The CW Television Network
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Categories: American television networks | CW Television Network | Joint ventures | Television channels and stations established in 2006 | UPN television network | The WB television network
The CW Television Network, referred to as The CW is a television network in the United States launched during the 2006 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, owner of UPN, and Warner Bros. Entertainment, a subsidiary of Time Warner, majority owner of The WB. The name was derived from the first letter of the names of these two corporations (CBS and Warner Bros.). It features a mixture of programming from both UPN and The WB television networks, which ceased independent operations on September 15 and 17, 2006 respectively. According to The CW's President of Entertainment Dawn Ostroff, the network's "shows are going to appeal to the 18- to 34-year-olds."[1] The network began operations on Monday, September 18 2006 with two nights of reruns and launch-related specials; however, The CW marketed its formal launch date on September 20 2006, with the 2-hour season premiere of America's Next Top Model. In trade magazines like Variety, The CW is referred to as The Green Network, most likely since its first logos and campaign were (and still are to this day) in green, or in reference to it as the newest broadcast network (in terms of finding its footing).
HistoryThe CW is a successor to The WB and UPN, both of which launched in January 1995. However, both networks can be seen as descendants of the Prime Time Entertainment Network, a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Chris-Craft Industries, which launched in 1993. The two companies later became partners in The WB and UPN, respectively, and PTEN continued as a separate syndication service until folding in 1997. Both UPN and The WB started just as the Fox network had begun to secure a foothold in the American viewing lineup. Both launched to limited fanfare and generally poor results. However, in the subsequent eleven-and-a-half seasons, both networks were able to air several series that became quite popular, such as 7th Heaven and Smallville. However, towards the end of their opening decade, the networks were in decline, unable to reach the audience or have the effect that Fox had gained within its first 10 years, much less that of the Big Three of ABC, CBS, and NBC. Nonetheless, the January 24, 2006 announcement that CBS and Warner Bros. would effectively combine the two networks' operations came as a surprise to most in the industry. Like both UPN and The WB, The CW targeted its programming to younger audiences. CBS and Warner Bros. hoped that combining their networks' schedules and station lineups would strengthen The CW into a fifth "major" broadcast network. Unlike the "Big Four" broadcast networks, The CW vaunted no plans to offer national news or sports programming to their affiliates; however, some stations do broadcast local news and/or sports, and many air the nationally syndicated Orlando-based morning show, The Daily Buzz. CBS chairman Les Moonves explained that the name of the new network was formed from the first letters of CBS and Warner Bros, joking, "we couldn't call it the WC for obvious reasons." Although some executives reportedly disliked the new name,[2] Moonves stated in March[3] that there was "zero chance" the name would change, citing research claiming 48% of the target demographic was already aware of the CW name. At the network's first upfront presentation — May 18, 2006 — a new logo was unveiled to replace the provisional blue-rectangle logo used in January. The logo is a green-and-white insignia which has drawn comparisons to the logo of CNN, another company with Time Warner ownership interest. On September 11, 2006, a new, full version of the network website, www.cwtv.com, was launched. The website now contains links to Kids WB and now features more in-depth information of CW shows. The network launched with a premiere special/launch party from CBS-produced Entertainment Tonight at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank on September 18, 2006, after a repeat of the 7th Heaven 10th-season finale;[4] the same schedule was repeated on September 19, 2006 with Gilmore Girls' 6th-season finale.[[#_note-[5] The network continued to air season finales from the previous season through the rest of the first week, except for America's Next Top Model and SmackDown!, which launched their new seasons on September 20-September 22 respectively, with full-night premieres. The network's second week consisted of all season/series premieres for all other series from September 25-October 1, with the exception of Veronica Mars, which debuted its third season on October 3.[6] SmackDown! will stop airing on The CW after the 2007-2008 broadcast schedule due to negotiations ending between WWE and The CW Network. [7] Girlfriends has been cancelled by the network. A proper one-hour series finale is on the way. [8] The original promotional video for the CW can be found at this link. AffiliatesFollowing the network announcement, The CW immediately announced ten-year affiliation agreements with the Tribune Company and CBS Television Stations Group. Tribune committed 16 stations (including its flagship broadcast stations WGN-TV in Chicago, KTLA in Los Angeles and WPIX in New York) that were previously affiliated with The WB, while CBS committed 11 of its UPN stations (including WKBD in Detroit, WPSG in Philadelphia, KBHK-TV in San Francisco [now KBCW] and WUPA in Atlanta). These stations combine to reach 48 percent of the United States. Both groups also own several UPN/WB stations that did not join The CW in overlapping markets. As part of its agreement, Tribune agreed to divest its interest in The WB and did not take an ownership interest in The CW. The network stated that it would eventually reach 95 percent of the United States. In markets where both UPN and The WB affiliates operate, only one station became a CW affiliate. Executives were on record as preferring the "strongest" stations among existing The WB and UPN affiliates. For example, the new network's first affiliate outside the core group of Tribune and CBS-owned stations, WJZY in Charlotte, was tied with Atlanta's WUPA as UPN's fifth-strongest station. In most cases, it was obvious where the new network would affiliate; there were only a few markets (for example, Philadelphia, Miami/Fort Lauderdale, Boston and Charlotte) where the WB and UPN affiliates were both relatively strong. Although it was generally understood that The CW was a merger of UPN and The WB, the new network's creation was not structured as a merger in the legal sense. Rather, it was a new network launching at the same time as two others shut down. As such, The CW was not obligated by existing affiliations with The WB and UPN. It had to negotiate from scratch with individual stations. As a result, in several markets, the CW affiliate is a different station than either the former The WB and UPN stations. In Helena, Montana, ION affiliate KMTF became a CW station. In Honolulu, Hawaii, The CW did not appear until early December 2006 where it is carried on a digital subchannel of local FOX affiliate KHON-TV. In Las Vegas, Nevada, independent station KVCW signed for CW affiliation. The network has also affiliated with some digital channels, usually newly-launched subchannels of a local Big Four affiliate, in several other markets. Due to the availability of "instant duopoly" digital subchannels that will likely be easily available on cable and satellite, and the overall lack of a need to settle for a secondary affiliation with shows aired in problematic timeslots, both The CW and MyNetworkTV launched with far greater national coverage than that enjoyed by UPN and The WB when they started in 1995. UPN for several years had gaps in the top 30 markets, and by 2005 managed to cover only 86% of the country. This resulted in secondary affiliations with other networks and the resulting diluted ratings when programs were shown out of their intended timeslots, or the lack of the program airing at all (a problem experienced by many Star Trek fans with Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise). Launching repercussionsThe announcement of The CW caused the largest single shakeup of U.S. broadcast television since the Fox/New World Communications alliance of 1994 and the subsequent launches of UPN and The WB the following year. While The CW debut affected more markets, it was unlikely to cause the same degree of viewer confusion, as no affiliates of the four major networks dropped those affiliations to join The CW. (Some "big four" affiliations did change at this time, but for unrelated reasons.) The WB and UPN were the first major television networks to close since the collapse of the DuMont Television Network in 1955, although other small broadcast television networks have also ceased operations over the years. It became clear that the Fox Television Stations, which purchased several UPN affiliates from former UPN co-owner Chris-Craft Industries in 2002, was impacted. Its UPN affiliates in five major markets would not be affiliated with The CW, due to the agreement with Tribune, and Fox made it clear it would not even seek the affiliation for its four UPN stations elsewhere. All UPN logos and network references were quickly removed from their stations. Shortly thereafter, Fox announced that it was starting MyNetworkTV, a programming service meant to fill the two nightly prime time hours that opened up on its UPN-affiliated stations after the start of The CW. Fox also offered the service to other stations.[9] In those media markets where there were separate The WB and UPN stations, one local station was left out in the merger; most of those stations have signed with MyNetworkTV while others elected to become independent stations. Some stations (mainly digital subchannels, some WB 100+ cable channels, and struggling low-power stations) which received neither network's affiliation opted instead to sign off permanently and cease to exist. Problems with Time Warner CableA number of households around the country were not able to see the new network when it premiered on September 18, due to stations in several markets not being able to strike a deal with Time Warner Cable (TWC). In markets like Charleston, South Carolina; El Paso, Texas; Honolulu, Hawaii; Palm Springs, California; Beaumont, Texas; and Corpus Christi, Texas, where the CW is broadcast on a digital subchannel of the station's primary affiliate, there have been unsuccessful attempts in getting Time Warner Cable to carry The CW on their basic cable lineups.[10] The CW is 50% owned by TWC's parent company, Time Warner. Some affiliates have since signed deals with TWC, but not all stations have landed within the analog listings. For example, WSTQ in Syracuse, New York can only be viewed on channel 266.[11] Currently, the largest market without a known affiliate is the Johnstown / Altoona market, Nielsen's DMA #99. WPCW channel 19, in Pittsburgh, is the closest affiliate and is carried on both Johnstown and Altoona's cable systems. The largest market without a broadcast or cable CW channel is the Fort Smith / Fayetteville / Rogers market (#102). (See the affiliates article for more on that subject.) On Saturday, April 21, 2007 at 12:01AM, KCWQ-LP made its broadcast debut on channel 5 on Time Warner Cable in the Palm Springs area.[12] On Friday, April 20, 2007 at 11:00AM, KVIA-TV, began broadcasting the CW on Time Warner cable channel 13. The signal is also available on digital television 7.2.[13] Marketing"Free to Be"Image:The CW.jpg
A screenshot from a CW promo featuring a special CW remix version of "Here I Come", a song by Fergie and will.i.am. Note the "Free to be" branding.
The network's original full marketing campaign, "Free to Be", was created internally and by the Troika Design Group brand agency.[14] The campaign included advertisements in bus stops, on billboards, on the Internet, in magazines, and on television. It contained stars of the CW shows such as Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Supernatural, America's Next Top Model, Smallville and One Tree Hill with their signature green background. The "Free to Be" was followed by a word unique to the character, show, or scene. Such descriptives have included "witty" (to describe Gilmore Girls), "super" (Smallville), "scary" (Supernatural), "fierce" (America's Next Top Model), "cool" (One Tree Hill), "funny" (Everybody Hates Chris), "fearless" (Veronica Mars), "fabulous" (Girlfriends), "family" (7th Heaven) and "tough" (WWE Friday Night SmackDown!). Some additional spots are themed for other purposes without CW stars, for example "Free to be tricky" for Halloween and "Free to be famous" for The CW Daytime. The ads normally include one more descriptive—"together"—used to unify the network and its programming with the viewer. "Get Into It"On August 6, 2007, The CW launched their second marketing campaign, "Get Into It". The lead singer of Pussycat Dolls, Nicole Scherzinger[15]. The original title for the song is Puakenikeni which is the third single from Nicole's debut album Her Name Is Nicole. A remix is now used during the commercials. Imaging and presentation
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