He's syndie's prom King: as NATPE begins, Dr. Phil success lifts spirits--and fills...

If syndicated television show could follow a model to guarantee success, that model would be Dr. Phil. At its launch Sept. 16, the show garnered the biggest ratings of any new syndicated show since Oprah herself hit the airwaves in 1986.

That's why the NATPE convention this week in New Orleans is almost a coronation of the talk-show host. After several fallow years for syndication, his show's success gives hope to distributors and station execs alike that it's still possible to make some noise, and a lot of bucks, in the business.

And it has been a huge mone