As it turns out, the Cleveland Plain Dealer did run a small item on WUAB/43’s affiliation with FOX/NewsCorp’s “My Network TV”. (You’ll have to forgive us…we don’t subscribe to the PD, and their website often makes it hard to find articles.)
WUAB/WOIO/Raycom Cleveland GM Bill Applegate tells PD media columnist Julie Washington that he was actually in New York City considering a pitch from My Network TV officials when rival WBNX/55 (WB) was announced as the CW Network’s Cleveland market affiliate. When he heard that news, Applegate says WUAB “didn’t have any problem sitting here and letting WBNX get that affiliation.”
Uh huh. Whatever you say, Bill. We assume if that’s correct, the rumors OMW has heard of WUAB telling advertisers that IT would be the local CW affiliate in the fall aren’t true.
Anyway, Applegate spins the My Network TV deal as expected, noting that it means WUAB will have no problem running 30 Cleveland Cavaliers games a year. He actually approached the financial issue, noting My Network TV isn’t asking for money from broadcasters and saying it’ll mean more slots for local commercials. He also called the 3-5 PM slot The CW wants to program “a crucially important time period for local stations”.
We note that Applegate, like other stations ending up with My Network TV over CW, didn’t say how great the programming would be. How popular the “telenovela” format will be is certainly unknown at this time. It’s wildly popular in Spanish-language TV, and My Network TV is even using the scripts from those Spanish-language shows recycled into English.
Mmmm. Recycled scripts. Sounds tasty…
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