During the month of February, the List of CW affiliates had a "Potential affiliates" section, where people could post certain stations that seemed certain to become CW affiliates. On March 3, this section was removed as crystal-ballery. As the CW now has coverage in over 90% of the country and all but two of the top 100 markets, this section is now moot.
Some of the rationales were on rather flimsy grounds. Here is the list as it stood when the list was removed, along with commentary on how it actually turned out:
So 36 correct picks to 21 incorrect ones. Hmm. Apparently there's a good reason why Wikipedia is not a crystal ball...
DMA# | Market | The CW | My TV | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | New York | WPIX | WWOR | Automatic for both. |
2 | Los Angeles | KTLA | KCOP | Automatic for both. |
3 | Chicago | WGN | WPWR | Automatic for both. (Gee, what a broken record...) |
4 | Philadelphia | WPSG | WPHL | WPSG automatic. Local WB WPHL owned by Tribune, which waited to affiliate its orphans until upfronts. |
5 | Boston | WLVI | WZMY | WLVI automatic. Local UPN WSBK owned by CBS, owners of CW, who apparently wouldn't affiliate its orphans, and then did so anyway - with the exception of WSBK. On top of that, WZMY in New Hampshire already uses the "my TV" moniker. They thought about dealing with the naming issue the American way - by suing the pants off them. But that fell off the face of the earth quickly, and they've since been hugging and making up... really making up. |
6 | Bay Area | KBHK | KRON | KBHK automatic. KRON's first non-NBC affiliation ever. Granite Broadcasting's KBWB needs to fill the airtime. |
7 | Dallas/FW | KDAF | KDFI | Automatic for both. The "I", for "independent", in KDFI isn't so appropriate anymore! |
8 | Washington DC | WDCW† | WDCA | Automatic for both. |
9 | Atlanta | WUPA* | WATL | WUPA automatic, local WB WATL owned by Tribune. |
10 | Houston | KHCW† | KTXH | Automatic for both. |
11 | Detroit | WKBD | WMYD† | WKBD is automatic. WMYD owned by Granite Broadcasting (in the process of being sold) and changed calls from WDWB. |
12 | Tampa Bay | WTOG | WTTA | WTOG is automatic. WTTA part of Sinclair agreement. |
13 | Seattle | KSTW | KTWB* | KSTW is automatic. Local WB KTWB owned by Tribune (only O&O's in whole market). |
14 | Phoenix | KASW | KUTP | KUTP automatic. KASW a WB owned by Belo, sister to indy KTVK. There's no real compelling reason for KUTP to change its calls... |
15 | Twin Cities | KMWB* | WFTC | WFTC automatic. KMWB owned by Sinclair, and so waited until May to make it official. |
16 | Cleveland | WBNX | WUAB | WBNX was first to affiliate. Neither stations' calls refer to their networks. |
17 | Miami | WBZL* | WBFS | WBZL is automatic. Local UPN WBFS owned by CBS. |
18 | Denver | KWGN | KTVD | KWGN is automatic. Local UPN KTVD (owned by Gannett) didn't affiliate before MNTV momentum started being lost. |
19 | Sacramento | KMAX | KQCA | KMAX is automatic. KQCA is local WB, owned by Hearst-Argyle. |
20 | Orlando | WKCF | WRBW | 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 | 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* | KPDX | KWBP was automatic. |
24 | Baltimore | WNUV | WUTB | WUTB was automatic. WNUV waited because of Sinclair. There's no real compelling reason for WUTB to change its calls... |
25 | Indianapolis | WTTV | WNDY | WTTV was automatic. WNDY owned by LIN, |
26 | San Diego | KSWB* | 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 | 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 the 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. Local WB affiliate WTCN-CA, 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 | WUPL | Automatic for WNOL. Local UPN 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 | 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. | |
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 | WLWC was automatic, an affiliate of both networks owned by CBS. MNTV may go digital, if it comes here at all. | |
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† | 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-TV. |
59 | Dayton | WBDT* | WBDT owned by ACME. UPN is shown on a local cable channel. | |
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 | 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. KFVE owned by Raycom Media. | |
73 | Des Moines | KPWB* | ------> | My Network TV will supposedly use the digital capabilities of KDMI, supposedly owned by Pappas Telecasting, who owns KPWB (wait... two stations, and CW uses one and MNTV goes digital on the other that might not be on the air yet?), and the station shows up on a TVQ only with a "modification of construction permit" for digital - and no analog. Huh. (And come to think of it, where the hell did this come from anyway?) |
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 | ------> | Officially Fox affiliate WUFX. This may be in place of Fox affiliation, not using digital capabilities. Fox would then move to WB affiliate WDBD. However, I won't believe it unless I see either 1) a citation provided or 2) the switch actually occuring. |
90 | Burlington | WGMU | Wrong situation! WB is shown in off-hours on local Fox affiliate WFFF. | |
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 | 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!) | ||
93 | Colorado Springs | KXTU | ------> | No clue where WB comes from, if anywhere. 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* | ??? | This is confusing. Our List of My Network TV affiliates page says it'll be on WQII-LP, but also says it's owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, whose original batch of affiliations included no market this small. It also says the station carries UPN now, but the applicable template says UPN is shown on WBQD-LP. Clarification/citation needed! |