Wikipedia was explaining to me how TNG had this fantastic trick for getting aired almost everywhere... They gave it away for free. Affiliates are supposed to pay through the nose for absolute crap but here's Paramount offering up TNG for nothing if they give them back half the advertising time to use as they want to. Firstrun syndication gave TPTB the possibility of reaching %90 of the house holds in America meanwhile UPN is this tiny cupboard in the wastelands which almost no one had access too.
A horse of another colour entirely.
Very interesting; I shall have to meet this Wikipedia fellow.
Did DS9 have a similar deal?

Until 1991 the Trek franchise was effectively under two stewardships, the "movie guys" and the "TV guys". The decision to dovetail The Next Generation into movie theaters meant that the TV guys were suddenly in charge of movies while still being in charge of TV. In my opinion Rick Berman got overstretched beyond his competency zone.