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The CW Television Network

Type	Broadcast television network
Country	United States
Availability	National
Owner	CBS Corporation (50%) / Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (Time Warner) (50%)
Key people	Dawn Ostroff John Maatta Johnathon Emerald Matthew Charles
Launch date	September 2006

The CW Television Network, or more casually The CW, is a new television network in the United States set to launch for the 2006-07 television season. It will feature a mixture of programming from both UPN and The WB television networks, which will both cease independent operations on Monday, September 4, 2006 (Labor Day). The network will be a joint venture between CBS Corporation, owner of UPN, and Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Time Warner, majority owner of The WB.

The CW will air programming targeted to younger audiences — a demographic that had been targeted by both The WB and UPN. CBS and Warner Bros. hope that by combining their networks' schedules and station lineups, the CW will strengthen into a fifth "major" broadcast network, competing at the same level as ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox — a stature neither UPN nor The WB has been able to achieve. But unlike the "Big Four" broadcast networks, The CW does not appear to have any current plans to offer news or sports programming to their affiliates.

CBS chairman Les Moonves explained that the name of the new network is an amalgamation of the first initials of CBS and Warner Bros. Moonves joked "we couldn't call it the WC for obvious reasons." However, an increasing number of network executives and other insiders have privately expressed displeasure with the "CW" name, and have said there is a possibility that the name will change before the planned September launch. On March 15, Moonves stated that there was “zero chance” the name would change, citing research claiming 48% of the target demographic is already aware of the "CW" name. However, Moonves did reveal that the network was in the process of creating a new logo to replace the blue-white rectangular logo first unveiled at the network's January 2006 launch announcement.

Stations

The CW will initially be based around 16 The WB stations owned by the Tribune Company (which will be relinquishing its investment in The WB) and 11 UPN stations owned by CBS. These stations combine to reach 48 percent of the United States. The initial 27 stations have signed 10 year affiliation agreements with the CW. It is estimated that the new network will eventually reach 95 percent of the United States.

In markets where both UPN and The WB affiliates operate, only one station will become a CW affiliate. Executives are on record as preferring the "strongest" stations among existing The WB and UPN affiliates; however, due to the structure of the deal, the new network must negotiate with individual stations. Hence it is conceivable that, in some markets, the CW affiliate may be a different station than either the existing The WB and UPN stations. In Helena, Montana, i affiliate KMTF will become a CW station. Also, the network has affiliated with some digital broadcast channels that do not yet exist in markets where there was no in-market The WB/UPN affiliate.

On March 1, five affiliates (four WB/one UPN) were the first outside the CBS/Tribune core to sign CW affiliate deals. These were five separate stations from around the country which were expected to become CW affiliates because of strong ratings, though, and until KCWE in Kansas City signed up on March 7, no station whose chances of signing CW deals were contested were affiliated with the network. As of May 2, 2006, 161 stations have become affiliates of the CW, reaching 101.3 million households and covering 91.9% of the country (the latter two figures excluding the future CW stations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands). One of its biggest slate of announced affiliations in a single day was on March 28, 2006, which includes UPN affiliate KUVI-TV Bakersfield, California, the only English language television station owned and operated by Univision, the leading Spanish language broadcaster in the country.

Most smaller markets - i.e. Nielsen DMAs with rankings of 100 and lower - are served by a locally-branded WB-affiliated cable channel that is part of The WB 100+ Station Group, as well as a UPN affiliate which may be either an over-the-air television station (often at low-power), digital subchannel, or local cable channel, or some combination thereof. Under the new network, a new service titled The CW Plus will serve a similar role to WB 100+. However, as with larger markets, the network's affiliations are determined by negotiation, and those announced so far have been a mixture of existing The WB and UPN affiliates, as well as some stations (or digital subchannels) not presently affiliated with either network.

Before May 2, 2006, the only top-30 markets that had remained without a signed affiliate were Minneapolis-St. Paul, Baltimore, Raleigh-Durham, and Nashville. In each of these markets, the local UPN affiliate is controlled by Fox Television Stations Group or Sinclair Broadcast Group and is already committed to My Network TV, while The WB affiliate is controlled by Sinclair. The CW has reportedly demanded reverse compensation (), which Sinclair has hinted it is unwilling to provide. However, Sinclair announced their remaining WB and independent stations, including the stations in those markets, will officially become CW affiliates.

While WGN-TV Chicago will be part of the new network, it is presently assumed that its out-of-market Superstation WGN feed, which does not currently air WB programming, will similarly not air programs from the CW network.

Programming

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The new network will adopt The WB's present 30-hour programming schedule. It will provide 13 hours of prime-time programming to the newly affiliated stations, 8–10pm Monday to Friday (all times ET/PT) and 7–10pm on Sunday. Programming will also be provided between 5–7pm Sundays (the Easy View repeat block), 3–5pm weekday afternoons (currently off-network repeats under the Daytime WB banner), and a five-hour Saturday morning animation block (currently known as Kids' WB, to be rebranded as Kids' WB on The CW at the network's launch in September ).

After a CW presentation to advertisers on March 15, 2006, reports mentioned that CW executives declined to specify which shows would come over from UPN and The WB. However, the website TVWeek.com claimed that 13 shows were picked up for the CW fall schedule, but the article proved to be premature and was eventually removed from the web site. On May 8th, 2006, a feature article from About.com ( provided an inside look at the current developments for the CW Fall 2006 schedule. If there is truth to this source, on-the-bubble series such as Veronica Mars, One Tree Hill and Everwood will return for 2006-2007.

Below are the shows expected to make the transition from their former networks to the new CW. The official announcement of the CW fall schedule will take place on May 18.

Officially renewed

From UPN

• America's Next Top Model (confirmed 3/15/06)
• Everybody Hates Chris
• WWE Friday Night SmackDown! (confirmed 3/15/06)

From The WB

• Gilmore Girls
• Smallville
• 7th Heaven (confirmed 5/12/06)

Likely renewals

From UPN

• Girlfriends
• Veronica Mars

From The WB

• Beauty and the Geek
• Supernatural
• Everwood
• One Tree Hill

Other candidates

• Despite arguably good ratings, it is speculated that Reba might be canceled because its audience may not be the demographic the new network wants. However, canceling the show would break a two-year contract that could cost the network more than $20 million dollars for lost syndication values.
• According to the TVGuide.com Entertainment News blog, the CW is reportedly interested in picking up Invasion should ABC decide not to renew the series-which would be fitting, considering that the show is from Warner Bros. Television.

CW Pilots

The following pilots are reportedly in development for the CW Network:

Dramas

• Mercy Reef (Not picked up by The CW)
• Palm Springs
• Runaway
• Split Decision
• Ultra -- (former CBS pilot)

Comedies

• She Said, He Said
• The Game
• Aliens in America
• Flirt

Realities

• Untitled Go-Gos, Bangles Project

Notes

Four pilots are currently under production by companies other than the parent companies.

The WB's Charmed will not move over to the CW Network -- on March 3, 2006, it was formally announced that the series won't be renewed for a ninth season, and the final episode will air on May 21, 2006. Likewise, What I Like About You has also been cancelled.

7th Heaven (which like Charmed is produced by Aaron Spelling), traditionally The WB's highest-rated show, has also recently been cancelled, with the finale scheduled to air on May 8, 2006; however, talks are reportedly ongoing among CW executives and Spelling Television which may either reverse that cancellation, or green-light a spinoff that features the "younger and less expensive" stars. On May 12, 2006, TV Week magazine reported the show would be renewed by The CW for a 13 episode run, but that report hasn't yet been confirmed by the network.

Around Valentine's Day 2006, there were rumors that Joss Whedon's Firefly would be picked up by The CW. Whedon downplayed the rumors, but did not rule out the possibility of a TV movie or miniseries.

On April 6 2006, it was announced that Michael Roberts would transition from The WB to The CW. He will keep his title as executive VP of current programming. The effect of this announcement on The CW's 2006 programming slate is currently unknown, though it might provide a boost for potential WB holdovers.

On April 10 2006 it was decided that Eve and All of Us would not transition from UPN to The CW.

On April 21 2006, it was announced that Betsy McGowen had joined network-to-be The CW as senior VP and general manager of Kids WB! on The CW.

On April 27 2006, it was announced that Rick Mater, senior VP, broadcast standards, for The WB, will assume the same post at The CW. Also, Eric Cardinal, senior VP, research, at UPN since 1999 will take that post at The CW.

On May 82006, it was announced that Elizabeth Tumulty, who has been senior VP, affiliate relations and communications for The WB netlet has been named senior VP, network distribution, for the new CW network.

Repercussions of the merger

The launch of the CW will most likely cause the largest single shakeup of U.S. broadcast television since the Fox / New World Communications alliance of 1994 and the subsequent launch of UPN and The WB themselves the following year. While it may affect more markets, it is unlikely to cause the -same degree of viewer confusion as, it appears, no affiliates of the four major networks will be dropping those affiliations. However, some small-market "Big Four" affiliates have signed up to carry the CW via digital subchannels.

In those media markets where there were separate The WB and UPN stations, one local station will be left out in the merger, and will become an independent station, unless it chooses (or has chosen) to affiliate with another network such as My Network TV. In some of the smallest markets only one network is present, or both networks' programming are found on a single station, in which case the transition should be relatively straightforward, but results so far have shown this is not guaranteed. In other cases, excluding markets served by the Tribune and CBS stations, the affiliation will likely be determined by negotiation.

It is immediately clear that the Fox Television Stations Group, which purchased several UPN affiliates from Chris-Craft Industries (ownership partner of UPN with Paramount Pictures/Viacom from 1995-2000) in 2002, will be impacted. Its UPN affiliates in New York (WWOR), Los Angeles (KCOP), Chicago (WPWR) and elsewhere will not be affiliated with The CW, and Fox made it clear it would not even seek the affiliation for its stations in markets such as Minneapolis (WFTC), Orlando (WRBW), and Phoenix (KUTP) (the existing The WB affiliates have since signed on in those three markets). Fox has already removed all UPN logos and most network references from their stations.

On February 22, 2006, Fox announced that it was starting My Network TV, a programming service meant to fill the two nightly prime-time hours that will open on its UPN-affiliated stations after the start of CW. Fox will also offer the service to other stations.

Tentatively slated for independent status are CBS-owned stations such as those in Boston (WSBK), Miami (WBFS) and Dallas (KTXA). On May 1, 2006, it was confirmed that CBS-owned WBFS and WSBK would not seek the My Network TV affiliation, and therefore would revert to independent status (KTXA has already been slated for independent status since another station in Dallas — Fox-owned independent station KDFI — has already claimed the My Network TV affiliation). This was done in retaliation against NewsCorp for refusing to affiliate any of its Fox-owned UPN affiliates with the CW network. Tribune stations in Philadelphia (WPHL), Atlanta (WATL) and Seattle (KTWB), originally slated for independent status, will join My Netwok TV as it was announced on May 15, 2006.

Tribune will no longer have an ownership stake in the combined network, thus they are no longer responsible for any of the CW's losses. A company representative stated during a conference call the day of the merger announcement that they have no intention of selling their non-CW stations. Tribune also indicated that they would be interested in Fox-developed programming blocks such as My Network TV (and in fact, they have announced on May 15, 2006 that the three stations not taking the CW affiliation — WPHL, WATL and KTWB — would become My Network TV affiliates).

Other stations, especially those already known to be disaffiliating, have reportedly already begun to search for new programming to fill empty timeslots, likely to further boost the fortunes of the syndication industry. On January 26, 2006, La Crosse, Wisconsin UPN affiliate KQEG announced that they would cease to be a network affiliate at the end of the programming week, becoming the first known station to drop an affiliation due to the merger.

The disappearance of The WB and UPN will be the first time a major television network has vanished since the collapse of the DuMont Television Network in 1955, but other small broadcast television networks have also ceased operations over the years.

Granite Broadcasting had previously reached an agreement to sell their WB-affiliated stations in San Francisco and Detroit — KBWB and WMYD (the former WDWB), respectively — to AM Media, a unit of private equity firm Acon Investments. With the dissolution of The WB, and with CBS owning UPN stations in both cities already announced as joining the CW, the Granite-AM Media deal was put in jeopardy, and on February 15, Granite was freed to shop the stations to other interested parties; however, the deal between Granite and AM Media eventually fell apart, and Granite has sold the stations to DS Audible, LLC instead.

See also

• The WB
• UPN
• List of CW affiliates
• My Network TV

Sources

Press Releases

• CBS
• Time Warner
• Tribune Company

External links

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• MSNBC, "CBS, Warner Bros. forming new TV network"
• Washington Post, Jan. 25 2006, page C1, "Ta-Ta, UPN. So Long, WB. Hello, The CW".
• Deal has been in the works since Thanksgiving
• The dream CW lineup?
• Only 12.5 hours of WB, UPN shows are worth saving
• Which UPN, WB shows won't make CW's 13 primetime hours?
• WB, UPN shutdown boosts business at TV confab
• Fox Starts Expunging UPN Brand
• Why CW is bound to succeed
• CW should stand for "Could Work"
• Can 2 Network Lineups Learn to Live Together? (subscription required)
• Dear CW network: Please keep these
• Fallout From CW: A Tighter Prime-Time Marketplace, Turmoil In Spot
• CW is best of both UPN, WB worlds
• Course of new CW network is black & white
• Will the New CW Network Reach Urban Audiences? (subscription required)
• The coupling of UPN, WB could put fresh, young shows into TV's tired old gene pool
• What Happens When TV Networks Merge?
• Creating CW Shrinks Field for Bad TV
• Studios, agencies optimistic about new network (page 1 of 2)
  • Studios, agencies optimistic about new network (page 2 of 2)
• CW's name game
• Urban Television Network seeks new affiliates
• Will The CW destroy "Everwood"?
• Too bad UPN's culture will dominate The CW
• Identity Crisis
• Conventional wisdom never saw creation of CW coming
• Battle over "Buffy" may have led to UPN-WB merger
• How much will the owner of TheCW.com make?
• Will The CW abandon minorities?
• "Everwood" is a goner, according to an early CW draft lineup
• TV producers jockeying for few spots on The CW
• CW buys its first pilot
• "Charmed's" final episode will air May 21. CW has reportedly decided to end the eight-year-old series.
• Imagining the new CW schedule
• "7th Heaven" may survive after all
• CW dumps Nick Lachey, then woos him
• Winners and losers from the CW merger - Jan. 25, 2006
• Zap2it - TV news - Coming Up, on The CW
• "Everwood" to CW: Please, please pick us!
• The CW: What's in, what's out (so far)
• CW will stay CW, says Les Moonves
• Pussycat Dolls may star in CW reality show
• CW admits it was teasing about "Everwood" and other potential pickups
• CW, My Network TV affiliates face name conundrum
• It's official: Nick Lachey will play a CW bachelor on "She Said/He Said"
• CW picks up Wayne Brady's "Flirt" pilot
• CW greenlights "Aliens in America"
• "Uncertain Future: In new merger between the WB and UPN, will Black-oriented shows be left on the cutting room floor?"
• The CW greenlights Muslim comedy pilot.
• UPN Sets 'Game' Date, CW Abducts 'Aliens'
• Pilot for 'Girlfriends' spinoff to air on UPN
• On TV: Will WB's 'Pepper' spice up The CW?.
• On TV: CW To Headquarter in Burbank.
• Spring cleaning for TV networks
• CW: What Should Stay and What Should Go?
• The CW: New Kid on the Block
• Network belongs on Mars if it axes ‘Veronica’
• "Everwood" creator: We have a better shot on CW than on WB
• Go-Go's & Bangles team up to find the next big girl band
• Seven good TV shows that ought to be saved
• September lineup for new CW network is a guessing game
• CW set — what shows will it air?
• Will your TV show go?
• CW approaches "7th Heaven" cast about coming back
• Is there some more 'Heaven' in CW's future?
• Memo to the CW
• Claim: Les Moonves has kidnapped The CW
• CW is having trouble canceling "Reba"
• Not WB Nor UPN
• Shows on the bubble might get another shot
• Mocking!: The CW + NFL. Veronica Mars for A.J. Hawk?
• How much will black viewers lose in WB-UPN merger?
• "7th Heaven" ain't coming back
• Judgment Day for '7th Heaven?'
• Actress confirms Everybody Hates Chris is heading to The CW
• Is Aquaman Sunk?
• Last Night of '7th Heaven.'
• CW, the pilot Flirt, starring Wayne Brady, looks like the one to beat
• OK, freshmen. Grades are in. No mercy -- and no crying.
• It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Veronica Mars
• Get Rid of Reba? That’ll Cost You
• The 5th Element
• BET will be "ecstatic" if CW abandons UPN's black sitcoms
• Thomas answers finale Q's: Was CW reference intentional?
• Reba McEntire calls possible CW cancelation "very inconsiderate"
• ABC Show May "Invade" CW
• An Early Look at the CW Fall Schedule
• "7th Heaven" Back for an 11th Season

• 2006 establishments
• American television networks
• CW Television Network
• Joint ventures