CW Adds Seven More Affiliates
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/4/2006 4:48:00 PM
The CW has added seven more stations through affiliation deals with the stations of Freedom Communications (four stations) and Lockwood Broadcasting (three stations).
The additions push The CW's coverage to 76% of the country for a September launch by co-owners Time Warner and CBS.
The Freedom stations are WWMT-DT Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Mi.; KFDM-DT Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas; and KTVL-DT Medford-Klamath Falls, Ore..; and WLAJ-DT Lansing, Mi.
The Lockwood stations are WUPV Richmond-Petersburg, Va.; WHDF Huntsville-Decatur, Ala.; and KTEN-DT Sherman, Texas-Ada, Okla.
WUPV and WHDF are UPN affiliates; KFDM-DT and WLAJ-DT are WB 100-Plus affiliates. Numerous stations have used some of their digital spectrum to program WB and UPN channels. CW is taking the same route in some mid and smaller markets (all the new markets are 39 and below).
The CW is essentially supplanting both UPN and The WB, which will fold when the new network launches with some programming from each, plus new shows targetted to a young-adult audience.
