NBCU announced on March 13, 2026, that it is ending original production for first-run syndication. The decision cancels three long-running programs: “Access Hollywood,” “Karamo,” and “The Steve Wilkos Show.” For the crews, hosts, and fans who have spent years building and watching these programs, it marks the close of a chapter that once felt permanent.
What NBCU Is Canceling — and When
“Access Hollywood” — the entertainment newsmagazine that NBC launched in 1996 to go head-to-head with CBS’s “Entertainment Tonight” — will continue producing original episodes through September 2026. The show is currently in its 30th year and is hosted by Mario Lopez, Kit Hoover, Scott Evans, and Zuri Hall, with executive producers Mike Marson and Julie Cooper at the helm.
“Karamo,” hosted by Karamo Brown and in its fourth season, has already wrapped production. Original episodes will be aired through the summer. Executive producers Kerry Shannon and Gloria Harrison-Hall oversaw the show. “The Steve Wilkos Show” has also finished production and will have their episodes through the summer.
The announcement comes as big news, considering that Kelly Clarkson previously confirmed that “The Kelly Clarkson Show” is concluding after seven seasons this year. Clarkson made a statement, which was obtained by Variety, and said, “Stepping away from the daily schedule will allow me to prioritize my kids, which feels necessary and right for this next chapter of our lives.”
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NBCU Cites Changing Marketplace Conditions
Frances Berwick, chairman of Bravo and head of Peacock unscripted — who oversees the first-run syndication unit — addressed the cancellations directly. Berwick made the statement and told The Hollywood Reporter about the network’s changes. The chairman said:
“NBCUniversal is making changes to our first-run syndication division to better align with the programming preferences of local stations. The company will remain active in the distribution of our existing program library and other off-network titles, while winding down production of our first-run shows. These shows have provided audiences with great talk and entertainment content for many years, and we’re very proud of the teams behind them.”
NBCU stated plainly that marketplace conditions no longer support the traditional syndication model. That’s a blunt admission from a company that once staked serious resources on owning the daytime landscape. Also, the first-run syndicated show “Sherri Shepherd” will wrap by the end of this year. The economics of first-run syndication have shifted dramatically.
In the traditional model, producers like NBCU sell shows to local TV stations on a market-by-market basis — a far more fragmented distribution system than a single network platform. That model worked brilliantly for decades, generating enormous profits and spawning some of the most recognizable names in television.
A Bit of History Behind the Shows
NBCU’s syndication unit — now known as NBCUniversal Syndication Studios — grew out of the 2004 merger between NBC and Universal, which combined NBC Enterprises and Universal Domestic TV Distribution into a single entity. “Access Hollywood” itself has a winding history with distributors.
Despite being produced by NBC Studios and airing largely on NBC-owned stations since 1996, the show passed through the hands of New World/Genesis Distribution, 20th Television, and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution before NBC Enterprises finally took over distribution when it launched its own syndication arm. That’s three decades of entertainment news — celebrity gossip, red carpet moments, Hollywood controversies — now coming to a close.
What Comes Next for NBCU
NBCU says it will remain active in distributing its existing program library and off-network titles. But the original production engine for syndication is shutting down. For an industry that once treated daytime syndication as a reliable cash machine, that’s a significant retreat. Whether another company steps in to fill the void — or whether the void simply remains — is still unclear. What is clear is that NBCU has made its call. The economics didn’t work. The audience had moved on.
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