Not like it was a big surprise, but there’s word that the new CW Network will be seen in the Youngstown market this fall on the current WB affiliate there, “WBCB”, currently known on-air as “The Valley’s WB”.
The cable/digital-only station originates as a sub-channel on the digital side of NBC affiliate sister WFMJ/21. Since Youngstown has no UPN affiliate – cable systems in the market import WUAB/43 out of Cleveland – there was basically no other choice for the new network to be created out of the ashes of WB and UPN.
Of course, WUAB won’t be hooking up with The CW, as that affiliation was taken in Cleveland by Winston Broadcasting’s WB affiliate WBNX/55. We have yet to learn whether WUAB will hook up with the new alternative to The CW, FOX/NewsCorp’s “My Network TV”.
The move may bode well for Toledo’s WB affiliate, cable-only “WT05”, the channel run by Buckeye Cablesystem in that Northwest Ohio city. It at least shows that the CW folks have no problem affiliating with a cable/digital/satellite-only station if it’s run well. Of course, “WT05” faces competition with over-air LPTV UPN affiliate WNGT-LP 48, but the latter station’s situation is still up in the air due to a bankruptcy…
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