January 24, 200620 yr NEW YORK (CNN) -- Warner Brothers and CBS are joining to create a broadcast network that will replace two existing networks and will begin operating in the fall, Les Moonves, the chairman of CBS, announced Tuesday. The new network is to be called the CW Network; WB and UPN will cease operations as of September, he told reporters.
January 24, 200620 yr Wow two crappy networks becoming one super-crappy network! As long as they keep the afternoon schedule of The Simpsons-Seinfeld-The Simpsons-Everybody Loves Raymond on WB 39 I'll be happy.
January 24, 200620 yr In markets like Miami, where CBS owns the UPN and Tribune owns the WB affiliates, this will be interesting. Who will be CW in Miami? 33 or 39? They better keep Reba! FOX will likely start the second FOX network with many old UPN stations it owns.
January 24, 200620 yr WB has some really great shows... Smallville Everwood Supernatural I guess the departure of 7th Heaven is kinda a bummer for the network.. But anyway, I'm interested to see how this goes...
January 24, 200620 yr WB = The White Network UPN = The Black Network It only makes sense to merge them.
January 24, 200620 yr I want my Reba! UPN doesn't call me, but watching Reba on The WB in HD is a great Friday thing for me.
January 24, 200620 yr Author The WB Network and UPN will merge in the hope of making the two smaller broadcast networks into a bigger power, according to sources familiar with the situation. Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons, CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves and Tribune Co. CEO Dennis FitzSimons were set to announce the move at a news conference in New York at 11 a.m. ET. TW and Tribune have been partners in the WB, while CBS owns UPN. The two networks will merge operations and programming, with UPN president Dawn Ostroff overseeing the combined venture, sources said. Tribune Broadcasting is expected to be the primary station group for the new network. The timing of the deal is opportune for both sides, sources said, in part because CBS Corp.'s existing affiliation pact with News Corp.-owned top UPN affiliates, WWOR New York and KCOP Los Angeles, is set to expire in September, while Tribune has been in protracted negotiations with WB for a new long-term affiliation deal. The surprise news of the merger comes as the WB Network has faced pressure to perform and prove itself as a strategic asset at a time when its parent company Time Warner is under intense scrutiny on Wall Street and from maverick investor Carl Icahn. TW has struggled with the WB's financials since the network was launched in January 1995 because of its lack of TV station holdings, which are the primary revenue drivers for broadcast networks. Sources said WB Network chairman Garth Ancier and WB entertainment president David Janollari are expected to depart their posts following the completion of the deal. TW president and chief operating officer Jeff Bewkes said at a recent investor conference that the WB has done only "medium," had a slight loss in 2005 and needs more hits and better affiliate relationships (HR 1/11). He also signalled that management would focus on addressing these issues in 2006. TW, CBS and Tribune officials weren't available for comment Tuesday morning.
January 24, 200620 yr WBZL 39 in Miami will be the affiliate. CBS-owned WBFS 33 will become independent most likely unless CBS sells to FOX or ABC.
January 24, 200620 yr Author I don't think you have to worry about Reba Cape, its WB's number 1 comedy. I think the only shows UPN will bring are Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends, America's Next Top Model, Veronica Mars, WWE Smackdown!, and probably a couple of those monday black sitcoms. I hope Sony starts to think about their own network now. They are the only major studio without one.
January 24, 200620 yr FOX owns most of the big UPN stations, that is why CBS is going with the Tribune. NYC (Ch. 9), L.A. (Ch. 13), and Chicago UPN stations were owned by FOX with the contract with UPN running out this fall. The move was a perfect fit on paper. Could a NFL and/or MLB package be in CW's future? hmmm
January 24, 200620 yr WB = The White Network UPN = The Black Network It only makes sense to merge them. Like Fritz!
January 24, 200620 yr Looks like our current WB affiliate here, WTVK 46, will become the CW as WEVU 4 is on its last legs as a low power and Comcast doesn't carry it since it has its own UPN station. So we go from 1 WB in HD and 2 UPN (neither in HD) stations to 1 CW station in HD, I like it already. WEVU can go Spanish or something. We have Telemundo, Univision, and Azteca America OTA on low power signals here in Fort Myers/Cape Coral, if one could take over the WEVU spot on Dish/DirecTV, it would a be a coup.
January 24, 200620 yr They can get rid of any show they want. However if they get rid of Smallville, there will be hell to pay!!! :cussing
January 24, 200620 yr NEW YORK ? (AP) ? Two small, long-struggling television networks ? UPN and The WB ? will shut down this fall and programming from both will be used to launch a new network aimed mainly at young and minority viewers. The new network will be called The CW ? "C'' for CBS Corp. and "W'' for Warner Bros. ? each of which will own half of the new entity and contribute programs, assets and executives to the venture. Tribune Co., a Chicago-based media company, will relinquish its 22.5 percent stake in The WB in exchange for a 10-year affiliation deal to carry the new network on 16 of its stations. The rest of The WB was owned by Time Warner Inc., parent of Warner Bros. The CW will also be carried on the 12 stations owned by UPN, a unit of CBS Corp., guaranteeing the network carriage in 48 percent of the country and 20 of the top 25 TV markets in the country. Network executives said they hoped to have agreements in place to cover most of the rest of the country by the time it launches in the fall. UPN and The WB had both struggled to compete against larger rivals in the broadcast TV business, including Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, General Electric Co.'s NBC, CBS Corp.'s CBS and News Corp.'s Fox. Both place consistently behind their larger rivals in the Nielsen ratings race and have been financial burdens on their parent companies. Barry Meyer, the head of Warner Bros., said at a news conference his company had anticipated a "challenged'' environment ahead for smaller networks, and said the new venture had a ??good chance'' of being profitable as soon as it launches. "Looking down the road, this was much better than keeping UPN alive,'' Leslie Moonves, the chief executive of CBS, said. CBS became a separate company from Viacom Inc., the owner of MTV and VH1, at the beginning of the year. However, it's not yet clear that the combination of two struggling networks will result in a strong one, or even one that is a money-winner. Hal Vogel, a longtime media analyst and author of a book on entertainment industry economics, called the combination ??inevitable,'' saying "these companies were not making money for anybody.'' "Chances are, in five years they may not exist at all, or it may be something else, but right now it's better than going alone,'' Vogel said. "This makes sense ? it's not a slam-dunk proposition, but it makes sense. Six networks was too many.'' The new network will draw on programming from both UPN, whose shows include Everbody Hates Chris and Veronica Mars,'as well as from the slate of The WB, which includes Supernatural, Smallville and Everwood. The combination will trigger a shake-up of network affiliations in a number of cities. In the seven cities that have a Tribune-owned station and also one UPN-owned station, the companies have already divvied up which ones will carry the new network ? Tribune stations in four markets, and CBS-owned ones in the other three. In other cities that have both WB affiliates and UPN affiliates that are not owned by either CBS or Tribune, it's not yet clear what will happen or what financial arrangements will be made. Meyer said the network would be looking at each market individually. Among the Tribune stations that will join the new network are its flagship WGN in Chicago as well as WPIX in New York, and KTLA in Los Angeles. The CW will air 30 hours of programming, seven days a week, following the model of The WB. Six nights of prime time shows will air Monday through Friday 8-10pm and Sundays 7-10pm. There will also be shows on weekday and Sunday afternoons, and five hours of children's programs on Saturday morning. The new network will based in a new, yet-to-be determined location, network executives said. Both networks are based in Southern California, The WB in Burbank and UPN in Brentwood. Dawn Ostroff, who is currently president of UPN, will become the president of entertainment at The CW, overseeing programming, while John Maatta will oversee business operations as chief operating officer. Maatta had been COO of The WB. CBS shares rose $1.03, or 4.0 percent, to $26.85 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, while Tribune's fell 25 cents to $29.65. Time Warner's shares rose 23 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $17.32.
January 24, 200620 yr NEW YORK ? (AP) ? Two small, long-struggling television networks ? UPN and The WB ? will shut down this fall and programming from both will be used to launch a new network aimed mainly at young and minority viewers. The new network will be called The CW ? "C'' for CBS Corp. and "W'' for Warner Bros. ? each of which will own half of the new entity and contribute programs, assets and executives to the venture. Tribune Co., a Chicago-based media company, will relinquish its 22.5 percent stake in The WB in exchange for a 10-year affiliation deal to carry the new network on 16 of its stations. The rest of The WB was owned by Time Warner Inc., parent of Warner Bros. The CW will also be carried on the 12 stations owned by UPN, a unit of CBS Corp., guaranteeing the network carriage in 48 percent of the country and 20 of the top 25 TV markets in the country. Network executives said they hoped to have agreements in place to cover most of the rest of the country by the time it launches in the fall. UPN and The WB had both struggled to compete against larger rivals in the broadcast TV business, including Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, General Electric Co.'s NBC, CBS Corp.'s CBS and News Corp.'s Fox. Both place consistently behind their larger rivals in the Nielsen ratings race and have been financial burdens on their parent companies. Barry Meyer, the head of Warner Bros., said at a news conference his company had anticipated a "challenged'' environment ahead for smaller networks, and said the new venture had a ??good chance'' of being profitable as soon as it launches. "Looking down the road, this was much better than keeping UPN alive,'' Leslie Moonves, the chief executive of CBS, said. CBS became a separate company from Viacom Inc., the owner of MTV and VH1, at the beginning of the year. However, it's not yet clear that the combination of two struggling networks will result in a strong one, or even one that is a money-winner. Hal Vogel, a longtime media analyst and author of a book on entertainment industry economics, called the combination ??inevitable,'' saying "these companies were not making money for anybody.'' "Chances are, in five years they may not exist at all, or it may be something else, but right now it's better than going alone,'' Vogel said. "This makes sense ? it's not a slam-dunk proposition, but it makes sense. Six networks was too many.'' The new network will draw on programming from both UPN, whose shows include Everbody Hates Chris and Veronica Mars,'as well as from the slate of The WB, which includes Supernatural, Smallville and Everwood. The combination will trigger a shake-up of network affiliations in a number of cities. In the seven cities that have a Tribune-owned station and also one UPN-owned station, the companies have already divvied up which ones will carry the new network ? Tribune stations in four markets, and CBS-owned ones in the other three. In other cities that have both WB affiliates and UPN affiliates that are not owned by either CBS or Tribune, it's not yet clear what will happen or what financial arrangements will be made. Meyer said the network would be looking at each market individually. Among the Tribune stations that will join the new network are its flagship WGN in Chicago as well as WPIX in New York, and KTLA in Los Angeles. The CW will air 30 hours of programming, seven days a week, following the model of The WB. Six nights of prime time shows will air Monday through Friday 8-10pm and Sundays 7-10pm. There will also be shows on weekday and Sunday afternoons, and five hours of children's programs on Saturday morning. The new network will based in a new, yet-to-be determined location, network executives said. Both networks are based in Southern California, The WB in Burbank and UPN in Brentwood. Dawn Ostroff, who is currently president of UPN, will become the president of entertainment at The CW, overseeing programming, while John Maatta will oversee business operations as chief operating officer. Maatta had been COO of The WB. CBS shares rose $1.03, or 4.0 percent, to $26.85 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, while Tribune's fell 25 cents to $29.65. Time Warner's shares rose 23 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $17.32. Did I call it or what with Smallville, Everwood and Supernatural. Smallville better keep going, damnit. I'm hooked since the first season...What was I, 15?
January 24, 200620 yr They can get rid of any show they want. However if they get rid of Smallville, there will be hell to pay!!! :cussing It doesn't take a "Brainiac" to see that this shouldn't happen....as long as they don't "doctor" around with SV and keep it going, I'm "Fine" with it... :whistle I'd be pissed if they dropped Smallville right before this week's episode so we never find out who will die this week
January 25, 200620 yr They can get rid of any show they want. However if they get rid of Smallville, there will be hell to pay!!! :cussing It doesn't take a "Brainiac" to see that this shouldn't happen....as long as they don't "doctor" around with SV and keep it going, I'm "Fine" with it... :whistle I'd be pissed if they dropped Smallville right before this week's episode so we never find out who will die this week Nice reference. :thumbup It'll be around, but there are rumors that it may be around for only two more seasons. So we'll definately have to wait and see what happens. I'm also taking bets as to who will die on Thursday (although the trailer kind of gives a big hint :shifty ).
January 25, 200620 yr Bring back the old Dumont!!!! FOX kinda did that...most FOX stations in big cities were DuMont.
January 26, 200620 yr FOX strikes back. Passing WWOR-TV on my Dish, I found they dropped the UPN logo on-air. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds28436.html Looks like FOXv2.0 may be coming soon. Should be interesting....I wonder if FOX would buy 33 or 35 in Miami to put FOX or FOXv2.0 on it....hmmm
January 26, 200620 yr I remember when United/Paramount went calling for logo designs for their new network back in the early 1990's... Did anyone know that they originally planned to call it Up TV? Yes, Up as in "up, up and away"... I (and most other people I spoke to) thought it sounded stupid, but I submitted an entry regardless. Of course, it didn't get picked; however, interestingly enough, the final choice of the now-renamed UPN had a triangle with a letter in it, just like my design! :o
January 28, 200620 yr I want my Reba! UPN doesn't call me, but watching Reba on The WB in HD is a great Friday thing for me. Cape my friend you are the oldest young guy in Florida.
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.