2006 United States broadcast TV realignment
Encyclopedia
Between winter-fall 2006, the United States
broadcast television industry was realigned. In September 2006, the country's two "second-tier" television networks, UPN
and The WB Television Network
, both shut down on September 15 and 17 respectively, and their operations were transferred to a new joint-venture "fifth" network, The CW Television Network
. Meanwhile, the Fox Television Stations Group
(which owned several UPN stations in large cities blocked from affiliating
with The CW) signed up with MyNetworkTV
, a new network owned by its parent company
.
and the United Paramount Network
were launched, each hoping to recreate the success of the Fox
network, which had launched in 1986 and which had quickly became one of America's "major" networks. All three networks had been joint ventures between major Hollywood studios and large owners of previously independent station
s. The WB was originally owned by Time Warner
's Warner Bros.
; later the Tribune Company
would buy into the network. UPN was founded by Paramount Pictures
and Chris-Craft Industries
.
However, both new networks launched to limited fanfare and generally poor results. In the next eleven-and-a-half seasons, despite a number of minor-hit or cult-hit series such as Star Trek: Voyager
or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, neither network was able to attain the stature Fox had gained in its first decade, much less that of the longstanding "Big Three
" television networks (ABC
, CBS
, and NBC
). By early 2006, both networks were losing money, although The WB had been profitable a few seasons earlier. UPN had never turned a profit. Reports indicated that the prospects for both networks were fading quickly.
A further complication was the various shifts in network and affiliate ownership at UPN. Shortly after its launch, Paramount was purchased by Viacom
, which later purchased the CBS
network. Viacom was permitted to keep interests in both networks. Chris-Craft's relations with Viacom were strained in 2000 when the latter firm exercised a contractual right to force Chris-Craft to either buy Viacom out of UPN, or sell out itself to Viacom. Chris-Craft could not find a suitable partner and sold out. That August, when Chris-Craft put its television stations, most of them UPN affiliates, up for sale, it sold to News Corporation
's Fox Television Stations Group
instead of Viacom. At the time, Fox seemed to be a willing partner in UPN, but made no firm commitment. Fox later renewed its UPN affiliation through 2006. At the end of 2005, Viacom split into two companies: a new company named Viacom, and CBS Corporation (essentially the old Viacom renamed). In this "split", ownership of UPN went to CBS Corporation.
and Time Warner announced they would shut down both UPN and The WB that fall. (The WB returned as an online video streaming service in April 2008.) In place of these two networks, a new "fifth" network, jointly owned by both companies, would launch, with a lineup of the most popular programming of both networks. The network was given the name "The CW Television Network
" ("CW" representing the first initials of CBS and Warner).
The CW immediately announced ten-year affiliation agreements with 16 WB affiliates owned by Tribune Broadcasting
, and 11 UPN Owned-and-operated station
s under CBS ownership, giving the new network coverage of all of the top 13 markets and 48% of the country. The remaining affiliates were to be drawn from the pool of stations affiliated with UPN and The WB.
It was immediately clear that media markets with Tribune stations would receive CW affiliation, leaving Fox Television Stations, UPN's second largest affiliate group (after UPN O&Os
), with no prime-time network. Rumors began to circulate that Fox would plan its own network for those stations and others left out in the merger. The rumors proved true, and Fox launched its own network, MyNetworkTV
, a programming service meant to fill the two nightly prime time hours that opened up on its UPN-affiliated stations after the start of The CW. Fox also offered the service to other stations.
and CBS Television Stations Group. Tribune committed 16 stations (including its flagship broadcast stations WGN-TV
in Chicago, KTLA
in Los Angeles
and WPIX
in New York
) that were previously affiliated with The WB, while CBS committed 11 of its UPN stations (including WKBD
in Detroit
, WPSG
in Philadelphia
and WUPA
in Atlanta
). These stations combined to reach 48 percent of the United States. Both groups also owned several UPN/WB stations that did not join The CW in overlapping markets. As part of its agreement, Tribune agreed to divest its interest in The WB and did not take an ownership interest in The CW.
The network would eventually reach 95 percent of the United States. In markets where both UPN and The WB affiliates operated, only one station became a CW affiliate. CW executives were on record as preferring the "strongest" stations among existing The WB and UPN affiliates. However, as the reorganization was structured not as a merger in the legal sense, but as a new network launching concurrent with the WB/UPN shutdown, The CW was not obligated by existing affiliations with The WB and UPN. It had to negotiate from scratch with individual stations.
As a result, in some markets, the new CW affiliate was a different station than either the former The WB and UPN stations. In Helena, Montana
, ION affiliate KMTF
became a CW station. In Las Vegas, Nevada
, independent station KVCW
signed for CW affiliation. In Honolulu, Hawaii
, The CW did not appear until early December 2006, where it was carried on a digital subchannel of local Fox affiliate KHON-TV
. The network also affiliated with some digital channels, mainly newly-launched subchannels of a local Big Four affiliate, in several markets.
Under the new network, a new service titled The CW Plus
began serving Nielsen DMAs
with rankings of 100 and lower. The CW Plus is similar to The WB 100+ Station Group
, which supplied locally-branded WB-affiliated cable channels. In most cases, distribution for The CW Plus covers not only cable but broadcast as well, including the digital subchannels discussed above.
On March 1, five affiliates—four WB, one UPN—were the first outside the CBS/Tribune core to sign CW affiliate deals. . By May 18, 2006, 174 stations had become affiliates of The CW, reaching 105 million households and covering 95.3% of the country (the latter two figures excluding the CW stations in Puerto Rico
and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
Station groups with a large number of CW affiliates include Pappas Telecasting, ACME Communications
, and Sinclair Broadcast Group
, although many other large groups, including Hearst-Argyle
, Clear Channel
, and Belo
have signed up selected stations. Sinclair signed on in early May despite reservations with The CW's reported demands for reverse compensation
(MediaPost Publications TV Station Execs Debate Choice--To Affiliate With CW Or With My Network TV 02/24/2006).
While WGN-TV
in Chicago became part of the CW network, its out-of-market WGN America feed, which stopped airing WB programming in 1999, similarly does not air programs from The CW Network.
Several affiliates changed their call letters to reflect their new affiliation with the CW (e.g. WNPA-TV (Pittsburgh
) to WPCW-TV, WJWB (Jacksonville
) to WCWJ
, WHCP (Portsmouth, Ohio
(Charleston, West Virginia
market)) to WQCW
, WEWB (Albany, New York
) to WCWN
, KWCV (Wichita, Kansas
) to KSCW
, WBDC (Washington, D.C.
) to WDCW
, KBHK (San Francisco
) to KBCW, and KHWB (Houston
) to KHCW). In August 2006, CBS Corporation's CW stations dropped all references to UPN from their branding.
Due to the availability of "instant duopoly" digital subchannels, and the overall lack of a need to settle for a secondary affiliation with shows aired in problematic timeslots, both The CW and myNetworkTV launched with far greater national coverage than that enjoyed by UPN and the WB when they started in 1995. For several years, UPN had coverage gaps in the top 30 markets, and by 2005 had only managed to reach 86% of the population. This resulted in secondary affiliations with other networks and diluted ratings when programs were shown out of their intended timeslots, or the lack of the program airing at all (a problem experienced by many Star Trek
fans with Star Trek: Voyager
and Star Trek: Enterprise
).
in 1955, although other small broadcast television networks have also ceased operations over the years. Given the merger of the two networks to create the CW (as well as the eventual launch of myNetworkTV and the proliferation of digital subchannels), the scope of the realignment caused the largest single shakeup of American broadcast television since the Fox/New World Communications alliance
of 1994
, which preceded the subsequent launches of UPN and The WB the following year that drastically reduced the number of independent television stations in the U.S., some of which had been marketed as superstations
as recent as the mid-1990s.
While The CW debut affected more markets, unlike the Fox/New World deal of the mid-1990s, it was unlikely to cause the same degree of viewer confusion as almost no affiliates of the four major networks dropped those affiliations. Only two former Big Four affiliates switched their primary affiliation, in both cases from Fox to myNetworkTV:
There were several other cases where Big Four affiliates picked up The CW, myNetworkTV, or both as a secondary affiliation or a digital subchannel, even in markets where viable non-network affiliate stations remained.
including the vast majority of the Fox stations acquired in the 2001 acquisition of BHC Communications
(the former Chris-Craft stations). Additionally, myNetworkTV signed with three Tribune stations who did not take the CW affiliation: WPHL
in Philadelphia
, WATL in Atlanta
and KTWB in Seattle
. Tribune had indicated interest in Fox-developed programming blocks such as myNetworkTV for stations that did not pickup the CW affiliation; it announced on May 15th that the aforementioned stations would join myNetworkTV. In contrast, CBS initially seemed more hostile to myNetworkTV, and announced its remaining UPN affiliates—KTXA
in the Dallas
/Fort Worth
metroplex, WSBK
in Boston, WBFS
in Miami
/Fort Lauderdale
, and WUPL
in New Orleans
as well as WB affiliate WTCN-CA
in West Palm Beach
—would all become independent stations. WBFS, WUPL and WTCN-CA eventually all joined myNetworkTV.
Some stations bypassed by the CW that did not take myNetworkTV instead opted to become (or revert to) independent stations. For example, the two remaining former Viacom-owned UPN stations—WSBK and KTXA—reverted to their roots as independent stations (the latter was constrained to independence in any event due to Fox-owned KDFI
affiliating with myNetworkTV). As a consequence, in three of the top 10 media markets—(Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth
and San Francisco
)—programs from The WB, UPN, and myNetworkTV were all available to viewers by September 5 to September 17. MyNetworkTV affiliated with longtime former independent stations WZMY in New Hampshire (serving the Boston market) and KDFI, while in San Francisco the network affiliated with former longtime NBC affiliate KRON-TV
(WB affiliate KBWB reverted to independent status). Other stations elected to become (or revert to) independent stations as well, particularly in situations where either more than two non-major network affiliate stations existed or another station picked up an affiliation with the CW or myNetworkTV via a digital subchannel.
Additionally, four former UPN affiliates became affiliates of "Big Four" networks themselves:
Additionally, while some stations joined newly-established or lesser-known broadcast networks such as RTV
), whose now-defunct parent company Equity Broadcasting
did not commit any of their WB affiliates to the CW, other stations (mainly digital subchannels, cable channels such as those that were WB 100+ cable channels, and struggling low-power stations) which received neither the CW nor the myNetworkTV affiliation opted instead to sign off permanently and cease to exist. For example, in Dayton, Ohio
, the "UPN17
" cable channel run by CBS
affiliate WHIO-TV
closed down at the end of 2006.
Despite the launch of the CW on September 18, 2006, many households around the country were not able to see the new network when it premiered because many stations in several markets, primarily those who picked up the CW on a digital subchannel of the station's primary affiliate, were unsuccessful in trying to strike a deal with Time Warner Cable
to carry their CW subchannels on basic cable lineups, despite the CW being 50% owned by then-parent company Time Warner. These markets included Cincinnati
, Honolulu
, Charleston (SC)
, El Paso
, Corpus Christi
, Palm Springs
, and Lima, Ohio
. In late 2006, the Honolulu, El Paso and Palm Springs affiliates were made available on TWC systems in those markets.
into prime time programming in order to allow new CW affiliates to add lower thirds
and bugs promoting the CW during this time—this practice was automatically used on WB affiliates' primetime programming.
Also on August 14, 2006, UPN ceased all promotional advertising for their programs during network time (except for audition promotions for America's Next Top Model
during that show), though some local stations still aired promos for the network's shows. The network also stopped customizing the closing credits
of their shows to their graphics scheme (perhaps in reaction to affiliate preemptions, see below), instead showing studio credits full-screen with theme music (save for ANTM, where previews of the next episode were shown on the left with studio credits on the right). In contrast, at the WB, advertising for their shows continued during network time, mixed in with promos for the CW, and the network's standard closing credits format remained unchanged with promos in the upper two-thirds of the screen and credits in the lower third.
The networks also filled spare timeslots with low-cost movies on some weeks (including UPN on Wednesday night and the WB during its infamous "Friday night death slot
") and reruns and unaired episodes of long cancelled programs, such as the sketch comedy series Blue Collar TV
on Wednesday nights and repeat and unaired episodes of Just Legal
on Sunday nights (both on the WB). Prior to the myNetworkTV announcement, many stations (including those snubbed by the CW) had reportedly begun to search for new programming to fill empty timeslots, which had been likely to further boost the fortunes of the syndication industry. Ironically, one of those syndicated offerings, Desire
, eventually became part of myNetwork TV's fall 2006 schedule.
UPN affiliate KQEG
dropped its UPN affiliation, becoming the first station to drop an affiliation due to the CW announcement; it retained its FamilyNet
affiliation.
Many affected affiliates took similar measures. Following the May 2006 sweeps period, many stations began to pre-empt UPN and WB programming for a variety of reasons. In the Green Bay
/Appleton
market, future myNetworkTV affiliate WACY
(as of June 5th) opted to replace all of the network's second hour of programming whenever possible (except for Veronica Mars
) with airings of infomercial
s. In Cincinnati, eventual independent station WBQC moved its UPN programming on July 4th to between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. early Tuesday to Saturday morning, with the intention of promoting the station's "Independence Day
" programming in its place.
Another eventual independent station, KPNZ
in Salt Lake City
, ceased to air UPN programming in June 2006 with no replacement affiliate for the remaining two months (the station is now an affiliate of the Spanish-language Estrella TV
network). In Springfield, Massachusetts
, WB 100+ cable channel WBQT
was at one point seen as a CW affiliate on the official website and even started advertising as such, but due to a lack of confirmation, the station's call letters were removed. However, on August 29, 2006, WBQT signed a formal affiliation agreement with the CW as a member channel of The CW Plus.
Before the merger, cash-strapped Granite Broadcasting had previously reached an agreement to sell its WB affiliates in San Francisco and Detroit
to AM Media, a unit of private equity firm Acon Investments. With the CW choosing to affiliate with CBS-owned UPN stations in those markets, the Granite-AM Media deal eventually collapsed, and Granite responded by instead deciding to sell the stations to DS Audible, LLC instead for a lesser price. Granite later announced it was suing CBS and Time Warner over the failed deal. On July 18, 2006, the deal to sell to DS Audible also fell apart, and on December 11, 2006, Granite filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Granite emerged from bankruptcy in June 2007 under control of Silver Point Capital, which took over another bankrupt broadcasting company, Communications Corporation of America
, later that year.
In New Orleans, CBS filed a lawsuit against Belo
, owner of market-dominant CBS affiliate WWL-TV
, in early 2006 over allegations that Belo tried to renege on the terms of buying WUPL after Tribune-owned WNOL
was named the market's CW affiliate (but before WUPL's affiliation with MNTV was announced). The deal, already complicated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
which caused catastrophic damage to much of the Greater New Orleans area, would have created a duopoly between WWL-TV and WUPL with both stations merging into WWL's studios on Rampart Street. All matters were settled eventually, and the deal closed in February 2007. However, the Belo purchase of WUPL delayed that station's transition to HDTV until mid-2010 as the secondary master controls for WUPL at the WWL-TV facility were only capable of pillarboxed 4:3
standard definition
broadcasts until the recent upgrades took place.
and switched to its new network, MyNetworkTV
, on September 5. UPN programs ended on WPWR
in Chicago and KUTP
in Phoenix
on September 1, and on the other seven Fox-owned stations (including WWOR-TV
in New York City
and KCOP in Los Angeles
) the day before, August 31.
Several CW affiliates began airing Smackdown and some other CW-renewed UPN programming a few weeks early to replace UPN affiliates who had made the switch to MyNetworkTV. Otherwise, it was unclear whether MNTV affiliates would air UPN or WB programs at all. Additionally, as a Tribune-owned station Fox affiliate WXMI
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
aired Smackdown on tape delay between WXSP-CA
's switch to MNTV and the launch of WWMT
's digital subchannel as the local CW affiliate.
episodes of their past signature series, including Felicity, Angel
, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which was a two-hour episode) and Dawson's Creek
, and during commercial breaks, re-airings of past image campaigns and network promotions. It also involved promo spots given to the cable networks which carried these shows in off-network syndication, along with ads for each series' TV-on-DVD box set.
After its final commercial break, the last thing viewers saw before The WB shut down was a montage of the stars of several of The WB's shows over the years, and ending with former mascot Michigan J. Frog
taking a final bow. This was followed by the studio credits for the pilot of Dawson's Creek
; the credits for the other three pilots that aired were shown in the network's standard credits format. A clip of the final few moments can be seen by clicking here. The final night of WB programming netted relatively low ratings
, mustering only a share of 2, meaning just 2% of viewers were tuned in to the WB on its final night. The reasoning for the low ratings was due to certain areas whose WB affiliates became myNetworkTV affiliates, which rendered the WB unavailable in these markets for the final two weeks of programming.
On September 17, after The WB shut down, WPIX
in New York aired a montage of all of its logos throughout the station's history leading up to its current logo before its 10 pm newscast aired, while KHCW in Houston aired a retrospective of the station's history during its 9 pm news. In Dallas/Fort Worth, KDAF
had changed its newscast to CW33 News at Nine immediately following the end of WB programming, and featured a video clip of the sign being changed outside the studio. However, the old WB33 News at Nine bumper aired upon the first return from commercial that night.
at times. Additionally, concerns regarding the future of the CW led Tribune to begin rebranding its CW affiliates in a way that deemphasized its CW affiliation, and another major CW affiliate ownership group, Pappas Telecasting, cited the CW's poor performance as a factor in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Pappas has since winded down operations.
In 2008, the CW outsourced its five-hour Sunday block to Media Rights Capital
(MRC) in order to concentrate on its weekday schedule. The eventual Sunday lineup performed poorly in the ratings and eventually the CW gave back its Sunday time to local affiliates in the fall of 2009, rendering itself a weeknight-only network. After September 26, 2008, WWE Friday Night SmackDown left the CW for MyNetworkTV in large part due to the CW's newfound focus on targeting 18- to 34-year old female viewers; SmackDown moved to cable network Syfy
in October 2010.
Since its launch, MyNetworkTV has struggled to gain an audience. In 2009, it was announced that the network would convert to a syndicated programming service, and since SmackDown moved to Syfy in October 2010, MyNetworkTV has been devoid of first-run programming other than that shared with syndicators. In many markets it now shares channel space with other minor networks such as America One
, This TV
and Me-TV and is more apt to air out of primetime on several affiliates.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
broadcast television industry was realigned. In September 2006, the country's two "second-tier" television networks, UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
and The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
, both shut down on September 15 and 17 respectively, and their operations were transferred to a new joint-venture "fifth" network, The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
. Meanwhile, the Fox Television Stations Group
Fox Television Stations Group
Fox Television Stations, Inc. is a group of television stations located within the United States which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, part of News Corporation...
(which owned several UPN stations in large cities blocked from affiliating
Affiliate
An affiliate is a commercial entity with a relationship with a peer or a larger entity.- Corporate structure :A corporation may be referred to as an affiliate of another when it is related to it but not strictly controlled by it, as with a subsidiary relationship, or when it is desired to avoid...
with The CW) signed up with MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
, a new network owned by its parent company
Fox Entertainment Group
The Fox Entertainment Group is an American entertainment industry company that owns film studios and terrestrial, cable, and direct broadcast satellite television properties...
.
Background
In January 1995, The WB Television NetworkThe WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
and the United Paramount Network
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
were launched, each hoping to recreate the success of the Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network, which had launched in 1986 and which had quickly became one of America's "major" networks. All three networks had been joint ventures between major Hollywood studios and large owners of previously independent station
Independent station
An independent station is in the category of television terminology used to describe a television station broadcasting in the United States or Canada that is not affiliated with any television network....
s. The WB was originally owned by Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
's Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
; later the Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
would buy into the network. UPN was founded by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
and Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries
Chris-Craft Industries, Inc., formerly National Automotive Fibers, Inc., was a publicly-held American corporation traded on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges. It later took on the name of one of its acquisitions, Chris-Craft Boats...
.
However, both new networks launched to limited fanfare and generally poor results. In the next eleven-and-a-half seasons, despite a number of minor-hit or cult-hit series such as Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, neither network was able to attain the stature Fox had gained in its first decade, much less that of the longstanding "Big Three
Big Three Television Networks
The Big Three Television Networks are the three traditional commercial broadcast television networks in the United States: ABC, CBS and NBC...
" television networks (ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
). By early 2006, both networks were losing money, although The WB had been profitable a few seasons earlier. UPN had never turned a profit. Reports indicated that the prospects for both networks were fading quickly.
A further complication was the various shifts in network and affiliate ownership at UPN. Shortly after its launch, Paramount was purchased by Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
, which later purchased the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network. Viacom was permitted to keep interests in both networks. Chris-Craft's relations with Viacom were strained in 2000 when the latter firm exercised a contractual right to force Chris-Craft to either buy Viacom out of UPN, or sell out itself to Viacom. Chris-Craft could not find a suitable partner and sold out. That August, when Chris-Craft put its television stations, most of them UPN affiliates, up for sale, it sold to News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
's Fox Television Stations Group
Fox Television Stations Group
Fox Television Stations, Inc. is a group of television stations located within the United States which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, part of News Corporation...
instead of Viacom. At the time, Fox seemed to be a willing partner in UPN, but made no firm commitment. Fox later renewed its UPN affiliation through 2006. At the end of 2005, Viacom split into two companies: a new company named Viacom, and CBS Corporation (essentially the old Viacom renamed). In this "split", ownership of UPN went to CBS Corporation.
The new "fifth" network
On January 24, 2006, CBS CorporationCBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
and Time Warner announced they would shut down both UPN and The WB that fall. (The WB returned as an online video streaming service in April 2008.) In place of these two networks, a new "fifth" network, jointly owned by both companies, would launch, with a lineup of the most popular programming of both networks. The network was given the name "The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
" ("CW" representing the first initials of CBS and Warner).
The CW immediately announced ten-year affiliation agreements with 16 WB affiliates owned by Tribune Broadcasting
Tribune Broadcasting
The Tribune Broadcasting Company is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois and named for the flagship Chicago Tribune newspaper.- History :Tribune Broadcasting...
, and 11 UPN Owned-and-operated station
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
s under CBS ownership, giving the new network coverage of all of the top 13 markets and 48% of the country. The remaining affiliates were to be drawn from the pool of stations affiliated with UPN and The WB.
It was immediately clear that media markets with Tribune stations would receive CW affiliation, leaving Fox Television Stations, UPN's second largest affiliate group (after UPN O&Os
Owned-and-operated station
In the broadcasting industry , an owned-and-operated station usually refers to a television station or radio station that is owned by the network with which it is associated...
), with no prime-time network. Rumors began to circulate that Fox would plan its own network for those stations and others left out in the merger. The rumors proved true, and Fox launched its own network, MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
, a programming service meant to fill the two nightly prime time hours that opened up on its UPN-affiliated stations after the start of The CW. Fox also offered the service to other stations.
Stations
Following the CW network announcement, the new network immediately announced ten-year affiliation agreements with the Tribune CompanyTribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
and CBS Television Stations Group. Tribune committed 16 stations (including its flagship broadcast stations WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
in Chicago, KTLA
KTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) that were previously affiliated with The WB, while CBS committed 11 of its UPN stations (including WKBD
WKBD
WKBD-TV, virtual channel 50 , is an owned and operated station of the CW Television Network, based in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned and operated by the CBS Corporation, and is one-half of a duopoly with sister station WWJ-TV . Its studios and transmitters are located at 11 mile and...
in Detroit
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, WPSG
WPSG
WPSG, channel 57, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WPSG is owned by the CBS Corporation and is the east coast flagship station for the CW Television Network, which is owned jointly by CBS and Time Warner...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and WUPA
WUPA
WUPA, channel 69, is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia. An owned and operated station of the The CW Television Network, it identifies itself as "CW 69". It is owned by CBS Corporation, which is half-owner of The CW. Founded November 10, 1980, the station is broadcast locally in...
in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
). These stations combined to reach 48 percent of the United States. Both groups also owned several UPN/WB stations that did not join The CW in overlapping markets. As part of its agreement, Tribune agreed to divest its interest in The WB and did not take an ownership interest in The CW.
The network would eventually reach 95 percent of the United States. In markets where both UPN and The WB affiliates operated, only one station became a CW affiliate. CW executives were on record as preferring the "strongest" stations among existing The WB and UPN affiliates. However, as the reorganization was structured not as a merger in the legal sense, but as a new network launching concurrent with the WB/UPN shutdown, The CW was not obligated by existing affiliations with The WB and UPN. It had to negotiate from scratch with individual stations.
As a result, in some markets, the new CW affiliate was a different station than either the former The WB and UPN stations. In Helena, Montana
Helena, Montana
Helena is the capital city of the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Lewis and Clark County. The 2010 census put the population at 28,180. The local daily newspaper is the Independent Record. The Helena Brewers minor league baseball and Helena Bighorns minor league hockey team call the...
, ION affiliate KMTF
KMTF
KMTF is a television station in Helena, Montana, broadcasting locally on digital channel 29 as an affiliate of The CW. KMTF is owned by The Uhlmann Company, under the license name Rocky Mountain Broadcasting Company, and managed by Intermountain West Communications Company, who also owns KTVH...
became a CW station. In Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, independent station KVCW
KVCW
KVCW, branded as The CW Las Vegas, is the CW-affiliated television station for Las Vegas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 29 from a transmitter in Henderson, Nevada southwest of I-515/U.S. 93/U.S. 95...
signed for CW affiliation. In Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, The CW did not appear until early December 2006, where it was carried on a digital subchannel of local Fox affiliate KHON-TV
KHON-TV
KHON-TV is a Fox-affiliated television station in Honolulu, Hawaii. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 2.In addition to its Honolulu broadcast facilities, KHON has relays on all the major Hawaiian Islands to rebroadcast programs outside of metropolitan Honolulu: KHAW-TV in Hilo; KAII-TV in...
. The network also affiliated with some digital channels, mainly newly-launched subchannels of a local Big Four affiliate, in several markets.
Under the new network, a new service titled The CW Plus
The CW Plus
The CW Plus is a group of primarily digital sub-channels, analog, and non-broadcast cable television outlets for the CW Television Network, for markets below the top 99 television media markets in the United States....
began serving Nielsen DMAs
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
with rankings of 100 and lower. The CW Plus is similar to The WB 100+ Station Group
The WB 100+ Station Group
The WB 100+ Station Group was a group of primarily non-broadcast local cable television outlets for The WB Television Network, for markets below the top 100 television media markets in the United States. Dayparts with no WB programming were programmed by the network...
, which supplied locally-branded WB-affiliated cable channels. In most cases, distribution for The CW Plus covers not only cable but broadcast as well, including the digital subchannels discussed above.
On March 1, five affiliates—four WB, one UPN—were the first outside the CBS/Tribune core to sign CW affiliate deals. . By May 18, 2006, 174 stations had become affiliates of The CW, reaching 105 million households and covering 95.3% of the country (the latter two figures excluding the CW stations in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
Station groups with a large number of CW affiliates include Pappas Telecasting, ACME Communications
ACME Communications
ACME Communications is a United States-based television broadcasting company. The company was co-founded by current Chairman and former CEO Jamie Kellner, who previously served as a Fox Television Network executive and was founding CEO of The WB Television Network. Kellner used the name Acme as a...
, and Sinclair Broadcast Group
Sinclair Broadcast Group
The Sinclair Broadcast Group is an American telecommunications company that operates the largest number of local television stations in the United States. Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, it owns a total of 57 stations across the country in 35 primarily small and medium markets, many of...
, although many other large groups, including Hearst-Argyle
Hearst-Argyle
Hearst Television, Inc. is a broadcasting company in the United States, owned by the New York City-based Hearst Corporation. It holds joint ventures in television production with NBC Universal Television Distribution...
, Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, and Belo
Belo
Belo Corp. is a Dallas-based media company that owns 20 commercial broadcasting television stations and two regional 24-hour cable news television channels. The company was previously known as A.H. Belo Corp. after one of the early owners of the company, Alfred Horatio Belo, now the name of the...
have signed up selected stations. Sinclair signed on in early May despite reservations with The CW's reported demands for reverse compensation
Reverse compensation
Reverse compensation, in United States broadcasting, is the practice of a commercial television station paying a television network in exchange for being permitted to affiliate with that network...
(MediaPost Publications TV Station Execs Debate Choice--To Affiliate With CW Or With My Network TV 02/24/2006).
While WGN-TV
WGN-TV
WGN-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the CW-affiliated television station in Chicago, Illinois built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WGN-TV's studios and offices are located at 2501 W...
in Chicago became part of the CW network, its out-of-market WGN America feed, which stopped airing WB programming in 1999, similarly does not air programs from The CW Network.
Several affiliates changed their call letters to reflect their new affiliation with the CW (e.g. WNPA-TV (Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
) to WPCW-TV, WJWB (Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
) to WCWJ
WCWJ
WCWJ is the CW-affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida and Brunswick, Georgia. The station is owned by Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.. Its transmitter is located in Jacksonville.-History:...
, WHCP (Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Scioto County. The municipality is located on the northern banks of the Ohio River and east of the Scioto River in Southern Ohio. The population was 20,226 at the 2010 census.-Foundation:...
(Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
market)) to WQCW
WQCW
WQCW is the CW affiliate for the Huntington/Charleston, West Virginia television market. It is licensed to Portsmouth, Ohio and is the one of two commercial stations in the market licensed outside of West Virginia. Its transmitter is located in West Portsmouth, Ohio...
, WEWB (Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
) to WCWN
WCWN
WCWN is the CW-affiliated television station for New York State's Capital District and Western New England. Licensed to Schenectady, New York, it broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter southwest of New Scotland's Voorheesville section...
, KWCV (Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
) to KSCW
KSCW
KSCW-DT is the CW-affiliated television station for Wichita, Kansas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 or virtual channel 33 through PSIP. The station can also be seen on Cox channel 5 and in high definition on digital channel 2005...
, WBDC (Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
) to WDCW
WDCW
WDCW, channel 50, is the CW-affiliated television station for Washington, D.C. It transmits from the Hughes Memorial Tower located in the Brightwood section of the city. Owned by the Tribune Company, the station has studios on Wisconsin Avenue Northwest in the Glover Park section of Washington...
, KBHK (San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
) to KBCW, and KHWB (Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
) to KHCW). In August 2006, CBS Corporation's CW stations dropped all references to UPN from their branding.
Due to the availability of "instant duopoly" digital subchannels, and the overall lack of a need to settle for a secondary affiliation with shows aired in problematic timeslots, both The CW and myNetworkTV launched with far greater national coverage than that enjoyed by UPN and the WB when they started in 1995. For several years, UPN had coverage gaps in the top 30 markets, and by 2005 had only managed to reach 86% of the population. This resulted in secondary affiliations with other networks and diluted ratings when programs were shown out of their intended timeslots, or the lack of the program airing at all (a problem experienced by many Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
fans with Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
and Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
).
Comparisons to 1994 realignment
The WB and UPN were the first major television networks to close since the collapse of the DuMont Television NetworkDuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
in 1955, although other small broadcast television networks have also ceased operations over the years. Given the merger of the two networks to create the CW (as well as the eventual launch of myNetworkTV and the proliferation of digital subchannels), the scope of the realignment caused the largest single shakeup of American broadcast television since the Fox/New World Communications alliance
Fox affiliate switches of 1994
The United States television network affiliate switches of 1994 were a series of events resulting from a multi-million dollar deal between Fox Broadcasting Company, known commonly as Fox, and New World Communications, an owner of several VHF television stations affiliated with major networks,...
of 1994
1994 in television
The year 1994 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1994.For the American TV schedule, see: 1994-95 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
, which preceded the subsequent launches of UPN and The WB the following year that drastically reduced the number of independent television stations in the U.S., some of which had been marketed as superstations
Superstation
Superstation in United States television can have several meanings. In its most precise meaning, a superstation is defined by the Federal Communications Commission as "A television broadcast station, other than a network station, licensed by the FCC that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite...
as recent as the mid-1990s.
While The CW debut affected more markets, unlike the Fox/New World deal of the mid-1990s, it was unlikely to cause the same degree of viewer confusion as almost no affiliates of the four major networks dropped those affiliations. Only two former Big Four affiliates switched their primary affiliation, in both cases from Fox to myNetworkTV:
- In the Jackson, MississippiJackson, MississippiJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
market, Fox affiliate WUFXWUFXWUFX is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Jackson, Mississippi licensed to Vicksburg. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 from a transmitter on Thigpen Road in Raymond. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 11...
swapped affiliations with sister station (and original Fox affiliate) WDBDWDBDWDBD is the Fox-affiliated television station for Jackson, Mississippi. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 40 from a transmitter on Thigpen Road in Raymond. The station can also be seen on Comcast channel 6 and in high definition on digital channel 434...
(The WB) in the summer before joining myNetworkTV the following season after three seasons with Fox. Unrelated UPN affiliate WRBJ, which went on the air in early 2006, joined The CW. - In Fort SmithFort Smith, ArkansasFort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
-Fayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville, ArkansasFayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
(#102), low-power Fox affiliate KPBI-CAKPBI-CAKPBI-CA was a Class A low-power television station Fort Smith, Arkansas, broadcasting on channel 46. It is presently silent. The station is owned by Equity Media Holdings and, like many of Equity's stations, KPBI-CA was controlled remotely via satellite from Equity's headquarters in Little Rock,...
switched to myNetworkTV (along with KPBI (TV). Fox had moved its affiliation to full-power KFTA-TVKFTA-TVKFTA-TV, virtual channel 24, is the Fox-affiliated television station for the Arkansas River Valley and Northwest Arkansas that is licensed to Fort Smith. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 27 from a transmitter south of Artist Point...
, formerly a satellite of NBC affiliate KNWA-TVKNWA-TVKNWA-TV, virtual channel 51, is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northwest Arkansas and the Arkansas River Valley. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter southeast of Garfield...
. None of the three stations that were available (the two KPBI's and UPN affiliate KFDF-CAKFDF-CAKFDF-CA is a Class A low power television station in Fort Smith, Arkansas, broadcasting in analog on VHF channel 10 as an affiliate of This TV. The station is owned by Pinnacle Media, and has an analog translator in Fayetteville, KFFS-CA, on UHF channel 36...
) joined The CW; they are all owned by Equity BroadcastingEquity BroadcastingEquity Media Holdings was a broadcasting company based in Little Rock, Arkansas that owned and operated television stations across the United States. Prior to March 30, 2007, the company was known as Equity Broadcasting, which is now used for its broadcast station subisdary...
, which shunned The CW in every one of its markets. (KFDF-CA joined Equity's own RTNRetro Television NetworkThe Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
instead.) The CW would finally come to the market the following year on a cable-only channel available via Cox cable (and eventually on digital subchannels of the market's ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate, KHBS/KHOG-TV).
There were several other cases where Big Four affiliates picked up The CW, myNetworkTV, or both as a secondary affiliation or a digital subchannel, even in markets where viable non-network affiliate stations remained.
Network affiliation repercussions
In those media markets where there were separate affiliates of the WB and UPN, one local station was left out in the merger. Many of these stations signed with myNetworkTVMyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
including the vast majority of the Fox stations acquired in the 2001 acquisition of BHC Communications
BHC Communications
BHC Communications, Inc. was the holding company for the broadcast property of Chris-Craft Industries. BHC is said to stand for "broadcasting holding company".-History:...
(the former Chris-Craft stations). Additionally, myNetworkTV signed with three Tribune stations who did not take the CW affiliation: WPHL
WPHL-TV
WPHL-TV, channel 17, is a television station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, owned by the Tribune Company and currently affiliated with the News Corporation-owned MyNetworkTV television network. This makes it the largest non-O&O station of the network...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, WATL in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and KTWB in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. Tribune had indicated interest in Fox-developed programming blocks such as myNetworkTV for stations that did not pickup the CW affiliation; it announced on May 15th that the aforementioned stations would join myNetworkTV. In contrast, CBS initially seemed more hostile to myNetworkTV, and announced its remaining UPN affiliates—KTXA
KTXA
KTXA, virtual channel 21 , is an independent television station based in Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas/Fort Worth designated market area. With its transmitter in Cedar Hill, KTXA is owned by CBS Corporation and is the sister station of CBS outlet KTVT .KTXA was originally an...
in the Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
/Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
metroplex, WSBK
WSBK-TV
WSBK-TV is a MyNetworkTV television station for eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire that is licensed to Boston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter along the Needham and Wellesley town line southwest of the MA 9 and I-95 / MA 128...
in Boston, WBFS
WBFS-TV
WBFS-TV is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for South Florida that is licensed to Miami. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 32 from a transmitter in Miramar. Owned by the CBS Corporation, the station is sister to CBS affiliate WFOR-TV and the two share...
in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
/Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, and WUPL
WUPL
WUPL, virtual channel 54, is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Greater New Orleans, Louisiana area. It is licensed to the Northshore community of Slidell. It is currently owned by the Belo Corporation, in a duopoly with CBS affiliate WWL-TV. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel...
in New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
as well as WB affiliate WTCN-CA
WTCN-CA
WTCN-CA is the Class A MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for West Palm Beach, Florida. It broadcasts a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter south of Port Saint Lucie and I-95 in Martin County...
in West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida...
—would all become independent stations. WBFS, WUPL and WTCN-CA eventually all joined myNetworkTV.
Some stations bypassed by the CW that did not take myNetworkTV instead opted to become (or revert to) independent stations. For example, the two remaining former Viacom-owned UPN stations—WSBK and KTXA—reverted to their roots as independent stations (the latter was constrained to independence in any event due to Fox-owned KDFI
KDFI
KDFI-TV, virtual channel 27, is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated station serving the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The station is licensed to Dallas and owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network outlet KDFW . Its transmitter is located in Cedar...
affiliating with myNetworkTV). As a consequence, in three of the top 10 media markets—(Boston, Dallas/Fort Worth
Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex
The Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area, a title designated by the U.S. Census as of 2003, encompasses 12 counties within the U.S. state of Texas. The area is divided into two metropolitan divisions: Dallas–Plano–Irving and Fort Worth–Arlington. Residents of the area...
and San Francisco
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
)—programs from The WB, UPN, and myNetworkTV were all available to viewers by September 5 to September 17. MyNetworkTV affiliated with longtime former independent stations WZMY in New Hampshire (serving the Boston market) and KDFI, while in San Francisco the network affiliated with former longtime NBC affiliate KRON-TV
KRON-TV
KRON-TV, virtual channel 4 , is a television station in San Francisco, California, serving as the Bay Area affiliate of the MyNetworkTV programming service; the station is owned by Young Broadcasting...
(WB affiliate KBWB reverted to independent status). Other stations elected to become (or revert to) independent stations as well, particularly in situations where either more than two non-major network affiliate stations existed or another station picked up an affiliation with the CW or myNetworkTV via a digital subchannel.
Additionally, four former UPN affiliates became affiliates of "Big Four" networks themselves:
- WJKTWJKTWJKT is the Fox-affiliated television station for Western Tennessee licensed to Jackson. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter in Alamo. It can also be seen on Charter channel 9 and Jackson Energy Authority Broadband channel 12...
in Jackson, TennesseeJackson, TennesseeJackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
and the digital subchannel of WBOCWBOC-TVWBOC-TV, channel 16 , is a CBS affiliate based in Salisbury, Maryland, USA. WBOC-TV is owned by the Draper Holdings Business Trust, with its main studios in Salisbury, secondary studios/office facilities in Dover and Milton, Delaware, and transmitter in Laurel, Delaware...
in Salisbury, MarylandSalisbury, Maryland-Demographics:Salisbury is the principal city of the Salisbury-Ocean Pines CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Salisbury metropolitan area and the Ocean Pines micropolitan area , which had a combined population of 176,657 at the 2010 census.As of the census of 2000, there were...
joined Fox on August 21, 2006. - WLQP-LPWLQP-LPWLQP-LP is the ABC-affiliated television station for Northwestern Ohio that is licensed to Lima. It broadcasts a low-powered analog signal on UHF channel 25 from a transmitter on Rice Avenue in the city. WLQP can also be seen on Time Warner channel 12...
in Lima, OhioLima, OhioLima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
became the local ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate on September 1, 2006. - WSWGWSWGWSWG is the CBS-affiliated television station for Southwestern Georgia, licensed to Valdosta. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 43 from a transmitter northeast of Adel in Cook County. The station can also be seen on Mediacom channel 6 and in high definition on digital...
in Valdosta, GeorgiaValdosta, GeorgiaValdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
became a CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate and added MNTV as a digital subchannel on September 4.
Additionally, while some stations joined newly-established or lesser-known broadcast networks such as RTV
Retro Television Network
The Retro Television Network is a system of television stations that airs classic television shows as well as more recently produced programs...
), whose now-defunct parent company Equity Broadcasting
Equity Broadcasting
Equity Media Holdings was a broadcasting company based in Little Rock, Arkansas that owned and operated television stations across the United States. Prior to March 30, 2007, the company was known as Equity Broadcasting, which is now used for its broadcast station subisdary...
did not commit any of their WB affiliates to the CW, other stations (mainly digital subchannels, cable channels such as those that were WB 100+ cable channels, and struggling low-power stations) which received neither the CW nor the myNetworkTV affiliation opted instead to sign off permanently and cease to exist. For example, in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, the "UPN17
Miami Valley Channel
The Miami Valley Channel , known at various times as UPN 44 and UPN 17, was a local cable TV channel based in Dayton, Ohio. MVC launched in September, 1994 and closed down at the end of 2006...
" cable channel run by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliate WHIO-TV
WHIO-TV
WHIO-TV, virtual channel 7, is the CBS-affiliated television station licensed to Dayton, Ohio, serving that state's Miami Valley area. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 41 from its transmitter on Germantown Street in western Dayton....
closed down at the end of 2006.
Despite the launch of the CW on September 18, 2006, many households around the country were not able to see the new network when it premiered because many stations in several markets, primarily those who picked up the CW on a digital subchannel of the station's primary affiliate, were unsuccessful in trying to strike a deal with Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable
Time Warner Cable is an American cable television company that operates in 28 states and has 31 operating divisions...
to carry their CW subchannels on basic cable lineups, despite the CW being 50% owned by then-parent company Time Warner. These markets included Cincinnati
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
, Honolulu
KHON-TV
KHON-TV is a Fox-affiliated television station in Honolulu, Hawaii. The station broadcasts on virtual channel 2.In addition to its Honolulu broadcast facilities, KHON has relays on all the major Hawaiian Islands to rebroadcast programs outside of metropolitan Honolulu: KHAW-TV in Hilo; KAII-TV in...
, Charleston (SC)
WCBD-TV
WCBD-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Lowcountry area of South Carolina licensed to Charleston. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 50 from a transmitter in Awendaw. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 2 as well as Knology and Comcast...
, El Paso
KVIA-TV
KVIA-TV is an ABC affiliate television station in El Paso, Texas. It broadcasts its digital signal on channel 7 and channel 17. It is owned by and was the flagship television station of the News-Press & Gazette Company of St. Joseph, Missouri before the company acquired KRDO-TV. Its transmitter is...
, Corpus Christi
KRIS-TV
KRIS-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for the Corpus Christi area of South Texas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Robstown...
, Palm Springs
KCWQ-LP
KCWQ-LP is the low-powered CW-affiliated television station for the Coachella Valley that is licensed to Palm Springs. It broadcasts an analog signal on VHF channel 2 and a digital signal on UHF channel 26 from a transmitter on Edom Hill northeast of Cathedral City and I-10...
, and Lima, Ohio
WLIO
WLIO is the NBC-affiliated television station for Northwest Ohio licensed to Lima. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter at its studios on Rice Avenue in the city. The station can also be seen on Time Warner Cable channel 5 and in high definition on...
. In late 2006, the Honolulu, El Paso and Palm Springs affiliates were made available on TWC systems in those markets.
Network transition repercussions
After the conclusion of the May 2006 sweeps period, as both the WB and UPN started shutting down, both programming schedules and on-screen graphics were affected, and on August 14, 2006 both networks stopped inserting their bugsDigital on-screen graphic
A digital on-screen graphic is a watermark-like station logo that many television broadcasters overlay over a portion of the screen-area of their programs to identify the channel...
into prime time programming in order to allow new CW affiliates to add lower thirds
Lower thirds
In the television industry , a lower third is a graphic placed in the title safe lower area of the screen, though not necessarily the entire lower third of it, as the name suggests....
and bugs promoting the CW during this time—this practice was automatically used on WB affiliates' primetime programming.
Also on August 14, 2006, UPN ceased all promotional advertising for their programs during network time (except for audition promotions for America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
during that show), though some local stations still aired promos for the network's shows. The network also stopped customizing the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
of their shows to their graphics scheme (perhaps in reaction to affiliate preemptions, see below), instead showing studio credits full-screen with theme music (save for ANTM, where previews of the next episode were shown on the left with studio credits on the right). In contrast, at the WB, advertising for their shows continued during network time, mixed in with promos for the CW, and the network's standard closing credits format remained unchanged with promos in the upper two-thirds of the screen and credits in the lower third.
The networks also filled spare timeslots with low-cost movies on some weeks (including UPN on Wednesday night and the WB during its infamous "Friday night death slot
Friday night death slot
The Friday night death slot is a perceived graveyard slot in American television, referring to the concept that a television program in the United States scheduled on Friday evenings is destined for imminent cancellation....
") and reruns and unaired episodes of long cancelled programs, such as the sketch comedy series Blue Collar TV
Blue Collar TV
Blue Collar TV was a television program that aired on The WB Television Network with lead actors Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy. The show's humor dealt principally with contemporary American society, and especially hillbilly, redneck, and Southern stereotypes. The show was...
on Wednesday nights and repeat and unaired episodes of Just Legal
Just Legal
Just Legal is a television courtroom drama that stars Don Johnson and Jay Baruchel as two courtroom lawyers in Venice, California. The series premiered on The WB on September 19, 2005 and was canceled on October 3, 2005 after only three episodes had been aired. Almost a year later The WB decided...
on Sunday nights (both on the WB). Prior to the myNetworkTV announcement, many stations (including those snubbed by the CW) had reportedly begun to search for new programming to fill empty timeslots, which had been likely to further boost the fortunes of the syndication industry. Ironically, one of those syndicated offerings, Desire
Desire (TV series)
Desire is an American telenovela which debuted at 8:00PM Eastern/7:00PM Central on September 5, 2006, on the American network MyNetworkTV, and ended on December 5. It was produced by Twentieth Television...
, eventually became part of myNetwork TV's fall 2006 schedule.
Other affiliate repercussions
Following the CW announcement, the fate of many WB and UPN affiliates changed drastically. On January 27, 2006, La Crosse, WisconsinLa Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
UPN affiliate KQEG
KQEG-CA
KQEG-CA, channel 23, is a Class A station licensed in La Crescent, Minnesota, with studios and offices in La Crosse, Wisconsin. WIBU-LP, channel 51, is a low power station located in Tomah, Wisconsin that simulcasts the programming of KQEG-CA...
dropped its UPN affiliation, becoming the first station to drop an affiliation due to the CW announcement; it retained its FamilyNet
FamilyNet
FamilyNet is a broadcast television network owned by ComStar Media Fund and based in Atlanta, Georgia. The network was founded in 1979 as the National Christian Network, and took the name FamilyNet in 1988 under the ownership of Jerry Falwell. The channel was acquired by InTouch Ministries in...
affiliation.
Many affected affiliates took similar measures. Following the May 2006 sweeps period, many stations began to pre-empt UPN and WB programming for a variety of reasons. In the Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
/Appleton
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
market, future myNetworkTV affiliate WACY
WACY
WACY is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Northeastern Wisconsin's Fox River Valley licensed to Appleton. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 27 from a transmitter in Glenmore's Shirley section. The station can also be seen on CenturyLink and Time Warner...
(as of June 5th) opted to replace all of the network's second hour of programming whenever possible (except for Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars
Veronica Mars is an American television series created by Rob Thomas. The series premiered on September 22, 2004, during television network UPN's final two years, and ended on May 22, 2007, after a season on UPN's successor, The CW Television Network. Veronica Mars was produced by Warner Bros...
) with airings of infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
s. In Cincinnati, eventual independent station WBQC moved its UPN programming on July 4th to between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. early Tuesday to Saturday morning, with the intention of promoting the station's "Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
" programming in its place.
Another eventual independent station, KPNZ
KPNZ
KPNZ is an independent television station serving the Salt Lake City, Utah television market. Owned by Los Angeles-based Liberman Broadcasting, the station broadcasts a variety of Spanish-language programming.-History:...
in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
, ceased to air UPN programming in June 2006 with no replacement affiliate for the remaining two months (the station is now an affiliate of the Spanish-language Estrella TV
Estrella TV
Estrella TV is a Spanish-language television network owned by Liberman Broadcasting. The network launched September 14, 2009.-Affiliates:-Former Affiliates:-Controversy:...
network). In Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, WB 100+ cable channel WBQT
WBQT
"WBQT" is the CW-affiliated television station for the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. The call letters are fictional since it is a cable-exclusive station and part of The CW Plus which is a special CW feed airing on cable and/or over-the-air on a digital signal...
was at one point seen as a CW affiliate on the official website and even started advertising as such, but due to a lack of confirmation, the station's call letters were removed. However, on August 29, 2006, WBQT signed a formal affiliation agreement with the CW as a member channel of The CW Plus.
Before the merger, cash-strapped Granite Broadcasting had previously reached an agreement to sell its WB affiliates in San Francisco and Detroit
WMYD
WMYD is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southeast Michigan licensed to Detroit. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter on Eight Mile Road in Oak Park along the Oakland and Wayne County line. The station can also be seen on Comcast...
to AM Media, a unit of private equity firm Acon Investments. With the CW choosing to affiliate with CBS-owned UPN stations in those markets, the Granite-AM Media deal eventually collapsed, and Granite responded by instead deciding to sell the stations to DS Audible, LLC instead for a lesser price. Granite later announced it was suing CBS and Time Warner over the failed deal. On July 18, 2006, the deal to sell to DS Audible also fell apart, and on December 11, 2006, Granite filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Granite emerged from bankruptcy in June 2007 under control of Silver Point Capital, which took over another bankrupt broadcasting company, Communications Corporation of America
Communications Corporation of America
Communications Corporation of America is a broadcasting company in the United States that owns television stations in smaller markets. The company is headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana...
, later that year.
In New Orleans, CBS filed a lawsuit against Belo
Belo
Belo Corp. is a Dallas-based media company that owns 20 commercial broadcasting television stations and two regional 24-hour cable news television channels. The company was previously known as A.H. Belo Corp. after one of the early owners of the company, Alfred Horatio Belo, now the name of the...
, owner of market-dominant CBS affiliate WWL-TV
WWL-TV
WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
, in early 2006 over allegations that Belo tried to renege on the terms of buying WUPL after Tribune-owned WNOL
WNOL-TV
WNOL-TV, virtual channel 38, is the CW-affiliated television station in New Orleans, Louisiana. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 15. It is owned by Tribune Broadcasting, in a duopoly with ABC affiliate WGNO.-Digital television:...
was named the market's CW affiliate (but before WUPL's affiliation with MNTV was announced). The deal, already complicated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
which caused catastrophic damage to much of the Greater New Orleans area, would have created a duopoly between WWL-TV and WUPL with both stations merging into WWL's studios on Rampart Street. All matters were settled eventually, and the deal closed in February 2007. However, the Belo purchase of WUPL delayed that station's transition to HDTV until mid-2010 as the secondary master controls for WUPL at the WWL-TV facility were only capable of pillarboxed 4:3
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
standard definition
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
broadcasts until the recent upgrades took place.
UPN
UPN closed their network quietly on Friday, September 15, with its usual airing of WWE Friday Night SmackDown; in addition, some stations aired the network's usual, but optional, weekend repeat block. The low-key closure was not surprising given that in nine media markets, including the three largest, UPN was not available because the local affiliates were owned by Fox Television Stations GroupFox Television Stations Group
Fox Television Stations, Inc. is a group of television stations located within the United States which are owned-and-operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of the Fox Entertainment Group, part of News Corporation...
and switched to its new network, MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
, on September 5. UPN programs ended on WPWR
WPWR-TV
WPWR-TV, channel 50, is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station licensed to Gary, Indiana, and serving the Chicago, Illinois area. WPWR-TV is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network outlet WFLD-TV...
in Chicago and KUTP
KUTP
KUTP, channel 45, is a MyNetworkTV-affiliated station in Phoenix, Arizona. It is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox outlet KSAZ-TV . The two stations share studio facilities in Phoenix, and KUTP's transmitter is located on South...
in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
on September 1, and on the other seven Fox-owned stations (including WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV
WWOR-TV, virtual channel 9 , is the flagship station of the MyNetworkTV programming service, licensed to Secaucus, New Jersey and serving the Tri-State metropolitan area. WWOR is owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, and is a sister station to Fox network flagship...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and KCOP in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
) the day before, August 31.
Several CW affiliates began airing Smackdown and some other CW-renewed UPN programming a few weeks early to replace UPN affiliates who had made the switch to MyNetworkTV. Otherwise, it was unclear whether MNTV affiliates would air UPN or WB programs at all. Additionally, as a Tribune-owned station Fox affiliate WXMI
WXMI
WXMI channel 17 is a Fox-affiliated television station in Grand Rapids, Michigan, owned by the Tribune Company. WXMI's studio and office facility is located in Grand Rapids and its transmitter is based southwest of Middleville, Michigan...
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
aired Smackdown on tape delay between WXSP-CA
WXSP-CA
WXSP-CD is the Class A MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for Southwestern Michigan, licensed to Grand Rapids. It broadcasts a standard definition digital signal on UHF channel 15 from a transmitter in Walker along Interstate 96. The station can also be seen on Charter channel 15 and Comcast...
's switch to MNTV and the launch of WWMT
WWMT
WWMT is the CBS-affiliated television station for West Michigan licensed to Kalamazoo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 8 from a transmitter on Chief Noonday Road/M-179, northwest of Yankee Springs Township, along the Barry and Allegan County line. The station can also...
's digital subchannel as the local CW affiliate.
The WB
The WB closed their network on Sunday, September 17 with a five-hour block of pilotTelevision pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
episodes of their past signature series, including Felicity, Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which was a two-hour episode) and Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
, and during commercial breaks, re-airings of past image campaigns and network promotions. It also involved promo spots given to the cable networks which carried these shows in off-network syndication, along with ads for each series' TV-on-DVD box set.
After its final commercial break, the last thing viewers saw before The WB shut down was a montage of the stars of several of The WB's shows over the years, and ending with former mascot Michigan J. Frog
Michigan J. Frog
Michigan J. Frog is an animated cartoon character who debuted in the Looney Tunes cartoon One Froggy Evening , written by Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones...
taking a final bow. This was followed by the studio credits for the pilot of Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek
Dawson's Creek is an American teen drama television series which debuted on January 20, 1998, on The WB Television Network and was produced by Sony Pictures Television. The show is set in the fictional seaside town of Capeside, Massachusetts, and in Boston, Massachusetts, during the later seasons...
; the credits for the other three pilots that aired were shown in the network's standard credits format. A clip of the final few moments can be seen by clicking here. The final night of WB programming netted relatively low ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, mustering only a share of 2, meaning just 2% of viewers were tuned in to the WB on its final night. The reasoning for the low ratings was due to certain areas whose WB affiliates became myNetworkTV affiliates, which rendered the WB unavailable in these markets for the final two weeks of programming.
On September 17, after The WB shut down, WPIX
WPIX
WPIX, channel 11, is a television station in New York City built, signed on, and owned by the Tribune Company. WPIX also serves as the flagship station of The CW Television Network...
in New York aired a montage of all of its logos throughout the station's history leading up to its current logo before its 10 pm newscast aired, while KHCW in Houston aired a retrospective of the station's history during its 9 pm news. In Dallas/Fort Worth, KDAF
KDAF
KDAF, virtual channel 33 , is a CW-affiliated television station serving the Dallas-Fort Worth television market area. The station is licensed to Dallas and owned by the Tribune Company with its studios located off the John W. Carpenter Freeway in northwest Dallas. The station's transmitter is...
had changed its newscast to CW33 News at Nine immediately following the end of WB programming, and featured a video clip of the sign being changed outside the studio. However, the old WB33 News at Nine bumper aired upon the first return from commercial that night.
Post-realignment
Since 2006, The CW and myNetworkTV have struggled mightily in the Nielsen ratings despite the CW showing initial signs of promise. The CW has usually finished fifth in the Nielsen ratings, even falling behind Spanish-language network UnivisionUnivision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
at times. Additionally, concerns regarding the future of the CW led Tribune to begin rebranding its CW affiliates in a way that deemphasized its CW affiliation, and another major CW affiliate ownership group, Pappas Telecasting, cited the CW's poor performance as a factor in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Pappas has since winded down operations.
In 2008, the CW outsourced its five-hour Sunday block to Media Rights Capital
Media Rights Capital
Media Rights Capital II LP is an independent film, television and digital studio founded by Mordecai Wiczyk and Asif Satchu. MRC specializes in the creation of premium content. It has full in-house physical production, legal, finance and sales teams, and a complete marketing infrastructure...
(MRC) in order to concentrate on its weekday schedule. The eventual Sunday lineup performed poorly in the ratings and eventually the CW gave back its Sunday time to local affiliates in the fall of 2009, rendering itself a weeknight-only network. After September 26, 2008, WWE Friday Night SmackDown left the CW for MyNetworkTV in large part due to the CW's newfound focus on targeting 18- to 34-year old female viewers; SmackDown moved to cable network Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
in October 2010.
Since its launch, MyNetworkTV has struggled to gain an audience. In 2009, it was announced that the network would convert to a syndicated programming service, and since SmackDown moved to Syfy in October 2010, MyNetworkTV has been devoid of first-run programming other than that shared with syndicators. In many markets it now shares channel space with other minor networks such as America One
America One
America One is an over-the-air television network in the United States. The network serves over 170 LPTV, Class A, Full Power, Cable and Satellite affiliate stations...
, This TV
This TV
This TV is a United States general entertainment television network, with a large emphasis in its programming on movies....
and Me-TV and is more apt to air out of primetime on several affiliates.