The CW network ready to roll, outperform UPN and WB predecessors
UPI News Service, 09/20/2006
Executives of The CW network, launching its fall season Wednesday, hope to do what their predecessors at UPN and WB didn't: make money and get viewers.
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The directive to make money came from CBS, which launched CW along with Warner Bros., the Los Angeles Times reported. If the network, which was announced in January, finds a winning strategy, it will have achieved something its predecessors never did.
Combined, the two lost nearly $2 billion over their 11-year run.
CW executives aren't promising that the network will make money, just that it will have a better revenue lift than the defunct networks, the Times said.
Attracting and keeping viewers won't be easy, the Times said. Internet sites such as MySpace and YouTube are popular destinations for teen and young adults, television industry observers said -- which can inhibit the CW from building viewer loyalty.
Another problem is knowing where to find it. Some markets assigned the CW to the former WB channel and others to the UPN slot, while others assigned a different channel altogether, the Times said.
The CW fall season features two new shows and 11 veteran ones, such as the WB family drama "7th Heaven."
