With Focus on Youth, 2 Small TV Networks Unite

[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bill Carter]
Two small television networks became a large one yesterday when CBS and the Warner Brothers Entertainment unit of Time Warner joined forces to form a new, youth-oriented network out of the programs on UPN and WB. The new venture, called CW, will take the most popular shows from UPN and WB, each of which has struggled to turn a profit. Several executives on both sides of the venture said the combination of the two networks would greatly increase the opportunity to create such hits. The move underscored the expanding power in the television industry of the CBS chief executive, Leslie Moonves, just a few weeks into his tenure atop a stand-alone media company. He will now oversee not only CBS, the most-watched of the broadcast networks, but also an enhanced part-time network aimed at viewers under 35 years old - the audience that CBS reaches least well. CBS and Warner Brothers will be 50-50 owners of the venture, which will broadcast 30 hours a week, including prime time, some daytime shows, and the Kids' WB children's block. Among the programs highlighted in the announcement yesterday were "America's Top Model," "Veronica Mars" and "Everybody Hates Chris" from UPN and "Gilmore Girls," "Smallville" and "Beauty and the Geek" from WB.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/business/25network.html
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* Three Tribune Stations Lose Affiliations
When the WB and UPN are folded in favor of a new CW network next fall, Tribune Broadcasting will convert 16 of its WB stations to the new network, but have to program three outlets as independents in markets where Tribune and CBS both own stations. The network merger, announced Tuesday morning, untangles Tribune from its ownership stake in the WB network. Tribune owns a 22% stake in The WB but will not have any equity stake in the new network. But Tribune also will not be responsible for any of the shutdown costs at The WB and gets affiliations for CW in plum markets such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. But Tribune will now have to program three of its WB stations--Philadelphia, Seattle and Atlanta--as independents. FitzSimons said that will result in higher prime time programming costs but that the stations will now have more inventory to sell to advertisers.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6301680?display=Breaking+News...
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* Tribune to Act as Lead Affiliate Group for The CW
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10018...

* Can 2 Network Lineups Learn to Live Together?
What could CW's program look like? Can it compete with Fox?
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/25/business/25notes.html?pagewanted=all
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* CBS, Warner Bros. Form New Network
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6301540.html?display=Breaking...
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* UPN and The WB Hope One Network Is Stronger Than Two
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113811973028954909.html?mod=todays_us_ma...
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* CBS, Warner to Shut Down 2 Networks and Form Hybrid
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-cw25jan25,0,5522531...
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* 2 weak links join for survival
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20060125/1b_cwcov25.art.htm

* Creating CW Shrinks Field for Bad TV
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fi-critical25jan25,...
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