New Program Group
{{Multiple issues|
{{Orphan|date=June 2016}}
{{notability|Companies|date=April 2013}}
}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = New Program Group
| logo =
| logo_caption =
| logo_upright =
| logo_alt =
| type = Joint-venture consortium
| industry =
| predecessor =
| founded = August 1984
| founder =
| defunct =
| fate =
| successor =
| hq_location_city =
| hq_location_country =
| area_served =
| key_people =
| products =
| owner =
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent =
| website =
}}
The New Program Group (NPG) refers to a joint-venture consortium formed in August 1984 involving the Gannett, Hearst, Metromedia,{{cite news |title=Syndication Venture Awaits word on Sale of Metromedia |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-05-20/business/8501200162_1_metromedia-tv-metromedia-producers-corp-npg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215837/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-05-20/business/8501200162_1_metromedia-tv-metromedia-producers-corp-npg|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 March 2016|newspaper=Sun Sentinel |date=20 May 1985 |access-date=4 April 2013}} Storer and Taft television station{{cite news |title=FRESH FARE PUTS A NEW FACE ON INDEPENDENT STATIONS |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/02/arts/fresh-fare-puts-a-new-face-on-independent-stations.html?pagewanted=2 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2 February 1986 |access-date=4 April 2013 |first=Richard W. |last=Stevenson}} groups. The reasoning behind of the formation occurred when broadcasting companies Taft, Gannett, Hearst, and Storer, desiring to beat the rates of network production (by the early 1980s, an average network sitcom cost roughly $600,000 per episode{{cite news |title=Tv Syndicators' Brave New World |author=Gendel, Morgan |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-03-04-ca-24343-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=4 March 1985 |access-date=4 April 2013}}) and exercise more creative program control, joined forces with Metromedia Productions to produce and distribute new first-run syndicated TV programs. The first program from NPG was Small Wonder,{{cite web |url=http://members.surfbest.net/smallwonder@surfbest.net/SWonTV/SeriesBackground.html |title=Series Background |work=Small Wonder Home Page |access-date=4 April 2013}}{{cite news |title=Tv Highlights: 'Small Wonder' She's Perfect |author=McGuire, Carolyn |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/09/07/tv-highlights-small-wonder-shes-perfect/ |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=7 September 1985 |access-date=4 April 2013}}{{cite web |url=http://radiodiscussions.com/smf/index.php?topic=105988.0;wap2 |title=Original Clearance of "Small Wonder" |work=RadioDiscussions.com Discussion Boards " Classic TV |access-date=4 April 2013}}{{cite news |title=Stations' Appetite For New Shows To Blame For Tired Small Wonder' |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-05-20/business/8501200162_1_metromedia-tv-metromedia-producers-corp-npg|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215837/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-05-20/business/8501200162_1_metromedia-tv-metromedia-producers-corp-npg|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 March 2016|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |date=6 September 1985 |access-date=4 April 2013}}{{cite news |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/aiken-standard/1984-09-28/page-22|title=Register|url-access=limited|newspaper=Aiken Standard |date=28 September 1984 |access-date=4 April 2013}} which debuted on 7 September 1985.