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UPN, WB to combine to form new network

B

BarryATL

This came in today. My comments are at the bottom of this post:

UPN, WB to combine to form new network

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published on: 01/24/06
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 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.

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.

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/0106/0124tvnetworks.html



Now, on a local level, the new CW network will be carried by WATL 36 since it is a Tribune station. What will happen to WUPA 69? Will they be able to survive as an independant?
 
> This came in today. My comments are at the bottom of this
> post:
>
> UPN, WB to combine to form new network
>
> By ASSOCIATED PRESS
> Published on: 01/24/06
> 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 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.
>
> 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.
>
http://ww> w.ajc.com/business/content/business/0106/0124tvnetworks.html
>
>
>
>
> Now, on a local level, the new CW network will be carried by
> WATL 36 since it is a Tribune station. What will happen to
> WUPA 69? Will they be able to survive as an independant?

That is a good question, some UPN stations are picking up CW, but here in Atlanta, WATL wins the prize. It will be tough for WUPA to make a living. Would not be surprised to see it go back to shopping channel
>
 
> > This came in today. My comments are at the bottom of this
>
> > post:
> >
> > UPN, WB to combine to form new network
> >
> > By ASSOCIATED PRESS
> > Published on: 01/24/06
> > 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 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.
> >
> > 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.
> >
> http://ww>
> w.ajc.com/business/content/business/0106/0124tvnetworks.html
>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Now, on a local level, the new CW network will be carried
> by
> > WATL 36 since it is a Tribune station. What will happen to
>
> > WUPA 69? Will they be able to survive as an independant?
>
> That is a good question, some UPN stations are picking up
> CW, but here in Atlanta, WATL wins the prize. It will be
> tough for WUPA to make a living. Would not be surprised to
> see it go back to shopping channel
> >
>

From what I read the network is going to WUPA 69 not WATL 36
 
Could 36 and 69 simulcast?

69 would be in worse shape as an independent than 36. They would have to go to "paid" 24/7 to "pay" for the receptionist and phone service. (Unless advertisers are paying a premium for "Blossom" and "Good Times.")

It's funny but 69 was very close to becoming the CBS affiliate back in 94 when the big CBS-Fox switch went down at WAGA.
 
> From what I read the network is going to WUPA 69 not WATL 36

FWIW, that matches how I read things too (I'm relieved somebody else apparently saw the same thing).

Here's the relevant part from
http://www.tribune.com/pressroom/releases/2006/01242006.html

"Tribune owns and operates 26 TV stations in 22 markets across the country, including 19 affiliated with The WB Network. Under the agreement, 16 of those stations will join the new network:WPIX-TV, New York; KTLA-TV, Los Angeles; WGN-TV, Chicago; WLVI-TV, Boston; KDAF-TV, Dallas; WBDC-TV, Washington, D.C.; KHWB-TV, Houston; WBZL-TV, Miami; KWGN-TV, Denver; KPLR-TV, St. Louis; KWBP-TV, Portland; WTTV-TV, Indianapolis; KSWB-TV, San Diego; WTXX-TV, Hartford; WNOL-TV, New Orleans; and WEWB-TV, Albany."

Notice anybody missing from that list?
 
WUPA to become CW, WATL to become independent

I guess CBS (being a part owner of the new network) had top priority since Tribune is relinquishing its ownership in this. But given that the analog 69 signal will be cut off soon (digital channel is 43), channel number placement is irrelivant.

As for the future of WATL, they will run movies and sports. like an indie (WATL was indie pre-1986 affiliation with Fox) WATL could become the new broadcast home of the Atlanta Braves when Time Warner sells the team. In the future, they might pick up the Hawks and Thrashers rights from WPXA.

In the long-term future, there could be the possibility that they might pick up the ABC affiliation from WSB-TV (which I hope happens). Given the irrelivance of VHF/UHF with digital, plus ABC wanting an affiliate that is less prone to preempt network programming in a major market, this might be a viable move.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the changes take effect.
 
Re: Could 36 and 69 simulcast?

36 has a better chance of making it as an independant than 69. They have a better line-up of syndicated programming.
 
What would WATL become?

I guess there's not that much network programming to replace. Just 8p-10p 5-6 nights a week? No network sports, no daytime, no news.

I guess they'd run syndication in prime-time? Maybe (shudder) something local? Or maybe Atlanta's 9 o'clock news! (uh, Dick Williams, you remember that local news idea we had back in 1992?)

Also, I thought the WB was doing well as a network?
 
Re: What would WATL become?

> I guess there's not that much network programming to
> replace. Just 8p-10p 5-6 nights a week? No network sports,
> no daytime, no news.
>
> I guess they'd run syndication in prime-time? Maybe
> (shudder) something local? Or maybe Atlanta's 9 o'clock
> news! (uh, Dick Williams, you remember that local news idea
> we had back in 1992?)
>
> Also, I thought the WB was doing well as a network?
>
WATL could put just one more run of Maury's paternity test show and Jerry Springer to fill 8-10...
 
Re: What would WATL become?

> I guess there's not that much network programming to
> replace. Just 8p-10p 5-6 nights a week? No network sports,
> no daytime, no news.
>
> I guess they'd run syndication in prime-time? Maybe
> (shudder) something local? Or maybe Atlanta's 9 o'clock
> news! (uh, Dick Williams, you remember that local news idea
> we had back in 1992?)
>
> Also, I thought the WB was doing well as a network?
>
The UPN affiliate in Atlanta is one of the strongest in the country, which makes sense given the demographics the UPN has targeted and the makeup of Atlanta. The WB affiliate's general manager Steve Carver acknowledged to me that things hadn't been going as well recently as the WB's overall primetime fortunes have slid.

He said he's going to have to fish for new programming, which could include everything you've mentioned. And who knows? Maybe the new CW will start a news operation.
 
Re: What would WATL become?

> WATL could put just one more run of Maury's paternity test
> show and Jerry Springer to fill 8-10...
>

Tribune-owned WTIC-TV (FOX) channel 61 of Hartford, CT already double runs that Maury and Springer crap.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't WATL-TV (WB...CW?) channel 36 your FOX affiliate at one time?
<P ID="signature">______________
#13 Dan Marino...2005 Football Hall Of Fame Inductee :)</P>
 
Re: What would WATL become?

>
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't WATL-TV (WB...CW?)
> channel 36 your FOX affiliate at one time?
>
Good memory. Fox36, I think is how they branded it. They got to wave goodbye to "Married with Children" and "Simpsons" when WAGA grabbed 'em and said hello to "Savannah" and later "Dawson's Creek, etc"

As hot as Fox (1q, 2q only) and CBS have been in recent years, I often wondered if WAGA's switch was a long-term winner, or just break-even. WAGA would still have the AFC football package and other good CBS programming.

As for local news ratings, people are always going to watch WAGA, regardless of its affiliation.
 
Re: What would WATL become?

> >
> > Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't WATL-TV (WB...CW?)
> > channel 36 your FOX affiliate at one time?
> >
> Good memory. Fox36, I think is how they branded it. They got
> to wave goodbye to "Married with Children" and "Simpsons"
> when WAGA grabbed 'em and said hello to "Savannah" and later
> "Dawson's Creek, etc"
>
> As hot as Fox (1q, 2q only) and CBS have been in recent
> years, I often wondered if WAGA's switch was a long-term
> winner, or just break-even. WAGA would still have the AFC
> football package and other good CBS programming.
>
> As for local news ratings, people are always going to watch
> WAGA, regardless of its affiliation.
>
Any possibility of CBS switching affiliation from 46 to 36?
 
Re: What would WATL become?

> Any possibility of CBS switching affiliation from 46 to 36?

As long as Meredith owns WGCL-46 and uses the station to keep WNEM-5/Bay City(Mich.), KCTV-5/Kansas City(Mo.) and KPHO-5/Phoenix in the CBS family, don't count on it.
 
Re: What would WATL become?

> Any possibility of CBS switching affiliation from 46 to 36?

Doubt it... also WATL-DT is now running 1/2 power (-3dB) of WGCL-DT. WGCL-DT could also elect to have the lower channel number (19).
 
Re: Something like Hotlanta 34?

Anyone remember Hotlanta 34? I thought it was a good independent station; not as good as WGNX was though.

I just hope we don't end up with another Telemundo, Telefutura, Azteca America or whatever.
 
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