WB, UPN networks to merge!

(excerpted from the Hollywood Reporter)

David...

Worlds live! Worlds die!

It's Crisis on Infinite Networks!

John Taber...

Doesn't Tribune hold a stake in the WB?

Ian J. Ball...

This sounds like a logistical nightmare.

John Taber...

I see a bunch of UHF stations folding as a result of this. One of them
will be in Raleigh, where Sinclair owns both the UPN and WB stations.
During the day, typically one station shows programming while the other
shows an infomercial. (They switch off about every hour.)

On the plus side, if they can work this out, 95% coverage is almost as
much as FOX's, and much better than The WB's & UPN's <90% coverage.

John Taber...

The question is, can they build off from this?

Ian J. Ball...

Looks like The WB's network goons got the boot. (That's a 'pick, or
choose' in my book, which net's goons were worse.)

Ian J. Ball...

I'm just cynical enough to believe that this came about as much because
of Univision being added to the Ratings List as anything.

John Taber...

You just might be right about that.

Ian J. Ball...

^^^^^^^^^

Ian J. Ball...

^^^^^^^^^

Ian J. Ball...

So, KLTA wins, and KCOP loses, in L.A.

In San Diego, KSWB wins, and XUPN loses.

Ian J. Ball...

Which 5 are left out?...

John Taber...

I don't know, but Tribune-owned WPHL in Philadelphia will be out in the
cold as a result of this. They recently canceled their own 10 pm news,
that's now covered by NBC's O&O. (And they're not the only Tribune
station with such an arrangement.)

Brian Thorn...

Yay! Maybe next year I'll get to watch "Veronica Mars" and "Everybody
Hates Chris" at decent times, instead of Midnight Sunday/Monday and
10:30pm Saturday, respectively, in this podunk no-dedicated-UPN town.

Rose...

We also have one low-wattage indy station--Channel 35, The Cat, 65 on Cox

evwill...

If the top 25 listing I'm looking at is correct that would be
Cleveland, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Orlando and Baltimore. Presumably, The
CW would still air in those and most other markets under to be
determined agreements.

Everett W.

Taylor...

WUAB-TV43 Cleveland (UPN) is owned by Raycom and Raycom also owns
WOIO-TV19 Cleveland (CBS). There's a WBNX-TV55 Cleveland (WB), so I
assume that's the one that gets left out in the cold (independent). For
a while, WUAB was a split UPN/WB affiliate, but I guess WBNX was created
to take the WB load.

WUAB's a REAL gem.

cable. Don't ask me it's call letters. It's an interesting channel. They
carry Ohio State basketball, an eclectic array of movies I've never heard
of, and on Thursdays at 11 am, The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Taylor...

Erie, PA doesn't have s**t when it comes to UPN and WB.