Local UPN, WB stations dropped for new network

CBS Corp. and Warner Brothers Entertainment on Jan. 24 each agreed to sign a 10-year affiliation with a new fifth network, The CW. Each company will own 50 percent.

UPN, owned by CBS, and The WB, owned by Warner Brothers, will be dropped from television dials, though some primetime shows from both are expected to air on The CW, according to a news release from CBS.

The new network's initial lineup is predicted to include “America's Next Top Model,” “Veronica Mars,” “Everybody Hates Chris” and “WWE Smackdown.” The WB's children's segment, aired on Saturday mornings, also is expected to move.

The CW will incorporate The WB's scheduling model, which consists of two hours of primetime Monday through Friday and three hours of primetime on Sunday night. The new network will program 30 hours a week for its affiliated stations.

As for local viewers, there is no guarantee that The CW will be picked up in the Ozarks.

“We will certainly consider being an affiliate of the new CW, but currently, we only get 10 hours of programming per week from the UPN Network, so we'll also consider programming the time ourselves,” said Mike Scott, UPN15 president and general manager, in a company news release.

The agreement between CBS and Warner Brothers assures The CW will be seen in 48 percent of the country, and the full distribution of the network is expected to be about 95 percent of the country, according to CBS.