Here's something to consider. I pass this along for whatever use it may
be down the road a piece.

Apparently, the contract for B5 and the stations expires at the end of
the year, with a few exceptions. What this means is that, for all intents and
purposes, the decision on whether or not to pick up the show will be made
based on the November sweeps.

We've done well this year; they're expecting us to do even better next
year. To be precise, they'd like us to be a bona fide hit. What's the reason
for this? The syndication market is going through MAJOR changes. Networks
and fledgling networks are grabbing up stations by the handful, making lots of
elaborate promises, bringing highly-rated network shows in many cases in as
inducement. Robocop is, apparently, already either dead or near-death. Other
series will be falling in the next few weeks.

When running new episodes, we're come in around a 5.3 rating, which puts
us at about #17 in the ratings overall, and #4 in dramatic series. Our
demographics, btw, are nothing less than *amazing*. But because we're making
the show better, and doing more, and with the shape of the market for
syndicated TV changing, more is expected. What we hear is that the stations
would like us to bring in a rating between 6.0 and 7.0, which would put us at
about #10 in the overall rankings, #3 in dramatic series overall. If we can
do that, we're golden. If not...I don't know.

Point being, if there's any last-minute conversions anybody wants to do,
now's the time to do it. November will be very important to the whole fate of
Babylon 5.

jms