The other shoe has dropped in the UPN/WB sweepstakes.
Fox Broadcasting has announced a new “network” – or more accurately, programming service – aimed at stations that have been left at the altar in the upcoming retooling of the two smaller broadcast networks into “The CW”.
The new service will be known as “My Network TV”. A News Corporation press release says it’ll air on all of the company’s soon-to-be-former UPN affiliates in the 8-10 PM ET/PT time slot, and they’re making pitches for other stations that not only won’t be going with the CW Network programming…but to stations looking to avoid paying compensation for the CW offerings, or other otherwise independent outlets.
Among the offerings – two daily “telenovelas” called “Desire” and “Secrets”. If you want an idea of what that’ll be about, tune your TV to Univision O&O WQHS/61 Cleveland every weeknight… then mentally translate in your head to English.
Locally, this means that the station that does not affiliate with The CW will likely pick up “My Network TV”. The sweepstakes involves Raycom’s WUAB/43 (now UPN) and Winston Broadcasting’s WBNX/55 (now WB).
The programming “My Network TV” promises to feature lots of young, good looking actors in steamy situations…which makes us wonder if WBNX would even be interested. It’s been jarring enough to watch WB dramas about witches leading into televangelist/WBNX owner Rev. Ernest Angley’s “90 and 9 Club” talk show weeknights. Would the Rev. stand for couples getting it on outside of marriage? Hmmm.
At least a half dozen of you are out there, thinking “Hey, Raycom will decline on spending the money, they’ll be the My Network TV affiliate, and WBNX will pay for The CW”…well, perhaps. But it still depends on if Raycom works out some sort of a group deal for their current 6-station collection of UPN affiliates…for either new network.
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