THE CW ANNOUNCES 13 NEW LONG-TERM AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS
America's Fifth Broadcast Network Increases National Coverage
To More Than 79% Of The Country
Tulsa, Spokane, Paducah, Cedar Rapids, Ft. Wayne, Myrtle Beach, Topeka,
Duluth, Wichita Falls, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Eureka and Casper
Are The Latest Markets To Be Served By The CW
The CW announced today that it has signed exclusive, long-term affiliation agreements with stations in Tulsa, Spokane, Paducah, Cedar Rapids, Ft. Wayne, Myrtle Beach, Topeka, Duluth, Wichita Falls, Harrisonburg, Charlottesville, Eureka and Casper. The addition of the stations in these 13 markets -- which represent 2.64% of total U.S. TV households -- increases The CW's national coverage to more than 79% of the country, including 19 of the Top 20 markets and 26 of the Top 30.
The newly signed affiliates are:
* KWBT Tulsa, OK, owned by Griffin Communications, LLC (DMA rank 61).
* KSKN Spokane, WA, owned by Belo Corp. (DMA rank 78).
* WQWQ Paducah, KY-Cape Girardeau, MO-Harrisburg-Mt. Vernon, IL, owned by Raycom
Media, Inc. (DMA rank 80).
* KWKB Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Iowa City-Dubuque, IA, owned by KM Communications,
Inc. (DMA rank 88).
* WISE Ft. Wayne, IN, owned by Granite Broadcasting, Inc. (DMA rank 106).
* WWMB Myrtle Beach-Florence, SC, owned by SagamoreHill Broadcasting of Carolina
Licenses LLC and operated under a Local Marketing Agreement by Barrington
Broadcasting (DMA rank 107).
* KSNT Topeka, KS, owned by Montecito Broadcast Group LLC (DMA rank 136).
* KDLH Duluth-Superior, MN, owned by Malara Broadcast Group and operated under a
Local Marketing Agreement by Granite Broadcasting, Inc. (DMA rank 137).
* KAUZ Wichita Falls, TX-Lawton, OK, owned by Hoak Media LLC (DMA rank 144).
* WVIR Harrisonburg, VA, owned by Waterman Broadcasting Corp. (DMA rank 181).
* WVIR Charlottesville, VA, owned by Waterman Broadcasting Corp. (DMA rank 186).
* KVIQ Eureka, CA, owned by Sainte Partners II, LP (DMA rank 194).
* KWYF Casper-Riverton, WY, owned by Wyomedia Corp. (DMA rank 198).
KWBT, KSKN and KWKB are currently affiliates of the WB. WQWQ and WWMB are currently UPN affiliates. WISE-DT, KSNT-DT and WVIR-DT are digital stations of the NBC affiliates in their respective markets. WVIR-DT is located in Charlottesville and also covers the Harrisonburg DMA via simulcast. KDLH-DT and KAUZ-DT are the digital stations of the CBS affiliates in their respective markets. KVIQ-DT is the digital station of the CBS affiliate in Eureka, with a simulcast on KEMY-LP. KWYF-LP is the over-the-air analog station of the Fox affiliate.
"At the heart of any new network's success are the affiliate partnerships you forge with group owners and station executives that share your passion and commitment to create a distinctive programming service that best serves the interests and needs of our audiences and our advertisers," said John Maatta, Chief Operating Officer, The CW. "The multi-year affiliation deals we've signed for stations in these 13 markets reflect that shared sense of values and objectives, as well as an amalgam of local and network strengths."
On January 24, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment announced their intent to form a new 5th network, The CW, to be launched in the fall of 2006. The new broadcasting network will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, with each company owning 50%.
In an important strategic move that secures major market distribution for The CW, it was also announced on January 24th that Tribune Broadcasting and the CBS Corporation's UPN affiliates have agreed separately to sign 10-year affiliation agreements with the new network. The combination of Tribune's 16 major market stations (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Houston, Miami, Denver, St. Louis, Portland, Indianapolis, San Diego, Hartford, New Orleans and Albany) and the 11 CBS-owned UPN major market affiliates (Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit, Tampa, Seattle, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, West Palm Beach, Norfolk and Providence) cover the top 13 television markets, 20 of the top 25 television markets and have a total coverage area of more than 47% of the country.
The CW will incorporate The WB's current scheduling model, which consists of a 6 night-13 hour primetime lineup including Monday through Friday nights from 8-10 (EST/PST); Sundays from 7-10 (EST/PST); Sunday from 5-7 (EST/PST) outside of primetime as well as a Monday thru Friday afternoon block from 3-5 (EST/PST) and a 5-hour Saturday morning animation block. Together, the network will program 30 hours a week over seven days for its affiliated stations.
CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and UPN), cable television (Showtime and CSTV Networks), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Paramount Television and King World), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), theme parks (Paramount Parks), digital media (CBS Digital Media Group and CSTV Networks) and consumer products (CBS Consumer Products). In Fall 2006, UPN will cease operations and The CW, a new fifth broadcast television network, will launch as a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation. For more information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, a fully-integrated, broad-based entertainment company, is a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. Warner Bros. Entertainment, a Time Warner Company, stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry, from feature films to television, home video/DVD, animation, comic books, interactive entertainment and games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.
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