| Dish Nation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Entertainment newsmagazine |
| Created by | Stu Weiss |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Production locations | |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | First-run syndication |
| Release | July 25, 2011 (2011-7-25) (test run) September 10, 2012 – present (nationwide launch) |
Dish Nation is an Americanbroadcast syndication,tabloid television,news broadcasting program that is distributed byFox Corporation for television stations throughout the United States owned byFox Corporation.[1] Debuting in 2011, it features celebrity news and pop-culture commentary delivered by celebrity personalities stationed nationwide. In November 2020, the series was renewed for two additional seasons, through the 2022–23 season.[2]
Dish Nation's radio teams includeRickey Smiley, heard locally on Atlanta'sWHTA and syndicated in over 60 markets nationwide, andHeidi & Frank, heard weekdays onKLOS in Los Angeles.
On January 29, 2025, it was announced thatDish Nation was cancelled after thirteen seasons byFox First Run.[3]
Dish Nation was conceived in 2008 by broadcast marketing veteran and former radio DJ and TV weatherman Stu Weiss.[4]
The radio teams includeThe Rickey Smiley Morning Show fromAtlanta, which is heard on over 65 radio stations. The show features standup comic and theatrical star Rickey Smiley, as well as Headkrack,Gary with da Tea, andDa Brat.The Heidi & Frank Show from KLOS in Los Angeles features Heidi Hamilton and Frank Kramer, and formerly featured Erik Smith and Sammy Marino.Brooke & Jubal in the Morning fromKQMV inSeattle, featured Brooke Fox and Jubal Flagg. The group was dropped from the show in 2015. The nationally syndicatedThe Kidd Kraddick Morning Show fromDallas, joinedDish Nation for season one in September 2012. The show starred J-Si Chavez, Kellie Raspberry, Jenna Owens, and Big Al Mack. They were dropped in December 2016.
During the 2011Dish Nation summer test, recording artistDJ Felli Fel andJessi Malay of Los Angeles'KPWR were a part of the radio roundtable.[4]Blaine Fowler & Allyson Martinek in the Morning onWDVD in Detroit was also part of the original lineup, as wasNew York's Scott & Todd, starringScott Shannon andTodd Pettengill onWPLJ.[5] TheDJ Laz Morning Show was added to the show's first season.
On July 25, 2011,Dish Nation premiered in a limited test run in seven markets.[1] With the help ofMadeleine Smithberg, co-creator ofThe Daily Show and Scott Rockett, co-creator ofHollywood Uncensored, the show began as a fast-paced entertainment round-table covering pop culture and celebrity news through four radio teams. The test show ran in the home markets where the radio shows were based (New York, Atlanta, Detroit, and Los Angeles), as well as inBaltimore,Washington, D.C., andPhoenix, Arizona.[6] Hosts for the test run included WPLJ'sScott Shannon andTodd Pettengill, WHTA's nationally syndicatedRickey Smiley Morning Show, featuring Ebony Steele, Gary With Da Tea, and HeadKrack, as well as WDVD's Fowler and Martinek. Recording artist DJ Felli Fel and Jessi Malay, with comedian Michael Bachmann, were the show's Los Angeles hosts.
Dish Nation averaged a 0.9 rating/2 share for the six-week test.[4] It experienced an 11% increase in household ratings from the premiere week to the end of the six-week test. In Atlanta,Dish Nation finished ahead ofLate Show with David Letterman andsitcoms and finished third in key demographics and household ratings.[7] The show's median age of viewers was 43.1, the lowest among all entertainment magazine shows, according to Twentieth (TMZ 43.7,Access Hollywood 52.3,Extra 54.2,The Insider 55.2,Entertainment Tonight 56.6,Inside Edition 58).[4]
Before the 2012National Association of Television Program Executives conference, 20th Century Fox announced thatDish Nation would return for a 52-week, full-series run to premiere September 10, 2012.[8] After the rating success of its first 100 episodes,20th Television announced on January 25, 2013, thatDish Nation had been picked up for a second season. Stephen Brown, EVP of programming and development at 20th Television, credited the show's success to the viral and real-time nature of the program.[9]
On July 27, 2013,Kidd Kraddick died in the New Orleans area while raising money for his charity, Kidd's Kids.[10] Two days later,Dish Nation paid tribute to him with a special broadcast.[11]
Season two premiered on September 10, 2013, with the cast ofThe Rickey Smiley Morning Show from Atlanta, the remaining cast members ofThe Kidd Kraddick Morning Show (formerly namedKidd Kraddick in the Morning) from Dallas, andThe Heidi and Frank Show from Los Angeles.
In late 2013, the show was renewed for a third season, having finished first in key demographics among freshman and sophomore syndicated programs.[12]
In July 2014, Ebony Steele was replaced byClaudia Jordan.[13] That summer, Porsha Williams also joined the panel of hosts.[14]
Season three premiered on September 8, 2014.
In November 2014, the show began to rotate the Dallas and LA crew on a day-to-day basis. The Seattle crew came in at various times and rotations. The Atlanta crew was the only group that appeared all five days a week.[citation needed]
On January 6, 2015, the show was renewed for two more years.[15]
In July 2015, Claudia Jordan was dropped from the panel.[16]
Season four premiered on September 7, 2015.
RapperDa Brat was added as a main personality for the Atlanta team.[17]
This season featured correspondents from other cities. Among them were Ben Campbell and Matt McAllister ("Ben and Matt") fromKNIX-FM in Phoenix, Miguel Fuller and Holly O'Connor ("Miguel and Holly") fromWPOI inTampa, Florida, and Anthony May ("Tone Kapone") fromWGCI-FM in Chicago.[18]
Season five premiered on September 5, 2016.
The Dallas] team,The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show, left the show in late December 2016.[19]
In January 2017,Dish Nation was renewed for two years. It averaged 4.1 million weekly viewers in the fifth season and continued to skew towards a younger audience, with a median age of 49.8.[20]
Season six premiered on September 4, 2017.
Guests this season included Torrei Hart[21] andEva Marcille,[22] among others.
Season seven premiered on September 3, 2018.
On February 22, 2019, Porsha Williams announced a temporary leave of absence from the show for her maternity leave.[23] Williams returned toDish Nation on June 24.[24] Eva Marcille filled in for Williams during her leave.[25]
Season eight premiered on September 2, 2019.
Following the completion of theacquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in March 2019, the distribution ofDish Nation, along withDivorce Court and the new 2019–20 game show25 Words or Less, was transferred to a new division ofFox Corporation (which retained the broadcast network and sports assets of Fox) known as Fox First Run.[26]
In November 2019,Dish Nation was renewed for a ninth season.[27]
Sherri Shepherd was scheduled to join the program as a co-host for the new season.[28]
Porsha Williams left after 8 years on the show.[29]
Heidi Hamilton and Frank Kramer left Dish Nation after 10 years.[30] Chuey Martinez no longer co-host but still with the show as a correspondent.[31]
Tanner Thomason was promoted as co-host for season 11.[32]
Sherri Shepherd left the show to focus on her talk show,Sherri.
In January 2023, it was renewed for a 12th season, In addition,Tamar Braxton and Jessie Woo joined the show as co-hosts.[33] The show was subsequently renewed for a thirteenth season, and was ultimately cancelled in January 2025.[3]
