MyNetworkTV, the fledgling News Corp. broadcaster, held its inaugural upfront presentation for advertising executives, providing them with a first look at its full-year lineup of English-language telenovelas.

Executives at MyNetworkTV, which was put together after the emergence of the new CW earlier this year, told advertisers gathered Tuesday in New York that its serialized romantic storylines would prove addictive for viewers. The 52-week schedules are intended to keep audiences hooked, the executives said.

MyNetworkTV sought to assure advertisers that production values on the evening soap operas would be high and that the network will reach 90 percent of U.S. viewers.

The News Corp. network is also joining the rush to provide original content for the Web and cellphones that’s making this year a watermark for broadcasters.

As previously announced, the entire 8-10 p.m. Monday through Saturday MyNetworkTV schedule will be programmed with 13-week-long English-language telenovelas, which the network calls limited drama series.

For now, the network’s entire 2006-07 schedule will be made up of telenovelas. No other programming formats were discussed or introduced.

Starting Sept. 5, MyTV will launch its 8 p.m. “Desire” program with “Table for Three,” followed by its 9 p.m. “Secret Obsessions” and “Fashion House,” starring Bo Derek. The series will run all original episodes, uninterrupted for the first 13 weeks of the season.



MyNetworkTV’s schedule:

Fourth quarter 2006

8 p.m.: “Desire” strip: “Table for Three”

9 p.m.: “Secret Obsessions” strip: “Fashion House”



First quarter 2007

8 p.m.: “Desire” strip: “Art of Betrayal”

9 p.m.: “Secret Obsessions” strip: “Watch Over Me”



Second quarter 2007

8 p.m.: “Desire” strip: “Rules of Deception”

9 p.m.: “Secret Obsessions” strip: “A Dangerous Love”



Third quarter 2007

8 p.m.: “Desire” strip: “Friends & Enemies”

9 p.m.: “Secret Obsessions” strip: “To Love & Die”



MyNetworkTV will test U.S. audiences’ taste for the telenovela format that has propelled Spanish language netoworks for years. News Corp. launched the network after Warner Bros. and Paramount combined their struggling WB and UPN networks into the CW.

The speed with which News Corp. set up MyNetworkTV surprised some former WB and UPN executives and creates competition for ad money the CW had sought to corner.

Because all of MyTV’s programming will be produced by News Corp. studio Twentieth Television, there will be “no third-party” interference when it comes to product placement, said Bob Cesa, executive VP of advertising sales for Twentieth TV.

“We own the content,” he said.