User:Morgan Wick/2006 Network Shift

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Most, but not all, of my contributions have to do with the end of UPN and The WB, and the subsequent formation of The CW and My Network TV. I'm especially interested in what stations, from New York to Glendive (or more accurately, from Philadelphia to Glendive), will be affiliating with both networks. (Glendive, Montana is Nielsen's 210th market, or last place. It's got about a third the households of #209 (5 thousand to 15 thousand).)

Stations with an asterisk will likely change their call letters. Stations with a number sign (#) have already done so AND the calls listed are not current. Stations with a cross (†) have already done so AND the calls listed are not the ones they had upon affiliation. Any stations I flag with Wrong situation! indicate markets where something went wrong, and a station was too wowed by My Network TV to see that CW has to be a better investment. Because most of these affiliation agreements are long-term, if MNTV turns out to be terrible and CW turns out to be the biggest hit since (or even more than) Fox (which is FAR more likely than the other way around), something will be wrong in the market for a while, and shame shalt befall the foolish MNTV affilee. (Can you see where my loyalties lie?)

Generally, The WB stations will join The CW, and UPN stations will join My Network TV, but this is not always the case. Please read the comments and the station articles if you're not sure where to find shows of either network.

Table:Battle for The CW and My Network TV
DMA# Market The CW My TV Comments
1 New York WPIX
Sked
WWOR
Shows
Learn More about the transition (New York market)
2 Los Angeles KTLA
Sked
KCOP
Shows
Learn More about the transition (Los Angeles market)
3 Chicago WGN
Sked
WPWR
Shows
Learn More about the transition (Chicago market)
4 Philadelphia WPSG
Q's/Logo
WPHL
Fut.Logo
Learn More about the transition (Philadelphia market)
5 Boston WLVI
Sked
WZMY
Learn More about the transition (Boston market)
6 Bay Area KBHK#
Logo
KRON
Learn More about the transition (San Francisco Bay Area market)
7 Dallas/FW KDAF
Sked
KDFI
Shows
Learn More about the transition (Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex market)
8 Washington DC WDCW
Sked
WDCA
Shows
Learn More about the transition (DC Area market)
9 Atlanta WUPA*
Sked/Logo
WATL
PR
Learn More about the transition (Atlanta market)
10 Houston KHCW
Sked
KTXH
Shows
Learn More about the transition (Houston market)
11 Detroit WKBD WMYD
Shows
Learn More about the transition (Detroit market)
12 Tampa Bay WTOG WTTA
Learn More about the transition (Tampa Bay market)
13 Seattle KSTW
Sked
KTWB#
PR
Learn More about the transition (Seattle market)
14 Phoenix KASW
Contest
KUTP
Shows
Learn More about the transition (Phoenix market)
15 Twin Cities KMWB#
Logo
WFTC
Shows
Learn More about the transition (Twin Cities market)
16 Cleveland WBNX WUAB
Learn More about the transition (Cleveland market)
17 Miami WBZL*
Sked
WBFS
Learn More about the transition (Miami market)
18 Denver KWGN
Sked
KTVD
Learn More about the transition (Denver market)
19 Sacramento KMAX KQCA
Learn More about the transition (Sacramento market)
20 Orlando WKCF WRBW
Shows
WRBW is automatic. WKCF is owned by Emmis Communications, being sold to Hearst-Argyle. I'll stop with the crufty owner's info now.
21 St. Louis KPLR
Sked
WRBU* KPLR is automatic. WRBU a relative newcomer to the entertainment programming game.
22 Pittsburgh WPCW WPMY Both renamed to reflect new affils. WPCW was automatic.
23 Portland KWBP*
Sked
KPDX KWBP was automatic.
24 Baltimore WNUV WUTB
Shows
WUTB was automatic. WNUV waited because of Sinclair. There's no real compelling reason for WUTB to change its calls...
25 Indianapolis WTTV
Sked
WNDY WTTV was automatic. WNDY owned by LIN, which I doubt will affiliate any stations with MNTV.
26 San Diego KSWB*
Sked
XHDTV KSWB was automatic. XHUPN becoming XHDTV and becoming known as XDTV. Got that?
27 Charlotte WJZY WMYT Both owned by Capitol Broadcasting. WMYT had been WWWB, and now uses the My TV logo in its logo.
28 Hartford WTXX
Logo
WCTX WTXX was automatic. WCTX owned by LIN.
29 Raleigh-Durham WLFL WRDC Both owned by Sinclair.
30 Nashville WNAB WUXP* Both owned by Sinclair.
31 Kansas City KCWE KSMO Poor KMCI. Went in without an affiliation, went out without one. CW found a buyer first.
32 Columbus WWHO ------> WWHO, owned by LIN, carries both UPN and WB. This is a "duh" situation. When LIN's chair said unkind things about CW's business model, it looked like WWHO might go to MNTV. My Network TV will use tthe digital capabilities of ABC affiliate WSYX.
33 Milwaukee WVTV WCGV Both owned by Sinclair.
34 Cincinatti ------> WSTR Wrong situation! WSTR part of Sinclair deal. UPN was shown on low-power WBQC-CA, which had a grudge with Time Warner. CW will use the digital capabilities of CBS affiliate WKRC.
35 Grn/Sprt/Ashe WYCW WBSC# WBSC was part of Sinclair deal.
36 Salt Lake City KUWB* KJZZ KJZZ was former UPN affiliate that left in a big snit.
37 San Antonio KCWX KRRT KRRT part of Sinclair deal. KCWX (formerly KBEJ) provided UPN to Austin as well, but not anymore...
38 W. Palm Beach WTVX WTCN WTVX was automatic. WTCN, a WB affiliate, believe it or not, is owned by CBS.
39 Grand Rapids ------> WXSP WXSP is class A (but spreads its reach on repeaters), WB affiliate WZPX is primarily an i (formerly Pax) affiliate. CW will use the digital capabilities of CBS affiliate WWMT.
40 Birmingham WTTO WABM Both owned by Sinclair.
41 Harrisburg WLYH ------> No WB affiliate. Clear Channel owns WLYH and waited until upfronts to affiliate its top two UPN stations. My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of CBS affiliate WHP.
42 Hampton Roads WGNT WTVZ Automatic for WGNT. WTVZ part of Sinclair deal.
43 New Orleans WNOL
Sked
WUPL Automatic for WNOL. WUPL owned by CBS. It was going to be sold to Belo until the deal fell through due to Katrina damage.
44 Memphis WLMT WPXX WLMT: Affiliate of both, owned by Clear Channel. WPXX: An O&O of Pax/i.
45 Oklahoma City KOCB KAUT UPN KAUT was announced for CW in initial announcement, but CBS didn't own it anymore, having sold it to the New York Times. KOCB was left out of Sinclair deal for My Network TV, rather surprisingly. Finally, KOCB took CW affiliation. Even more finally, this became the largest market involved in August Madness, where MyNet and CW apparently kept adding affiliates without announcing them, and MyNet did a better job of letting it out.
46 Albuquerque KWBQ* KASY Both owned by ACME Communications (yes, that is their name), the Johnny Appleseed of WB affiliates. KASY is its only UPN, and will be its only non-CW.
47 Greensboro WTWB* WUPN* Automatic for WTWB. WUPN part of Sinclair deal. Both need to change their calls, I think.
48 Las Vegas KFBT KVWB* Wrong situation! (But not likely to be regretted.) Both owned by Sinclair. KFBT is an independent that was WB until Sinclair got a hold of both stations, moved WB to one, and didn't move UPN to KFBT for some reason.
49 Buffalo WNLO WNYO WNYO part of Sinclair deal. WNLO owned by LIN.
50 Louisville WBKI-TV WFTE WBKI affiliated first.
51 Providence WLWC WNAC WLWC was automatic, an affiliate of both networks owned by CBS. MNTV will become secondary on a Fox affiliate.
52 Jacksonville WCWJ ------> UPN shown on local Fox WAWS. My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of Fox affiliate WAWS.
53 Austin KNVA KNVA KNVA, owned by LIN, has been announced as an affiliate of both CW and My Network TV. The CW announcement came first and came as a shock, as KBEJ/KCWX out of San Antonio also provided UPN to Austin, and had affiliated with the CW. See appropriate article for details.
54 Scr.-Wilkes-B. WSWB* WILF Co-owned. WILF will apparently stop being a simulcast.
55 Sch./Albany WCWN
Sked
WNYA WCWN (formerly WEWB) was automatic.
56 Fresno KFRE KAIL Near as I can tell, CW is going to the right place.
57 Little Rock KASN KWBF KASN is owned by Clear Channel, which may be why I've seen so many news reports proclaiming Sinclair to be the last major owner to sign with CW. Clear Channel, of course, is more (in)famous for their radio assets, but they do own stations at both gaps in the 56 metered markets up to this point.
58 Knoxville WBXX* ------> WBXX owned by ACME. My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of local CBS affiliate WVLT.
59 Dayton WBDT* ------> WBDT owned by ACME. My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of local Fox affiliate WRGT.
60 Richmond WUPV* ------> WB is shown in off-hours on local NBC WWBT. My Network TV will (apparently) use the digital capabilities of local Fox affiliate WRLH.
61 Tulsa KWBT* KTFO Clear Channel's KTFO, for some reason, waited a while to affiliate with My Network TV. I, for some reason, didn't notice it when I first wrote the comments.
62 Mobile/Pensacola WBPG* WFGX WFGX an independent owned by Sinclair.
63 Lexington ------> WBLU CW will use the digital capabilities of CBS affiliate WKYT. Louisville's WBKI brings in WB/CW programming into the market very well, however.
64 Charleston WV WQCW ------> WQCW (then WHCP) carries both networks. My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of NBC affiliate WSAZ.
65 Flint WBSF* ------> UPN comes from Detroit. My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of CBS affiliate WNEM.
66 Ft. Myers/Naples WTVK WNFM WTVK owned by ACME. UPN is split between a couple of low powered stations and a cable-only station run by Comcast, with the fake call letters shown. My Network TV should have gone digital here.
67 Wichita KSCW KSCC Fits the notice at the beginning. KSCC waited a while for some reason, not affiliating until June.
68 Roanoke ------> ------> CW will use the digital capabilities of Fox affiliate WJPR. My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of CBS affiliate WDBJ. UPN affiliate WDRL is just screwed.
69 Green Bay WIWB* WACY WIWB owned by Acme.
70 Toledo WT05 WNGT WT05 is a cable-only channel. WNGT is the local UPN affiliate, and still uses the "shapes" UPN logo on-air, though not on its web site. It's a little behind the times...
71 Tucson KWBA* KTTU Fits the notice at the beginning.
72 Honolulu KFVE Wrong situation! UPN shown on otherwise-Asian-themed KIKU, whose chances of deciding to further disrupt their schedule with the CW is slim to none. But could a new station, KKAI, come to the rescue? KFVE owned by Raycom Media.
73 Des Moines KPWB* KDMI KDMI is a brand spankin' new, digital-only sister to KPWB. Not on air yet.
74 Portland, ME WPXT WPME Fits the notice at the beginning.
75 Omaha KXVO ------> My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of local Fox affiliate KPTM.
76 Syracuse WSTQ WNYS Wrong situation! Solely by virtue of WSTQ being low-power. WNYS part of Sinclair deal.
77 Springfield, MO K15CZ KWBM* Wrong situation! CW will use the digital capabilities of local NBC affiliate KYTV.
78 Spokane KSKN ------> My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of local ABC affiliate KXLY.
79 Rochester WRWB* WBGT WRWB is cable-only. WBGT is low power.
80 Paducah, KY WQWQ WDKA Wrong situation! Again, only because WQWQ is low power. WDKA part of Sinclair deal.
81 Shreveport KPXJ KSHV Does NOT fit general principle: UPN will become CW, WB will turn My Network TV.
82 Champaign WBUI* WCFN WBUI owned by ACME. Whether or not asterisk is deserved is unknown.
83 Columbia, SC WZRB WBHQ* Does NOT fit general principle: UPN will become CW, WB will turn My Network TV.
84 Huntsville, AL WHDF ------> My Network TV will use the digital capbilities of local Fox affiliate WZDX, on a channel that already calls itself WAWB*.
85 Madison WBUW* ------> WBUW owned by ACME. My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of local CBS affiliate WISC, where UPN broadcasts now.
86 Chattanooga WFLI ------> My Network TV will use the digital capabilities of local Fox affiliate WDSI.
87 South Bend WMWB* WMYS Both low-powered stations owned by Weigel Broadcasting.
88 CR/Wtrloo/IA Cty/Dub. KWKB* KWKB* UPN affiliate KWWF just got screwed. Owner Equity may be saving it to show its own minor network on the station.
89 Jackson WRBJ WUFX Former Fox affiliate WUFX recently took over WB from WDBD, which took over Fox. WUFX will then show My Network TV.
90 Burlington WGMU Wrong situation! WB is shown in off-hours on local Fox affiliate WFFF. But could a brand-new independent station, WCWF, ride to the rescue? (Not likely, according to unconfirmed reports.)
91 TN-VA Tri-Cities ------> WAPK CW will use the digital capabilities of local NBC affiliate WCYB, which shows WB. WAPK is class A.
92 Rio Grande Delta XHRIO No clue where UPN comes from, if anywhere; WB comes from KMHB, a member of The WB 100+ Station Group, a group of cable channels for markets ranked 100 and below. (We swear, this market used to be one of them!) XHRIO, the former UPN affiliate, is now the Fox affiliate and I don't know if this is a secondary affiliation or a digital subchannel.
93 Colorado Springs KXTU ------> WB comes from Denver's KWGN, but not anymore! My Network TV will use the digital signal of local CBS affiliate KKTV.
94 Waco/Temple/Bryan ------> KWKT CW will use the digital capabilities of local CBS affiliate KWTX. My Network TV will be secondary on a Fox affiliate.
95 Quad Cities (IL/IA) KGWB* WBQD Fits the notice at the beginning.

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