Arkan Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060124/ap_on_en_tv/tv_network NEW YORK - Two small, struggling television networks, UPN and WB, will shut down this fall, and their parent companies plan to form a new network called The CW using programming and other assets from each of them. The announcement was made Tuesday by executives from CBS Corp., which owns UPN, and Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc., which owns most of WB. Both UPN and WB had struggled to compete against larger rivals in the broadcast TV business, including Walt Disney Co.'s ABC, News Corp.'s Fox, General Electric Co.'s NBC and CBS Corp.'s CBS. The new network will launch in the fall, the executives said, when both UPN and WB will shut down. It will be a 50-50 partnership between Warner Bros. and CBS, and the network will be carried on stations owned by the Tribune Co., a minority owner of WB. Altogether, the 16 Tribune stations and the 12 UPN stations owned by CBS will give the new network coverage in almost half of the country, the executives said. The executives said they hoped to sign up new affiliates in the rest of the country by the time The CW launches. Among the Tribune's TV stations that will join the new network are its flagship WGN in Chicago as well as WPIX in New York, and KTLA in Los Angeles. The Tribune Co. will relinquish its 22.5 percent stake in WB and will receive a 10-year affiliation agreement with the new network. Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS Corp., said the new network will air 30 hours of programming seven days a week aimed in part at young audiences. The plan includes two hours of programs in prime time each night Monday through Friday and three hours on Sunday evening. It will also offer programming on weekday and Sunday afternoons, and five hours of children's programs on Saturday morning. Barry Meyer, the head of Warner Bros., said the network would be run by the current executives of UPN and WB. The CW will be run by Dawn Ostroff, who will be in charge of programming, and John Maatta will oversee the business side as chief operating officer. Maatta had been COO of WB, and Ostroff was president of UPN. The new network gets its name from the first letters of its parent's names "Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger." - Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials "I have also been slowly coming to the realisation that knowledge and happiness are not necessarily coincident, and quite often mutually exclusive" - meta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hurlshort Posted January 24, 2006 Share Posted January 24, 2006 I don't see it as a huge deal. They'll probably keep all the decent shows and throw out most of the garbage. I know a few people watch "Smallville", and I believe it was Volourn who loves "Gilmore Girls". They'll keep these shows running. Personally I haven't watched these two networks since Buffy and Angel went off the air. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack the Ripper Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Sweet. I no longer have to change channels after The Parkers to watch Elimidate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreKOTORplz Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 what will the poor minority sitcoms do now? the jedi's are going to feel this one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laozi Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 This is actually pretty good news People laugh when I say that I think a jellyfish is one of the most beautiful things in the world. What they don't understand is, I mean a jellyfish with long, blond hair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moreKOTORplz Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 you'll miss their quality programing...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blank Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 we'll find out just how bad this is when they spawn a kotor animated series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commissar Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 "Tonight: Newfound Glory guest-starts on a very special Star Wars." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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