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Bamboozled 01-24-2006 03:41 PM

No more WB or UPN?
 
CW Network to combine WB, UPN in CBS-Warner venture beginning in September.

By Jessica Seid, CNNMoney.com staff writer
January 24, 2006: 1:50 PM EST

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Warner Brothers and CBS Corp. announced plans Tuesday for the creation of a new broadcast television network, called CW, that would replace the WB and UPN networks in the fall of this year.

The new broadcast network will draw on programming from both WB and UPN, and will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS (Research), with each company owning 50 percent, officials of both companies said. (The "C" stands for CBS, the "W" is for Warner.)

WB's 'Gilmore Girls' will be one of the shows on the new CW network, officials said.

"This new network will serve the public with high-quality programming and maintain our ongoing commitment to our diverse audience," said Les Moonves, the chairman of CBS, in a statement (see video).

Prime time programming will target the profitable 18-34 age group, officials of Warner and CBS said.

The new network will broadcast such UPN shows as "America's Next Top Model" and "Veronica Mars," as well as WB programs "Beauty and the Geek" and "Smallville."

http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news...arner/?cnn=yes

AKA2D '91 01-24-2006 03:50 PM

Well, WB messed up when they removed those good shows that launched the network back in the day.

UPN, "U People Network" according to Paul Mooney is a hot mess. There are too many reruns (last night's lineup) and their reality shows are a mess (TLC and Missy). :o

The merger can only be a good thing for both networks.

Rain Man 01-25-2006 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Well, WB messed up when they removed those good shows that launched the network back in the day.

UPN, "U People Network" according to Paul Mooney is a hot mess. There are too many reruns (last night's lineup) and their reality shows are a mess (TLC and Missy). :o

The merger can only be a good thing for both networks.

I thought UPN stood for "U Pick a Ni**a" according to Paul Mooney (per the movie Bamboozled). :confused:

But perhaps a merger b/t WB and UPN is in order; I really see no distinction b/t the two, as they are pursuing the same target market (18-34) and the market is rather saturated at this point with 6 networks anyway.

But anyhow....

9dstpm 01-25-2006 07:30 PM

Maybe with the merger, I can finally watch Everybody Hates Chris in prime time and not have to record it at 11:00 pm and watch it later. :rolleyes:

CrimsonTide4 05-10-2006 04:47 PM

Here's an article I got in a forwarded e-mail
 
As if TV weren't white enough ... when the WB, UPN go off the air, guess who loses out?
- Tim Goodman
Wednesday, May 3, 2006


When the broadcast television season ends this month, two fledgling networks that have battled for more than a decade -- UPN and the WB -- will cease to exist, and from their ashes will rise one network, the CW, which will combine the "best" series from both channels and whatever the CW develops for next
season.

And for those fans who really care, all the chatter these days involves whether or not their favorite series --particularly "Veronica Mars" -- will make the cut. But lost in the din is the fact that some series geared toward an African American audience will be the real losers.

Diversity on broadcast network television has been an issue for years and though each network has promised to better reflect the viewing audience -- and in some cases delivered on those promises -- UPN has been the only network to actively program for an African American audience. The network's entire Monday
night lineup -- "One on One," "All of Us," "Girlfriends" and "Half & Half" -- targets the demo, as they say. What's more, three of the network's four Thursday night comedies -- "Everybody Hates Chris," "Eve" and "Cuts" -- do the same, with the fourth, "Love, Inc.," using a multiethnic cast.

With the merger, however, 23 hours of programming -- 13 from the WB and 10 from UPN -- will get reduced to 13. Both "Eve" and "All of Us" have been canceled. "Everybody Hates Chris" has already been renewed, and those making educated guesses inside the two networks believe "Girlfriends" is about the only other likely renewal. If that holds, five shows geared for an African American audience would be gone, as would a sixth with an African American lead actress (Holly Robinson Peete on "Love, Inc.").

Of course, the speculation doesn't become official until May 18, when the CW announces its fall schedule to advertisers and press at the "upfronts" in New York. But the reality has set in: Going from six to five networks has all but eliminated niche programming (UPN had already cut its ties to the sci-fi
genre), and unless a series has broad appeal, it probably couldn't survive in the current business environment.

The critically lauded "Everybody Hates Chris," based on comedian Chris Rock's turbulent upbringing, was seen as a possible crossover hit because of Rock's appeal. The CW continues to share that belief. Though "Girlfriends" hasn't officially made the team, the series performed well for UPN and there's an
assumption that if promoted to a potentially new audience it, too, will be discovered.

There is, however, another factor at work here that has nothing to do with race. Some of the African American comedies simply aren't good enough to survive a broader fight for fewer time slots. Until the past two seasons, UPN was not seen as a destination network for many in the creative community, and
historically the network had critically panned series that often didn't measure up to the competition. But UPN was able to sell to the demo something it wasn't getting on other broadcast networks -- series for, and by, African Americans. And
based strictly on available audience in a niche market, these shows didn't have to be out-of-the-box, crossover hits. Lower ratings, then, were acceptable.

That will no longer be the case for any show on the CW, regardless of ethnic makeup. A consequence of stricter standards and higher ratings expectations will be broader cast makeup. Studies -- and ratings -- have shown that white audiences won't watch a series that's essentially directed at African Americans
(unless, for instance, there's a mass appeal star attached, like Bill Cosby and, to a lesser extent, Rock).

In turn, African American viewers have shown that in terms of comedies, they won't necessarily watch a series that white audiences are wildly enthusiastic about (the most famous example being "Seinfeld," which was one of the lowest-ranked sitcoms in African American homes at the peak of its popularity.)

The WB will also see a significant reduction in shows, either because they lack the viewers or the quality to make the cut at the CW. (For more on which series at both networks are likely to return or be canceled, check out sfgate.com/blogs/goodman.) But the WB's series have been embarrassingly lily white, a fact its management has acknowledged and promised to improve. The onus no longer exists because the network doesn't.

However, look for UPN Entertainment President Dawn Ostroff, who will have that same role at the CW, to stay the course. Ostroff believes in diversity (she championed "Chris" when other networks passed), so all hope for minority actors, writers and producers is not lost -- a big fear as UPN shuts down.

The emphasis is likely to be on multiethnic casts. That's not exactly breaking news -- pretty much every network can point to shows on their schedule and count diverse roles. But some networks have been better at colorblind casting than others. If "Love, Inc." -- an otherwise bad show -- can be used in a
positive reference, it's directly related to the casting. Look for Ostroff to follow that model. In fact, of the eight pilots made by the CW for next fall, at least five of them are multiethnic in more than one or two periphery roles.

Now, that's not going to help the existing WB series coming to the CW (unless minorities are "parachuted in" -- which happens, albeit infrequently) but it helps going forward, particularly when nearly two full nights of African American-targeted programming goes missing come June.

LoyalCapricorn 05-10-2006 06:57 PM

:mad: omg dat is so messed up!!!

f8nacn 05-11-2006 07:14 AM

So whats going to happen to America's Next Top Model?

Gods Ivy 05-11-2006 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by f8nacn
So whats going to happen to America's Next Top Model?
I think they are keeping top model but I like girlfriends and one on one. I don't really watch eve anymore since college hill started

dzdst796 05-11-2006 04:03 PM

The fall season is going to be real interesting. Did anyone catch the Tyler Perry sitcom on Tuesday night? Hated It.

Gods Ivy 05-11-2006 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dzdst796
The fall season is going to be real interesting. Did anyone catch the Tyler Perry sitcom on Tuesday night? Hated It.
No I forgot about it. When will it come on again? What was wrong about it?

dzdst796 05-11-2006 04:09 PM

It seems like he is trying to hard. The story line was tired and the acting was not that good. Allen Payne from "Jason's Lyric" is the main character and his acting left a lot to be desired.

I don't know where you are but it is supposed to come on at 11pm here in the NY/NJ area.

CrimsonTide4 05-11-2006 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dzdst796
It seems like he is trying to hard. The story line was tired and the acting was not that good. Allen Payne from "Jason's Lyric" is the main character and his acting left a lot to be desired.

I don't know where you are but it is supposed to come on at 11pm here in the NY/NJ area.

At this time, it is only being shown in NY and Houston. He paid for it to be shown on air to test it out. He will add it to more cities at a later date. Check the Tyler Perry thread in the Delta forum. :)

jitterbug13 05-11-2006 04:25 PM

The only show I watch on UPN is "Everybody Hates Chris" (and if nothing else is on, Love Inc.--which is bad). A lot of the UPN shows I can't get into because I just don't find them funny. I don't even watch Girlfriends.

I really think the CW is going to be a bigger version of The WB. The only shows I can see them making it are Chris (which it will be), ANTM (which is also renewed), Veronica Mars and (if renewed) Girlfriends.

Gods Ivy 05-11-2006 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
At this time, it is only being shown in NY and Houston. He paid for it to be shown on air to test it out. He will add it to more cities at a later date. Check the Tyler Perry thread in the Delta forum. :)
Thanks

CrimsonTide4 05-11-2006 05:09 PM

Here is another article I got from one of my writing listserves
 
Black TV shows on shaky ground -- Network merger could lead to demise of many sitcoms By David Zurawik
BALTIMORE SUN

As the new CW network prepares to unveil its fall lineup next week, the way that African-Americans are portrayed on TV hangs in the balance.

The fledgling network, formed by the merger of the struggling WB and UPN broadcast operations, is expected to announce a fall season aimed at young viewers and anchored by series such as WB's Gilmore Girls and UPN's Veronica Mars.

Unlikely to be on the roster, industry insiders say, are several of UPN's eight African-American-themed sitcoms, including shows such as One on One and Half & Half, which now dominate the network's prime-time viewing hours on Monday and Thursday evenings.

Executives at CW declined to comment except to say that their fall schedule will be revealed to advertisers May 18 in New York.

The new lineup will include the shows that exhibit the widest appeal among young viewers and thus command top advertising dollars. None of the eight UPN shows under review, though popular with African-American viewers, has achieved the kind of crossover hit status that ensures high ad rates.

"The only one we're sure of [finding a home on CW] is Everybody Hates Chris," said Rose Catherine Pinkney, executive vice president for programming at TV One, a cable channel targeting African-American viewers that is negotiating for the right to air reruns of some of the canceled shows in the fall.

Pinkney, whose cable channel is seen in 30.1 million homes, said, "One or two other [African-American-themed] sitcoms might get picked up [by CW], but most of them probably won't, and it's definitely going to make a difference for African-Americans onscreen and off."

Although series such as UPN's One on One, starring Flex Alexander as a Baltimore sportscaster and single father, and Half & Half, featuring Rachel True and Essence Atkins as half-sisters in their 20s, never achieved overall hit status, they found a loyal following among millions of African-Americans.

The numbers are revealing: Although UPN's One on One is the 170th-most-popular show among all network television viewers, it is tied for 11th among black viewers.

Half & Half is ranked 167th among weekly series in overall network viewership and is the seventh-most-popular show with black viewers. The season finales airing this week and next are likely to offer the last chance for viewers to see the shows except in reruns.

"One on One - that's my show," said Shadae Swan, a 19-year-old communications major at Goucher College. "They can't take it off! UPN and WB are the only two channels showing multiple African-American programs that have a new season each year. I don't think I will be watching the new CW if they cancel my shows."

In the past decade, UPN has been praised and criticized for presenting entire evenings of shows featuring predominantly black casts and aimed primarily at black viewers. Depending on one's point of view, such scheduling created programming ghettos or provided much-needed diversity to the overwhelmingly white prime-time network landscape.

"For the black audience, something will be missing with the cancellation of such shows," said Donald Bogle, a New York University professor and author of Primetime Blues: African Americans on Network Television.

"Even with the distortion in some of these sitcoms, audiences could still go and see some semblance of an African-American community, as well as African-American cultural references. And that would be terrible if it just goes away."

African-American industry executives and members of the Hollywood creative community call the new network a sound business move but express concern that the merger might mean fewer opportunities for young African-American professionals hoping to break into television.

(The CW network will be carried on 16 Tribune Broadcasting stations. The Tribune Co. also owns The Sun.)

Actors and comedians including Jamie Foxx, Brandy, Steve Harvey and Baltimore native Mo'Nique, and writers and producers including Jacque Edmonds (Moesha) and Eunetta T. Boone (The Parkers), jump-started their careers on the WB and UPN.

"If the world were an equal place, and all these writers, actors, directors and interns would be considered equally for all the other opportunities that might abound, then it would fine," said Pinkney, who helped nurture several of the endangered UPN sitcoms in her previous job as senior vice president of comedy development at Paramount Network Television. "But history has shown that's not always the way it works in Hollywood."

UPN's current Monday night lineup includes, in addition to Half & Half and One on One, Girlfriends, a sitcom about four professional women, and All of Us, a series inspired by the home life of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith and produced by the Smiths.

On Thursday nights, UPN offers Cuts, a comedic look at a fictional Baltimore barbershop, and Eve, a sitcom named after the hip-hop artist who stars in it as a young fashion designer.

The evening's lineup also includes Love, Inc. a comedy starring Holly Robinson Peete as the head of a dating agency, and Chris Rock's Everybody Hates Chris, an ode to the popular comedian's childhood that is the network's most successful crossover sitcom, finishing 146th overall and fifth among African-American households in its first season.

Beyond Chris, which is considered a shoo-in for CW's lineup, Hollywood insiders point to two long shots among the eight sitcoms: All of Us and Girlfriends.

The former has a chance because CBS and Warner Brothers, which share ownership of CW, would like to avoid alienating the superstar Smiths. The latter is given an outside chance of renewal because, though ranked 165th overall, its audience is primarily young and female. (Supermodel Tyra Banks' reality show, America's Next Top Model, is also likely to make the cut.)

To minimize the potential public relations fallout, CW could renew one or both of the sitcoms but sign on for a "short order" of six episodes. Such a move would allow for a quiet cancellation in November or December, analysts said.


Though next week's merger shines a spotlight on CW, the need for greater diversity on television is widespread, despite repeated promises in recent years from all the networks to remedy the situation.

"A lot of attention is being paid to one network and handful of shows, but there are some industrywide issues still to be addressed," said Emerson Coleman, vice president of programming for Hearst-Argyle Broadcasting (owner of WBAL-TV in Baltimore) and co-chair of the National Association of Program Executives.

Another series in jeopardy of being canceled next week is Fox's Bernie Mac, one of the few network shows beyond UPN that deal with black family life. (Fox is scheduled to announce its fall lineup May 19.)

"The shows are visible to everyone, and there's always a reaction when a favorite show goes away. But you won't find better representation on the screen until there's better representation behind the screen," Coleman said.

The 2006 Diversity Report by the Directors Guild of America offers a glimpse into the state of ethnic representation at the networks. After examining all episodes of last season's top 40 network dramas and sitcoms, the guild found that 83 percent of the shows were directed by white men, 10 percent by white women, 5 percent by minority men and 2 percent by minority women.

"For the fifth year in a row, the report reveals that producers and networks have made little or no change in their hiring of women and minority directors," Michael Apted, president of the Directors Guild, said in a statement issued with the report last month.

For two decades, Charles Dutton, an Emmy-Award-winning actor and director, has worked to make network television more representative of American life. From 1991 to 1994, he created, starred in and was executive producer of Roc, a critically acclaimed Fox sitcom about a Baltimore sanitation worker.

In 2000, he directed the Peabody-Award-winning HBO miniseries The Corner, which told the story of a Baltimore family's struggle to escape the world of drugs.

"Some of those studios, you walk through and you think you're in 1955 South Africa," Dutton said of Hollywood today. "Some of them you walk through - I won't name them - and you say, 'Well, damn. ...'"

Though not a fan of many of UPN's sitcoms, Dutton says canceling so much of the programming aimed at African-Americans - without offering the audience an improved alternative - is problematic.

Describing some of the UPN shows as "just bad," he said they are based on an "an old-fashioned sitcom style ... that served a certain market, in my opinion, in a very kind of lowbrow way."

Nonetheless, he said, "if you are going to clean house with these shows and wipe out all the on-screen time and job opportunities, then you find new, fresh, black writers and producers and urge them to come up with something that's exciting, different, bold, daring adventurous - even on the edge."


Were that to happen, the loss of UPN's shows might become a catalyst for significant change, Pinkney suggested.

"As wonderful as it was to have a place where you could go and find a lot of African-American programming, UPN often took the other networks off the hook. When you looked at the numbers [on minority representation] from the Directors Guild or the Screen Actors Guild, they looked OK," she said.


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