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The CW: Winners and Losers

Jan 30, 2006  •  Post A Comment

Winners



Strong stations: Change means new opportunities for the stations best positioned to prosper.



Stations with sports telecast rights: The ultimate in local programming becomes more valuable to the new independents.



Designers: Everyone from webmasters to branding consultants will have hundreds of station clients looking for new identities.



Syndicators: Content is always king, and less network

programming means stations must get even more programs from somewhere else.



Surviving shows: Shows from The WB and UPN that win the returning series lottery get a new lease on life, a better distribution platform and renewed media and promotional attention.



Losers



Weak stations: The weak get weaker as their shortcomings become more acute in a changing marketplace.



Some staffers: “Back-office savings” means many employees at both The WB and UPN will be out of a job.



Network audiences: Broadcast nets have gone from six to five, plus fans of canceled UPN and WB series have to say goodbye.



New York and Pasadena, Calif., hotels: With the network upfronts and the Television Critics Association press tours both losing days because of fewer presenters, industry junkets just got shorter.