Television psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw has signed a five-year extension of his syndication deal with the distributors of his show, King World Productions Inc., the company announced Wednesday.
The agreement will keep the daily, hourlong “Dr. Phil” broadcast, which ranks second among all syndicated talk shows behind “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” on the U.S. airwaves through the 2013-2014 TV season.
The current accord runs through the 2008-2009 season.
The Texas-born McGraw, whose program debuted in 2002, currently dispenses his no-nonsense brand of relationship advice and self-help guidance on 210 TV stations covering more than 99 percent of the country.
McGraw is author of five No. 1 New York Times bestsellers and writes a monthly column for O, The Oprah Magazine.
His TV program, which is taped in Hollywood, averages nearly 7 million viewers, and is up 13 percent in household ratings season to date compared with its first season.
Both King World and Paramount Domestic Television, which produces “Dr. Phil,” are units of Viacom Inc.