 Before the fin-syn rules, the networks attained greater control and less risk by forcing production companies to deficit finance their programs while also demanding a percentage of the syndication revenues.Deficit financing is an arrangement in which the network pays the studio that makes a show a license fee in exchange for the right to air the program.The license fee is in exchange for the right to air an episode a few times (as a first-run and rerun episode), and does not cover the complete cost of production.