UPN Loss Opens Door for News Corp

[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Joe Flint joe.flint@wsj.com]
In September, when UPN ceases broadcasting, News Corp. will have the chance to usher in a new programming strategy for its nine UPN affiliates. Those stations, primarily in major markets such as New York and Los Angeles, could form the backbone of new TV network or some other type of programming service. Options include Spanish-language programs, news or reruns of Fox programs. Figuring out the future of the stations is the responsibility of Roger Ailes, the chairman and chief executive of News Corp.'s Fox News Channel and who was named last year to oversee the company's TV-station group, which includes the UPN affiliates, 25 stations carrying the Fox network's programming and one station that is independent. Mr. Ailes's background in news suggests to some that he will choose to turn the stations into news outlets. One option would be to use news footage from Fox News Channel, which would spread costs of producing the footage over more outlets. But people close to Mr. Ailes say there are no plans to use content from the Fox News channel on the local television stations. So far, News Corp. is mum on how it may program the prime-time hours occupied now by UPN. One possibility is using the stations as the basis of a Spanish-language network, to tap the expanding Hispanic market. A person close to Mr. Ailes says he often tells the news divisions at Fox stations in heavily Latino markets to try to broaden their appeal to that group. Another possible quick fix: Sibling division 20th Century Fox Television is developing a large slate of English-language soap operas modeled after Spanish-language telenovelas. The soaps were originally intended to run later at night or in the early evening, but it is now likely that News Corp. will slap them in prime time for fall.
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