

Paramount Pictures Corp., which recently launched a highly publicized campaign to control spiraling costs of making movies and television shows, is demanding $120 million from NBC to renew the hit comedy "Cheers" for a 10th season.

The price Paramount has put on renewing "Cheers" is almost four times the fee that NBC currently pays and would make it the most costly TV series in the history of television. The amount also would equal NBC's total advertising revenue from the show.

NBC's option period to renew "Cheers" expired Feb. 1, network sources said, and NBC and Paramount officials met over the weekend without coming to an agreement.

Sources said Paramount has approached ABC and CBS about its offer, which could include other future shows in a package worth "well above" $120 million. But so far, both networks have held back, saying such costs could not be supported in the current soft advertising market.

NBC, the dominant network in prime time for the past five years, is facing a perilous juncture. The network began the season as the hands-down prime-time winner but is now only 0.2 rating points ahead of ABC and 0.5 rating points ahead of CBS.

Both Paramount and NBC declined to comment.

by CNB