The WB and UPN merging

[vurbano]

The WB and UPN shutting down!!! and merging

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060124/ap_on_en_tv/tv_network

NEW YORK - Two small, struggling television networks, UPN and WB, will merge to form a new network called The CW, executives from the companies that own them said Tuesday.
The announcement was made by executives from CBS Corp., which owns UPN, and Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc., which owns WB.
Both UPN and WB had struggled to compete against larger rivals in the broadcast TV business, including Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, News Corp.'s Fox, General Electric Co.'s NBC and CBS Corp.'s CBS.
The new network will launch in the fall, the executives said, and both UPN and WB will shut down. It will be a 50-50 partnership between Warner Bros. and CBS, and the network will be carried on stations owned by the Tribune Co., which is a minority owner of the WB network.
Among the Tribune's TV 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.
Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS Corp., said the new network will air 30 hours of programming seven days a week aimed in part at young audiences.
Barry Meyer, the head of Warner Bros., said the network would be run by the current executives of UPN and WB.

 

[mikew]

I hope the WB stations are the ones that continue broadcasting the network. In the three markets I'm familiar with (Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson) WB affiliates broadcast in HD while UPN affiliates don't.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of programming the UPN superstations will have.

 

[cablewithaview]

I wonder what will become of WSBK? We started carrying it a year a go for a UPN. I guess no matter what, we will continue to run it.

 

[riffjim4069]

We have been waiting on our local UPN go full power and move to their new tower (co-located with FOX) for several years - they are schedule to go live in June/July. I wonder how this will affect their transition since the local WB is already at full-power.

 

[Sean Mota]

This should be interested. A question for those in the know category. Here in NYC UPN is owned fox. So how is this going to work?

WPIX carried Mets games in HD so I assume that they will continue to do so. UPN never carried Yankees games in HD so will that change?

I hope it does not take them long to have the HD switch on.

 

[Peter Parker]

WSBK and WWOR were arounda long time b4 the UPN. I would not predict theur demise so quick.

 

[shappyss]

This should be interested. A question for those in the know category. Here in NYC UPN is owned fox. So how is this going to work?

.

from the new york times
Both CBS's deal with UPN stations owned by the News Corporation and Warner Brothers deal with the Tribune stations were due to expire in September. "If we didn't come together now, we were going to be locked out for a long time," Mr. Moonves said.

 

[bradhasbrouck]

I'd think WFTC-TV (Channel 29) will be an independent station by September?

 

[Sean Mota]

source

We should start by saying that everything we're about to talk about in this story about The CW, the network that will result from UPN and The WB merging, is speculative.


Next, a couple of ground rules: We're making this schedule up based on WB and UPN shows -- pilots included -- that have a chance of being on the air next year. Thus "7th Heaven," which is scheduled to end its 10-year run in May, won't show up. We're also looking at the other networks to avoid DVR nightmares (a la "Veronica Mars" vs. "Lost") and bad matchups wherever possible.
With that in mind, here's what we came up with:
Monday: UPN's comedy block has been a solid performer there for some time, and we're leaving it mostly intact. The one exception: "Everybody Hates Chris" moves over from Thursday to lead off the night and provide a bigger platform for "All of Us," "Girlfriends" and "Half & Half." "One on One" draws the smallest audience of the current Monday shows, so it's out.
Tuesday: Les Moonves is no dummy, so we're going to take his suggestion and pair "Gilmore Girls" and "Veronica Mars" on this night. We'd be hard-pressed to find a better two-hour block of dramas on network TV.
Wednesday: We start with an unscripted hour -- "America's Next Top Model" in the fall and spring, with "Beauty and the Geek" filling in between cycles. "Pepper Dennis," a WB midseason show, gets the 9 p.m. spot and hopes the reality shows will help it attract viewers the way "Top Model" has helped "Veronica Mars" this year.
Thursday: "Everwood" has held its own this season in a brutally competitive 9 p.m. hour, so it gets to stay put. We have other plans for "Smallville," but we like the idea of superheroes in the 8 p.m. spot. So we're betting on "Aquaman," a pilot from the "Smallville" guys that's been in development at The WB, to survive the transition and put it in the leadoff spot.
Friday: "Smackdown!" has performed pretty well there this year, so we see no reason to move it. Sunday: This is probably the biggest gamble in our fictional schedule, but we're playing with house money, so who cares? We'll give the 7 p.m. hour to "Reba" and "Out of Sync," the "Odd Couple"-like project in development at UPN. Then it's action night, with "Smallville" at 8 leading into "Supernatural" at 9. This is a tough night, but "Smallville" fans have shown they'll follow the series wherever it goes, and we're hoping some of them then stick around for "Supernatural."

 

[Sean Mota]

New Network Could Leave News Corp. Scrambling

By Jay Sherman
Although the merger of The WB and UPN into new network The CW is being hailed by most observers as a smart move that addresses uncertain futures at both networks, the combination also is proving to have some unintended consequences for a major player in the broadcasting space: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
Story continues below...
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The media giant could find itself scrambling to come up with a programming strategy for at least eight owned-and-operated television stations that currently carry UPN affiliations and are expected to lose those affiliations at the end of the summer, when UPN shuts down to make way for the launch of The CW.

Making matters even more delicate is that many of these stations are in the nation's top TV markets, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Other UPN-affiliated stations owned by News Corp.'s Fox Television Stations unit are in Dallas, Washington, Houston, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Baltimore and Orlando, Fla.

News Corp.'s next move remains a huge question swirling through television circles. Among the many scenarios bandied about is that Fox Television Stations will simply program these affected stations to operate as independents with no network affiliation. Another has Fox perhaps launching a second broadcast network, something some News Corp. insiders say is not likely. In a third scenario, News Corp. sells the stations that lose the UPN link.

Richard Greenfield, a media analyst with Pali Capital, said the stations most likely affected by the shutdown of UPN were in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Washington, all of which would be "orphaned." Stations in Phoenix, Minneapolis, Baltimore and Orlando potentially could compete with existing WB affiliates or other independents in those markets for The CW affiliation, Mr. Greenfield said. But when it all shakes out, News Corp. will end up with several independent stations in key television markets.

"The question for News Corp. is now whether to program these independent stations, leveraging the Fox Television Studio's programming capabilities, or to sell the stations," he said in a research note.

Said a News Corp. spokesman: "This change presents us with an opportunity to reprogram stations in some of the country's biggest markets."

People close to News Corp. said the announcement of the launch of The CW was a total surprise that caught many people off guard. However, they added that the decision to shut down UPN is not totally unexpected and that it will allay the concerns of some News Corp. officials who were weary about their continued links to a struggling UPN. These people also noted that the UPN affiliation agreement with the News Corp.-owned stations was set to expire at the end of the current television season.

But News Corp. isn't the only station group that finds itself with potentially orphaned stations after UPN and The WB shut down. In striking the 10-year affiliation agreement between The CW and Tribune Co., CBS Corp. and Tribune had to negotiate which station would carry The CW affiliation in markets where both companies owned UPN or WB stations.

In the end, Tribune's 16 major-market stations and the 12 CBS-owned UPN stations will carry the CW. The 16 Tribune-owned stations will be in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Washington, Houston, Miami, Denver, St. Louis, Portland, Indianapolis, San Diego, Hartford, New Orleans and Albany, N.Y. The CBS-owned stations will be in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit, Tampa, Fla., Seattle, Sacramento, Calif., Pittsburgh, West Palm Beach, Fla., Norfolk, Va., Oklahoma City and Providence, R.I.

That leaves Tribune owning newly independent stations in Atlanta, Philadelphia and Seattle, while CBS will own independent stations in Dallas, Boston, Miami and New Orleans.

 

[jegrant]

On the bright side - perhaps this leaves more room for all the various digital subchannels out there, since there is one less HD OTA to reserve space for.

Since there (apparently) won't be a FOX2 as had once been speculated, I'm left to wonder if there will be any attempt at an alternative network (even if not from FOX)?

Perhaps in some markets, Univision or Telemundo could move to a better signal, swapping with the newly independent stations.

 

[cablewithaview]

On the bright side - perhaps this leaves more room for all the various digital subchannels out there, since there is one less HD OTA to reserve space for.

Since there (apparently) won't be a FOX2 as had once been speculated, I'm left to wonder if there will be any attempt at an alternative network (even if not from FOX)?

Perhaps in some markets, Univision or Telemundo could move to a better signal, swapping with the newly independent stations.

USDTV could buy some of the stations to broadcast there OTA television service.

 

[Stargazer]

So One Tree Hill goes byebye. At least Reba and Everwood stays. I already expected 7th Heaven to go. I lose two of my favorite shows on my favorite station this year. Even lose the favorite station (or half of it anyways).

 

[slocoma]

So One Tree Hill goes

My wife is going to be pissed. However, I think this show has a big enough fan base that it will make it on the new channel. It may not be what the execs are thinking now, but all the teeny boppers out there will call, write, etc and get the show on the new channel.

 

[cablewithaview]

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. owns WTTO WB 21 in Birmingham which will be going CW, while the UPN, also owned by Sinclair, will go Independent, this is still talk but more than likely go that way. There is other stuff like Family Network, Sportsman Channel, America One TV, Daystar, JC-TV, etc. that could make some decent replacements.

 

[SKrueger]

I hope the WB stations are the ones that continue broadcasting the network

Here is Los Angeles it has been officially announced that KTLA-5 which is the current WB station will host the new network. Which is great because they broadcast in HD. The current UPN station (KCOP-13) which is owned by Fox has not annouced what they will do in regards to programming. No great loss. Fox has never wanted to put money into KCOP which does not broadcast in HD and has not plans to do so.

 

[KenSoren]

Here is Los Angeles it has been officially announced that KTLA-5 which is the current WB station will host the new network. Which is great because they broadcast in HD. The current UPN station (KCOP-13) which is owned by Fox has not annouced what they will do in regards to programming. No great loss. Fox has never wanted to put money into KCOP which does not broadcast in HD and has not plans to do so.

That is good to hear since I can pick up the KTLA HD OTA signal good. I knew that KCOP had a digital channel but did not realize that they didn't do anything in HD.

Losing KCOP will mean not picking up the 70's show reruns before prime time in SD, but since that is all I watch on that channel I guess I can live with that.

 

[hdtvtechno]

One thing i dont see is any mention of HD programming

 

[Stargazer]

It looks like from a few poles that One Tree Hill was way way far ahead of all the other shows (5 to 1 and 10 to 1 in many cases) so if the show dont make it, something is seriously wrong. Keeping Reba is a given. I hope they keep Everwood as well. Keep those three shows and I will be happy. Otherwise GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

 

[FreddyvsJasonvsAsh]

Let's hope Las Vegas get's this CW network