UPN and The WB will fold in the fall; will become one network called The CW

After a decade and more of playing second fiddle to the big four networks, struggling mini-nets The WB and UPN will fold this fall and merge into one network called The CW. Both networks have never shown a profit and have struggled to reach masses the way ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC do. This merger will now have a network that will reach 98% of the total viewing audience, making them now a larger player in the broadcast network arena.

The new network will be a 50-50 partnership between Warner Bros. and CBS. It will be carried on the 16 stations owned by the Tribune Company and the 12 owned by CBS, and there is hope new affiliates will be added by the time the new CW launches in September. The Tribune Company -which has three stations in the biggest markets, WGN in Chicago (my home town), WPIX in New York and KTLA in Los Angeles (my new home), will diverge its minority ownership of The WB in return for a 10 year affiliation agreement with The CW. It is expected that The CW will broadcast 30 hours of programing seven days a week, with 2 hours in prime time Monday through Friday (8-10 EST/PST) and three hours on Sunday (7-10 EST/PST), along with a two-hour block on Sunday outside of prime time (5-7 EST/PST). The CW will also continue The WB’s Monday-Friday afternoon block (3-5 EST/PST) and a five-hour animation block on Saturday.

This will also doom shows on both networks, though expect UPN to get hit the most. The new network will now exclusively go after the demographic age of 18-34, making most of UPN’s ethnic programming a thing of the past. Expect the new team heading up this revamped fifth network -Dawn Ostroff from UPN and John Maatta from the WB - to cherry pick the best shows from the current crop on both networks. From UPN, expect Everyone Hates Chris and Veronica Mars to stay, along with (probably) America’s Next Top Model. The odds of anything else surviving is slim to none (say bye-bye to the Monday urban comedy line-up) though the WWE’s Smackdown has a chance because its been a linchpin in UPN’s schedule for a decade, but its contract is up this September, and there is a possibility it could move to USA. Meanwhile, expect Gilmore Girls to stay (even though next season will be its last), though genre shows like Smallville and Supernatural are hard to call. While Smallville has gained viewers this season in its tough Thursday timeslot, it is aging (along with star Tom Welling). I have speculated since last May that season five would be its last, especially since Warner Bros. is relaunching the film franchise this June with Superman Returns (which while a quasi sequel to Superman II, the production crew of Smallville will feature a ship in its season ender that is the same ship Superman uses to leave earth). And, if the already announced Aquaman does get picked up, this could doom it. Supernatural has done very well for The WB, but its future will remain muddled. Charmed is already expected to end this season after 8 years, along with 7th Heaven, ending after 10. Reality show Beauty and the Geek should also survive -and creator Ashton Kushtner is expected to do a spin-off of that show, featuring hunks and geeky women. The fates of One Tree Hill and Everwood is also nebulas at this point, but don’t expect The WB’s Friday comedy block of Twins, Reba or Life with Fran to survive.