New network brings old favorites

By Kristen Coachman
The Collegian

This fall, a new television network, the CW, will be making its broadcasting debut by merging UPN and the WB into one network.

CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment have come together to form the CW, the fifth broadcast network. Each company will own half of the new network.

“Long term station affiliation deals were ending for both The WB and UPN, and the decision was made to close both networks,” Paul McGuire, head of public relations for the CW said.

Tamyra Pierce, professor in the Mass Communications and Journalism department, said the new partnership between CBS and Warner Bros. Entertainment is like everything else in the media industry, where small networks do not always have chance to prosper on their own.

“Everyone keeps merging into a few large conglomerates and the small networks don’t have a chance of swimming in the big pond with all the sharks lurking in the shadows waiting to gobble them up,” Pierce said.

The WB and UPN will be continuing their programming until this upcoming fall. Not all of the programming from both the WB and UPN will be broadcasted on the CW.

“[The CW] will utilize some program assets formerly broadcast on UPN and the WB, as well as a variety of programming that will be announced in May 2006,” McGuire said. “The CW will have hit shows like ‘Smallville,’ ‘America’s Top Model,’ ‘Gilmore Girls,’ and ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ to draw upon in creating a schedule.”

Fresno State students had a mixed response about the CW.

“I think it kind of sucks. They’re going to cut a lot shows that people like,” business major Megan Haberman said.

Haberman said that because The WB and UPN have different audiences she doesn’t think bringing the two networks together will mesh well on one larger network.

Economics major Brendan Evans had a different opinion about the new network.

“I think the merger is a good idea. I think that CBS and Time Warner will benefit from the merger in that the amount of loyalty to the station is not all that high, but rather it’s a loyalty to specific shows,” Evans said.

“As long as the good shows on both networks are not tanked it will be okay for the average watcher of the two prior stations.”

Evans said that viewers seem to be more loyal to the shows, rather than the network, so as long as the quality of the television show stays the same, the viewers won’t care what network is running it.

“Most people, in my opinion, do not watch the station religiously. Perhaps they have a few shows such as, One Tree Hill, Everwood, or 7th Heaven that they watch. As long as these continue to run on The CW, [viewers] should be able to be satisfied,” Evans said.

Pierce said differently. There are going to be upset consumers who are regular viewers of programs on both the WB and UPN, she said.

“When people are ritualized viewers, any disruption in their schedule can create problems and make people want to turn away from a network,” Pierce said.

Another challenge for The CW will be competition between The CW and the four other major networks and being able to hold it’s own.

“When FOX first emerged onto the scene, everyone said they won’t last, but look how long they’ve been on air,” Pierce said.

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