CW Network Deathwatch Officially Begins

[TMC1982]

CW Parents Emphasize Support of Network
By Josef Adalian

As the CW prepares for next month's launch of its super-hyped drama
"90210," the leaders of parent companies CBS Corp. and Warner Bros.
are offering an emphatic vote of confidence in the network.

In a letter to CW employees and affiliates delivered this morning, the
executives—Barry Meyer and Bruce Rosenblum of Warner Bros. and Leslie
Moonves and Nancy Tellem of CBS—acknowledge that building a network is
"a difficult proposition" but state flatly that they "are dedicated to
the CW" and that they "stand squarely behind you, and are committed to
doing what is necessary to ensure the success of the CW venture."

"We support the network, believe in it, and are committed to its
future," the executives add later in the letter, a copy of which was
obtained by TelevisionWeek. "All of us must continue to work hard and
push everyday to aggressively compete in this marketplace. Our success
will be born of focused and sustained effort over the course of the
next few years."

The letter also makes it clear that the CW is a part of both CBS's and
Warner Bros.' business strategies.

"CBS and Warner Bros., through the CW, are collaborating to create
valuable content assets and build a network that benefits all our
business partners and our respective corporate entities," the
executives wrote.

The letter comes just a few weeks after Ms. Tellem and Mr. Rosenblum
made an unannounced visit to a meeting of the CW's current programming
department. The pop-in was meant to convey the message that CBS and
Warner Bros. were on the same page when it came to the network. The
missive seems designed to underscore that message and eliminate any
talk that CBS and Warner Bros. might have divergent interests.

In May, the Wall Street Journal reported that one of the partners in
the CW might abandon the network next year if ratings didn't improve.
Like most of the networks, the CW was hit hard by last year's writers
strike and saw its ratings among adults 18-49 drop by about 15 percent
last season.

Despite developing some of the most buzzed-about shows of recent years
—"Gossip Girl," "90210," "Aliens in America"—the CW has struggled to
get the attention of its core audience of younger viewers. The Sept. 1
relaunch of "Gossip Girl" and the Sept. 2 premiere of "90210" will be
critical indicators of how tough the upcoming season will be.

In their letter, the four executives—all of whom sit on the CW's board
of directors—went out of their way to point out the CW's
accomplishments and to thank staffers for their work.

"We presented Madison Avenue with 'Content Wraps" and "Quickies',"
they wrote, pointing out advertising formats the network introduced.
"We up-ended the American pop culture with the creation of 'Gossip
Girl'. Now, The CW has created '90210,' the most anticipated and
buzzed-about show of the new television season," the letter states.

"All of this has been supported by the most innovative and talked-
about marketing campaigns in recent memory, and along the way we have
been embraced by every important constituency from advertisers to
affiliates and even the press," the letter said.

The full text of the letter follows:

To Our CW Colleagues:

As summer draws to a close with the network on the eve of the 2008
fall launch, we want to take a moment to thank each and every one of
you for all your hard work and dedication.

We recognize that creating any new business is a difficult
proposition, and building a new broadcast network is no exception!

As we move forward into the new season, please know that CBS and
Warner Bros., are dedicated to the CW. We stand squarely behind you,
and are committed to doing what is necessary to ensure the success of
the CW venture.

During the last two years all of us have worked very hard to create
and build the CW. In that time we have had numerous successes: We
presented Madison Avenue with "Content Wraps" and "Quickies". We up-
ended the American pop culture with the creation of "Gossip Girl".
Now, The CW has created "90210," the most anticipated and buzzed-about
show of the new television season.

All of this has been supported by the most innovative and talked-about
marketing campaigns in recent memory, and along the way we have been
embraced by every important constituency from advertisers to
affiliates and even the press.

CBS and Warner Bros., through the CW, are collaborating to create
valuable content assets and build a network that benefits all our
business partners and our respective corporate entities.

For those of you who were not in the recent CW current meeting with
Nancy and Bruce, please let us state again: We support the network,
believe in it, and are committed to its future. All of us must
continue to work hard and push everyday to aggressively compete in
this marketplace. Our success will be born of focused and sustained
effort over the course of the next few years.

We thank you again, and please take a moment to appreciate the talents
and accomplishments of every individual in every department at The CW.
Best of luck to us all in the 2008-09 season!

Sincerely,
Barry Meyer
Leslie Moonves
Bruce Rosenblum
Nancy Tellem

In a nutshell this is what's wrong with the CW in my estimation:
*Letting Dawn Ostroff run the network into the ground. Ms. Ostroff used to work at Lifetime before coming over to UPN. This shows, in how she now desires the CW to be the network for the young female demographic. But what Dawn Ostroff doesn't seem to fully realize that when you're running what's supposed to be a major broadcast TV network (to compete with CBS, ABC, NBC and FOX), you have to cater as to as many demographics as possible (rather than one particular niche market that you would expect from cable).

*Turning their backs on the urban demographic, when UPN and WB had in the past, courted them when the other networks wouldn't. They cancelled "Girlfriends", "All of Us", "One on One", and moved "Everybody Hates Chris" all over the schedule with virtually little advertising.

*Poorly advertising shows that have or had a loyal following like "Supernatural" and "Veronica Mars".

*Putting all of their eggs in the "Gossip Girl"/"America's Next Top Model" basket. Just look at the CW's upcoming fall schedule. There's virtually little variety or diversity. All of the most hyped shows (e.g. "90210", "Privileged", etc.) fall into the "rich, pretty white kids" category.

*Dumping "SmackDown!" (for the sake of attracting more young female viewers) even though it was the highest rated show on the network, and got respectable ratings in what's otherwise considered the "Friday Night Death Slot".

*Cancelling "Everwood" in favor of an 11th season of "7th Heaven" just so that particular show can get cancelled again. Dawn Ostroff's logic for bringing "7th Heaven" back for one more year was because it simply got high ratings for its series finale on the WB.

*Pulling "Reba" off of the air even though it was the highest rated sitcom on the WB at the time that it shut down. Just like with "SmackDown!", Dawn Ostroff cited that the show didn't fit in with the CW's newly desired target demographic.

It's a major shame because when the WB and UPN decided to merge, it was suppose to combine the best of both worlds. You would've thought that to sinking ships would unite to combat the "Big Four". Instead, while both UPN and WB managed to each last, for about 11 years, it's uncertain that the CW will make it beyond their third year. But if you ask me, they really have nobody to blame but themselves.

[Draft]

We already have a topic like this. The one where the Femenist Network Pres explains the dropping of it's highest rated series, WWE Smackdown.

Leasing Sunday Nights to another company and keeping only 2 of it's new series from last year should also be points towards that.

As I said in the other topic, CW should end this year/next year. All the Female shows can go to MTV/VH1 where they should thrive, Supernatural can go to SciFi if they still want to make it, and the rest would be canned (I wonder if Reaper could go anywhere...)

[Mikintosh]

The CW would've had a lot more leeway to make those cancellations if all of the shows they had inherited from its predecessors hadn't been canceled (not counting Smallville, the old dog). They're trying to build the network from the ground-up in 2008 when they had the perfect combination of two networks' worth of shoes in 2006 and they squandered them. They're idiots.

[Light Lucario]

The CW would've had a lot more leeway to make those cancellations if all of the shows they had inherited from its predecessors hadn't been canceled (not counting Smallville, the old dog). They're trying to build the network from the ground-up in 2008 when they had the perfect combination of two networks' worth of shoes in 2006 and they squandered them. They're idiots.

While I wouldn't put it exactly like that, that does pretty much sum up my opinion on the situation of the CW. I knew that they've had trouble since they began, even though most people thought that they would do well with bringing the most successful shows from both UPN and WB to one channel, but I didn't think that it was possible that the channel could die already. I guess that getting rid of that good combination of shows from both networks really did have a negative effect on the channel.

[Jeff Harris]

Technically speaking, the whole "CW Parents" post from Television Week is found right here. That second commenter on the page really isn't all that thrilled with the whole letter, is he?

[Aces 21]

First of all: Jeff, you sly dog you.

Second: You make a lot of good points. If they keep up like this, survival is minimal. I thought that with this merger we would get more diversity. We did, but only a little as I see it. You got to market to everyone to be successful, but I see that in this article, they don't.

-By dropping "Smackdown" they basically shot themselves in the foot.
-Getting rid of top shows with high ratings and urban audience-wounded and on life support.
-CW4KIDS/No new animated properties-digging the hole.
-Marketing strategies/ aim toward female viewers-funeral arrangements made.
-Dawn (name escapes me) with hands from the LifeTime Channel is on board-dead and buried.

I propose Jeff for CW President to build a better and competitive network!

[MasterDartz]

Hey! The CW can't fail until Supernatural ends! I hope it hangs in there a while longer.

[Racattack]

I propose Jeff for CW President to build a better and competitive network!

I second that! But seriously, they need to make some serious changes if they even want to make it to the end of next year, since at this rate...they are going to crash and burn. Focus on more age groups besides Women 18-49 for goodness sake!

[TMC1982]

Tribune gives CW the cold shoulder
Broadcasting unit rebranding affiliates
By MICHAEL SCHNEIDER

As the CW preps for what could be its make-or-break season, Tribune
Broadcasting has thrown a wrench into the net's branding efforts.

Over the past few weeks, Tribune's station group has scrubbed the
network's name off most of its 13 CW affils. Instead, the company,
whose stations are CW's most crucial affils in top markets, is
introducing new station identities without the CW moniker and is
de-emphasizing the network affiliation on its station websites.

In Houston, Tribune even changed the station's call letters, from KHCW
to KAIH, removing the CW's name in the process (that station, once
known as "CW39," now just calls itself "Channel 39"). In Dallas, what
had been known as "CW33" is now being called "The 33." Tribune's
Washington station, which had referred to itself as "CW50," is now
"DC50."

Move reps the latest salvo from Tribune in what's become an
increasingly strained relationship between the Sam Zell-led company
and the CW. Tribune earlier dropped the CW from its San Diego station
in favor of Fox (although the CW ultimately benefited by trading up to
a VHF outlet there). Tribune was also instrumental in driving CW's
partnership with financier-producer Media Rights Capital to take over
the CW's Sunday-night lineup.

Adding insult to injury for the CW is that Tribune is so far still
utilizing the News Corp.-approved logo and brand for its two
MyNetworkTV affils, in Seattle and Philadelphia.

As of now, Tribune's New York flagship, WPIX, is still calling itself
"CW11" -- at least online -- but the CW brand is harder to find on the
redesigned websites for L.A.'s KTLA and Chicago's WGN.

The CW-free rebranding effort comes as Tribune Broadcasting continues
to make changes under new prexy Ed Wilson. Decision to rebrand the
Trib stations also is reminiscent of News Corp.'s quick move to strip
UPN's name off its affils soon after CBS announced plans to merge UPN
with Time Warner's WB to create CW in early 2006.

[Jacob T. Paschal]

Well, that does not appear to be good news...whatsoever.

Don't tell me those stations are still going to be able to air the CW shows because if so...

[Spideyzilla]

Here's my dream. CW folds. And, I knowI'm grasping at straws.... WB returns, Reba, Smallville, all that stuff is out of danger. And (gulp) the return of Kids WB!

[Spideyzilla]

Please discuss and speculate on one of the most baffling networks ou there, The CW.

[NinjaJack]

It's getting Kamen Rider, therefore it's the greatest network around

[TMC1982]

Fire Dawn Ostroff

[NewcomerDC]

Fire Dawn Ostroff

Even Yahoo agrees with The CW haters?! Seems like women are/were the causes of the quick deaths of Cartoon Network, The WB/Kids WB, and UPN.

Not saying that women can't be cool as Senior V.P.'s but I think that they need some better people to run CN and The CW. Maybe the next person to run things at The CW will convince the big heads to get more Waner Bros. produced animated series.

[chdr]

Ironically, CN's head executive during arguably its best years (launch - early 00's) was a woman.

[Spideyzilla]

Ironically, CN's head executive during arguably its best years (launch - early 00's) was a woman.

It dosen't matter the gender of the head. Dawn Ostroff is out to lunch. By the way, does anyone have a link to the thread where the talkback for CW pulling WWE?

[The Penguin]

Please discuss and speculate on one of the most baffling networks ou there, The CW.

We're not dedicating a thread to news that doesn't start with any. I'm combining this new one with the "CW Deathwatch" from this summer since that seems to be the discussion that has developed.

[Spideyzilla]

We're not dedicating a thread to news that doesn't start with any. I'm combining this new one with the "CW Deathwatch" from this summer since that seems to be the discussion that has developed.

Ok. I understand.