WB & UPN to merge into "The CW"

[MasterFX1]

Well the quest for UPN to go HD in our market is officially dead. And so is both the UPN and WB networks. In our market, WEWB-TV (45) will continue on as The CW. WNYA-TV (15 & 51) will now have a big hole to fill between 8pm and 10pm. This is scheduled to happen in September.


From MediaPost.com:

CBS And Warner Bros. Folding UPN And WB Into New Network, The CW
by Wayne Friedman, Tuesday, Jan 24, 2006 12:53 PM EST


IN A MASSIVE CHANGE TO the broadcasting network environment, CBS Corp. and Warners Bros. will merge the assets of their respective financially struggling networks UPN and The WB, forming a new network, The CW. CBS and Warner Bros. will each have a 50 percent interest in the network, which will be launched this fall. Programming will be a merged effort, taking the best of WB and UPN, including "Smallville," "Gilmore Girls," "Everybody Hates Chris," "Girlfriends, "Veronica Mars" and "Smackdown."
Tribune Broadcasting and CBS stations have signed a ten-year affiliation agreement, which will cover 48 percent of U.S TV households. Both WB and UPN will cease operations in September when The CW launches.

Dawn Ostroff, president of UPN, will be president of entertainment of The CW. All programming, marketing, scheduling, publicity and research functions will report to Ostroff. John Maatta, currently COO of The WB, will become COO of The CW, taking over business affairs, network distribution, legal, finance and human resources functions. The company press release did not mention Garth Ancier, chief executive of The WB.

For advertisers and viewers, the network will offer a diverse programming lineup --one that will be targeted to a younger audience, similar to the WB and UPN's current viewership. Bill Morningstar, executive vice president of advertising sales at The WB, will take over as head of advertising sales for the new network.

The move seems to be inspired and pushed by CBS Corp., which as a newly separate, publicly traded company at the start of this year has made several significant deals.

The new network will take on The WB's current scheduling model--a six-night prime-time lineup. It'll run Monday through Friday nights from 8-10 (EST/PST); Sundays from 7-10 (EST/PST); and Sunday from 5-7 (EST/PST). Additionally there'll be two non-prime-time blocks ---a Monday thru Friday afternoon block from 3-5 (EST/PST) and a 5-hour Saturday morning animation block.

[MasterFX1]

The Business Review (Albany) - 11:54 AM EST Tuesday
New network to replace UPN and WB in Albany

A plan by CBS Corp. and Warner Bros. Entertainment will change the programming on two Albany, N.Y. area television stations.

The plan calls for the two companies to abandon their UPN and WB television networks and create a new network, to be called The CW. The CW, which will debut this fall, will draw programming from both UPN and The WB.

In Albany, WEWB/Channel 45 airs WB programming and WNYA/Channel 15 carries the UPN network.

Tribune Broadcasting has signed on to be the lead affiliate group for The CW. The Chicago company will carry The CW on its 16 major market stations, including WEWB. This means WNYA, which is owned by Venture Technolgies Inc. in Los Angeles, will have to find new programming.

[dkennedy]

The new CW network: My dream lineup

January 24, 2006

By Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune

News came Tuesday that the WB and UPN will shut down in the fall, and the best shows from each network will migrate to a new broadcast network called The CW, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS.

I’ve come up with a dream lineup for the new CW (and keep in mind that currently, UPN and WB broadcast only two hours of prime-time programming each weeknight):

Monday:

Right now, the UPN has a block of mostly so-so comedies and the WB has “Seventh Heaven,” which is gone after this season, and “Related,” a struggling comedy-drama. This is a prime spot for some fresh, bold programming.

Get "Buffy," "Angel" and "Firefly" creator Joss Whedon on the phone and have him whip up one of his patented, obsessively loved cult dramas. Cowboys in space, vampire detectives, superhero gals -- whatever. But making Whedon the cornerstone of this night would be a smart move (and in this iTunes-oriented and DVD-crazed age, there’s no doubt The CW would make a mint from ancillary sales of any Whedon drama).

It would make sense to pair up Whedon’s new show with the critically acclaimed “Veronica Mars” (which Whedon adores and has guested on). The downside: My head might explode from sheer joy.

Tuesday:

On this night, UPN will soon debut a reality show starring “Laguna Beach’s” Kristin Cavallari, “Get This Party Started” (Yes, my excitement is palpable, isn’t it?). Over on the WB, there’s the one-two punch of the wonderfully intricate, verbally complicated “Gilmore Girls” and the simple but effective, stud-muffin frightfest “Supernatural.” Personally, I think the network should keep the “Girls” on this night, but come up with a more appropriate companion for the show. “Gilmore Girls” and the terrific “Everwood” on this night would be a dream combination.

Wednesday:

This is where things get tricky. Of course the new CW should air UPN’s “Veronica Mars,” but should the new network once again use “Mars” as cannon fodder against “Lost”? Tough question. Though it’d be nice to move “Mars” from the line of fire, ratings might slip if the show got shipped to another night.

How about having “Supernatural” lead into “Mars”? The spooky WB series might give a ratings boost to “Mars,” you never know. I’m open to switching the lineup and putting “Mars” first, or even keeping in place the current lead-in to “Mars,” UPN’s “America’s Next Top Model.”

As for WB’s “One Tree Hill” and UPN’s “South Beach,” the other shows currently on this night, well, the latter might be gone before I finish typing this sentence, and as for “OTH,” how about shipping it to Thursdays or Fridays? Or to the Land of Cancellation?

Thursday:

Currently “Smallville” is kicking some major behind on this extremely competitive night, so it makes no sense to move it. The trouble is, on this night, UPN has the great “Everybody Hates Chris.” Would “Chris” and “Smallville” really work together? Who knows, but right now the WB’s got “Smallville” paired with the reality show “Beauty and the Geek,” so maybe the lesson is that “Smallville” works with just about anything.

“Chris” would need a new half-hour comedy companion, though. How about giving the creative folks behind “My Name Is Earl” or “The Office” this comedy slot and asking them to whip up a new half-hour show to follow “Chris”? A brand-new quality comedy would be just the ticket as a “Chris” companion. If that bold move doesn’t appeal, the network could import one of UPN’s established half-hour comedies (perhaps “Eve” or “Girlfriends”).

Alternately, giving “Smallville” a brand-new one-hour drama companion might be the best move: A “Smallville”/“Aquaman” lineup could be just the ticket. In that case, how about moving “Chris” to Sundays and building a comedy block around it?

Friday:

This is every network’s trouble spot, except for the juggernaut that is CBS, which has made the night work with mix of procedurals and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

If The CW really wanted to stake a claim on this night, it would bid farewell to both UPN’s wrestling "Smackdown" and WB’s mix of stale comedies (except for “Reba,” which deserves a spot somewhere). How about importing the UPN reality stalwart “America’s Next Top Model” and the WB’s enjoyable “Beauty and the Geek” -- both fluffy shows that would give viewers a superficial but fun night of tube fare on Friday nights?

However, I’m willing to bet that the new CW execs aren’t willing to risk two of their most dependable franchises in Friday berths. So, what to do? Perhaps a new lineup of slightly edgy but feel-good reality would work here. Giving Jay McCarroll of Bravo’s “Project Runway” his own fashion-oriented reality show would be a hoot (perhaps fellow “Runway” types Santino Rice and Austin Scarlett, as well as loose-cannon supermodel and "Top Model" judge Janice thingyinson, could sit on whatever judging panel the show comes up with? How delish would that be?)

Having said all that, WWE wrestling has actually done pretty well for UPN on Fridays, and the new network might stick with it. That wouldn't be my dream, but it might be The CW's safest bet.

Saturday:

Saturday night has become repeat night, so, when in Rome…. Repeats of all the new network’s best shows would work here: “Mars,” “Chris,” “Everwood,” etc.

Sunday:

UPN doesn’t program any new fare on this night, and the WB has more or less given up on Sundays as well, offering a tired mixture of repeats and the aging witch series “Charmed.”

The trouble is, ABC has a stranglehold on the most affluent older viewers with its potent lineup of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy,” while the brash, mostly animated fare on Fox is a big draw for younger viewers. What’s a new network to do? Tough call.

My opinion:

This is a night that calls for bold new programming -- not necessarily importing a current show, even a proven performer such as “Smallville” or “Chris” (though a new, quality comedy night built around "Chris" is pretty appealing).

Here’s where the CW’s secret weapon comes into play. Dawn Ostroff, current head of UPN, will be the new chief of The CW. Given how she’s rebuilt UPN from the embarrassing home of “Homeboys in Space” (yes, reader, I remember those days -- count yourself lucky if you don’t) to a genuinely non-terrible, actually pretty respectable network, it's a safe bet that she can come up with some canny move on this night. After all, “Chris” and “Veronica Mars,” both UPN shows, were on the year-end top 10 list that my colleague Sid Smith and I came up with (and here’s the thing -- that’s twice the number of NBC shows that ended up on our list).

Still, Ostroff and her new team of executives have their work cut out for them coming up with a new lineup for Sunday nights, one that can navigate the competitive waters between ABC and Fox. I’m glad I don’t have to come up with that particular programming array. But that’s why they’re paying Ostroff and her network suits the big bucks.

All things considered, though, Ostroff has some decent building blocks to work with. Once you merge the best of The WB and UPN, you have a network that’s actually a reasonable contender for legitimacy, a network that actually has a bountiful crop of watchable fare. And that’s good news for viewers.

But the best news may be this: This fall, we won’t have to choose between watching “Chris” and “Smallville” on Thursday nights.

[dkennedy]

UPN, WB Merging Into The CW

January 24, 2006

By Steve Donohue, Multichannel News

CBS Corp. and Warner Bros. are shutting down their respective UPN and The WB Television Network channels and replacing them with The CW, a new network that will launch this fall.

Tribune Broadcasting, which distributes The WB on its stations, and CBS’ UPN affiliates signed separate 10-year affiliation agreements to broadcast The CW.

Both The WB and UPN launched in January 1995, targeting young viewers. Both networks have struggled to compete with “Big Four” broadcast networks ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

CBS and Warner Bros. said The WB and UPN will continue to operate until this fall, when they’ll be replaced with The CW. Each company will own 50% of the network.

The combination of Tribune's 16 major-market stations and the 12 CBS-owned UPN major-market affiliates give The CW instant coverage in 48% of the country. The remainder of the network's distribution system will be a combination of selected current UPN and The WB stations. The full distribution of the new network is expected to exceed 95% of the country.

UPN president Dawn Ostroff will become president of entertainment at The CW, while The WB chief operating officer John Maatta will hold the same title at the new network.

[dkennedy]

The CW Announces Four New Long-Term Affiliation Agreements

March 7, 2006

Released by The CW

THE CW ANNOUNCES FOUR NEW LONG-TERM AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS

America's Fifth Broadcast Network Increases National Coverage To Almost 54% Of The Country

Rochester (N.Y.), Chattanooga, El Paso and Youngstown Are the Latest Markets to be Served by The CW

The CW announced today that it has signed exclusive, long-term affiliation agreements with stations in Rochester, N.Y.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; El Paso, Texas; and Youngstown, Ohio. The combination of these four newly signed affiliates with the previously announced affiliations brings America's fifth broadcast network's national coverage to almost 54% of the country, including 18 of the Top 20 markets and 25 of the Top 30.

The newly signed affiliates are:

* WRWB-TV Rochester, N.Y., owned by WB/Time Warner Cable.

* WFLI-TV Chattanooga, Tenn., owned by Meredith Corporation.

* KVIA-DT El Paso, Texas, owned by News-Press & Gazette.

* WBCB-TV Youngstown, Ohio, owned by Vindicator.

These stations are in the 79th, 86th, 99th and 102nd largest markets in the country, respectively, and represent 1.19% of total U.S. TV households. WRWB Rochester, N.Y., WFLI Chattanooga, Tenn. and WBCB Youngstown, Ohio, a digital station, are currently affiliated with The WB; KVIA-DT El Paso, Texas is the digital station of the ABC affiliate in El Paso.

"As we build The CW's affiliate line-up station-by-station and market-by-market, it's an exciting opportunity to partner with a variety of companies, all of whom share our enthusiasm and optimism about America's fifth broadcast network," said John Maatta, Chief Operating Officer, The CW. "Each new affiliate brings its individual strengths to The CW. We look forward to working with these four stations as we maximize the value of our new business relationship."

On January 24, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment announced their intent to form a new 5th network, The CW, to be launched in the fall of 2006. The new broadcasting network will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, with each company owning 50%.

In an important strategic move that secures major market distribution for The CW, it was also announced on January 24th that Tribune Broadcasting and the CBS Corporation's UPN affiliates have agreed separately to sign 10-year affiliation agreements with the new network. The combination of Tribune's 16 major market stations (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Houston, Miami, Denver, St. Louis, Portland, Indianapolis, San Diego, Hartford, New Orleans and Albany) and the 11 CBS-owned UPN major market affiliates (Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit, Tampa, Seattle, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, West Palm Beach, Norfolk and Providence) cover the top 13 television markets, 20 of the top 25 television markets and have a total coverage area of more than 47% of the country.

The CW will incorporate The WB's current scheduling model, which consists of a 6 night-13 hour primetime lineup including Monday through Friday nights from 8-10 (EST/PST); Sundays from 7-10 (EST/PST); Sunday from 5-7 (EST/PST) outside of primetime as well as a Monday thru Friday afternoon block from 3-5 (EST/PST) and a 5-hour Saturday morning animation block. Together, the network will program 30 hours a week over seven days for its affiliated stations.

[dkennedy]

CW Signs 27 More Affiliates, Including Nine Pappas Stations

March 16, 2006

By Michele Greppi, TVWeek Magazine

The CW announced Thursday it has signed long-term affiliation agreements with 27 stations reaching more than 66 percent of the TV homes in the country.

The new CW stations announced today include nine Pappas stations, eight of them now affiliates of The WB. The Pappas stations include seven WB affiliates: WTWB-TV in Greensboro, N.C. (market No. 47), KFRE-TV in Fresno-Visalia, Calif., (56); KPWB-TV in Des Moines-Ames, Iowa (73); KXVO-TV in Omaha, Neb. (75); cable-only KWBL-TV in Lincoln and Hastings-Kearny, Neb. (103); KREN-TV in Reno, Nev. (112); cable-only KWUB-TV in Yuma-El Centro, Ariz. (170); and cable-only KWPL-TV in North Platte, Neb. (209). Also part of the deal is Pappas' UPN affiliate WLGA-TV in Columbus, Ga. (127).

Pappas is now the third-largest CW affiliate group, behind founding groups Tribune and CBS, which brought 16 and 12 stations, respectively, to the 50-50 partnership, which will merge The WB and UPN, announced Jan. 24 by Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. and scheduled for launch in September.

Among The WB affiliates that have signed with The CW are: WSWB-TV, owned by KB Prime Media and operated by Pegasus Broadcast Television in Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa. (54); Barrington Broadcasting's WBSF-TV in Flint-Saginaw-Bay City, Mich. (65); Banks Broadcasting's KWCV-TV in Wichita-Hutchinson, Kan. (67); Block Communications' cable-only WTO5 in Toledo, Ohio (70); BlueStone TV Holdings' cable and digital WB4 in Tri-Cities, Tenn.-Va. (91); South Central Communications' WAZE-TV in Evansville, Ind. (100); Dimension Broadcasting's KCEB-TV in Tyler-Longview, Texas (111) and KBCA-TV in Alexandria, La. (176); and Rapid Broadcasting's KWSD-TV in Sioux Falls, S.D. (114) and KWBH-TV in Rapid City, S.D. (177).

UPN-affiliated stations involved in Thursday's deal included Gray Television's WKYT-DT and WYMT-DT in Lexington, Ky. (63).

Also picked up: Schurz Communications' WAGT-DT in Augusta, Ga. (115); Dimension Broadcasting's KLWB-TV in Lafayette, La. (124); News-Press & Gazette Broadcasting's KESQ-DT Palm Springs, Calif. (153) and KTVZ-DT in Bend, Ore. (196); and News-Press & Gazette Cable's WBJO in St. Joseph, Mo. (201).

The CW also picked up affiliates in two areas neither ranked by Nielsen nor considered in clearance totals: Storefront TV's WSJP-TV San Juan, P.R. (which currently is both a WB and UPN affiliate); and Virgin Blue's UPN affiliate WCVI-TV in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Harry Pappas, chairman and CEO of Pappas Telecasting Companies, said: "The group of stations represents nearly twice as many as were previously affiliated with UPN and The WB. While the combined 'best of programs' fall 2006 launch schedule promises a terrific initial audience-grabbing performance, it is the sustainability of a winning primetime schedule that the Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. alliance well assures. This is not about seizing the moment; this is about becoming genuine partners for decades to come."

John Maatta, chief operating officer of The CW, said in the announcement that affiliating with The CW is "a perfect fit with [Pappas'] operating philosophy and the set of principles that have guided Harry throughout his career."

[dkennedy]

CW Signs 30 TV Stations to Exclusive Affiliation Pacts

March 28, 2006

Katy Bachman, MediaWeek Magazine

CW announced Tuesday it had signed another 30 TV stations to exclusive, long-term affiliation agreements, representing 6.55 percent of TV households to cover 74 percent of the U.S.

The newly-signed affiliates are in markets ranging from No. 35-ranked Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.-Asheville, N.C.-Anderson, S.C. (WASV, Media General’s UPN affiliate) to No. 206-ranked Helena, Mont. (KMTF, Rocky Mountain Broadcasting’s WB affiliate).

Station groups signing multiple affiliates with the CW include four stations owned by Media General, two owned by Raycom Media, four owned by Gray Television, seven owned by Quincy Newspapers, and two owned by Barrington Broadcasting.

“The CW’s programming, with its inherent appeal to young adult viewers, will lend itself well to our ongoing efforts to create convergence across our media properties in television, radio, newspapers and over the Internet,” said Thomas Oakley, president and CEO for Quincy Newspapers in announcing the new affiliate pacts. “We appreciate this rare opportunity to affiliate with America’s fifth broadcast network and to enhance the service we provide our viewers and our clients.”