The WB is No More!!

[RakuMon]

Seriously. This is HUGE news.
Smallville will be on the same network with Veronica Mars, Everybody Hates Chris and Next Top Model. This can only lead to larger auds for SV.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/01/24/news/companies/cbs_warner/index.htm?cnn=yes

CW network to replace WB, UPN
CBS, Warner Bros. announce plans for new network to debut in September.
January 24, 2006: 11:41 AM EST


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - Warner Brothers and CBS Corp. announced plans Tuesday for the creation of a new broadcast television network, called CW, that would replace the WB and UPN networks in the fall of this year.

The new broadcast network will draw on programming from both WB and UPN, and will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS (Research), with each company owning 50 percent, officials of both companies.

WB's 'Gilmore Girls' will be one of the shows on the new CW network, officials said.

"This new network will serve the public with high-quality programming and maintain our ongoing commitment to our diverse audience," said Les Moonves, the chairman of CBS, in a statement.

Prime time programming will target the profitable 18-34 age group, officials of Warner and CBS said.

The new network will broadcast such UPN shows as "America's Next Top Model," "Veronica Mars" and "Everybody Hates Chris," as well as WB programs "Beauty and the Geek," "Smallville" and "Gilmore Girls."

Warner Brothers Entertainment is a division of Time Warner (Research), as is CNNMoney.com. Top of page

 

[NHawk19]

Wtf?

 

[Spaceballs]

WB had to ruin a good thing they had going for them this year didnt they

 

[Kaboom]

how does somehting like this happen with no hype?

 

[NHawk19]

who knows but I'm gonna miss the frog I kinda liked it.

Also have to wonder what else is going to survive the cut.

Thus far we have:

"America's Next Top Model,"
"Veronica Mars"
"Everybody Hates Chris,"
"Beauty and the Geek,"
"Smallville"
"Gilmore Girls."

missing are the WB Friday Line up, Supernatural, Everwood, etc.

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

how does somehting like this happen with no hype?

Non Disclosure Agreements.

 

[KingOfDreams]

strange

 

[Kaboom]

Non Disclosure Agreements.

liquidated damage clauses? or the whole black ball thing?

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

liquidated damage clauses? or the whole black ball thing?

An NDA just prevents you from talking about something with the public. Usually results in termination of the employee without pay.

A LDC is usually if you fail to perform your end of a business contract and they preset a monetary penalty in the contract.

This was actually the better of the two options, since neither Net was doing all too well, now they'll just take the strongest shows from each and use those. The other alternative wouldve been to sell off the WB shows to the highest bidder, meaning you couldve had Smallville on Fox, but that wouldve been bad unless it got a major increse in viewership b/c 5 and 1/4 million usually doesnt cut it on the major networks

 

[Kaboom]

hulk...what i meant was if you violate a non disclosure agreement, theres no real damage to the network...so clearly you would get fired. but what kind of damages could the network pursue? i highly doubt there would be any way to measure or prove compensatory or consequential damages. so i would think there would have to be some kind of liquidated damage clause in the agreement that the network could seek in the event a person went and disseminated the information.

which then leads me to the back balling...if someone gets fired for breaching the nda, is that something the other networks would look so down on, that the person would never get hired by another network.

without either of those two possibilities, it doesnt seem the NDA would have a whole lot of teeth.

 

[rumpuso]

A more in depth article can be found here...http://www.prnewswire.com/.

Of particular interest is the following paragraph:

As the top creative executive, Ostroff will have available a line-up of
some of the most popular programming that appeals to young adults in the media
business. These programming assets range from hit reality series such as
"America's Next Top Model" and The WB's "Beauty and the Geek," to hit dramas
like The WB's "Smallville," "Gilmore Girls," "Supernatural," and UPN's
"Veronica Mars" as well as UPN's hit comedies "Everybody Hates Chris" and
"Girlfriends" and The WB's hit comedy "Reba." In addition the WWE's
"Smackdown," which has been a mainstay at UPN, is expected to play a role in
the schedule.

 

[Super_Ludacris]

I mean they've virtually got the same audiences.

Damn imagine Thursday nights.....Smallville followed by Smackdown lol

But did they say "High Quality programming"? From the WB and UPN? Gonna be very interesting to see what gets cut. You know some of UPN's stuff is going to BET lol

 

[Triligors]

What the heck will happen to SUPERNATURAL!!!

Whew, my question has been answered.

Only two shows on WB I watch is Supernatural & Smallville. So, thank god nothing happened to those two properties.

 

[Kane]

Damn. If this happened last year....Star Trek could have been saved.

 

[Kane]

What the heck will happen to SUPERNATURAL!!!

Cancelled hopefully.

 

[rumpuso]

With the two networks combining, I wonder if Smallville will be shuffled around the schedule again for next Fall, or if they'll retain the Thursday at 8:00 timeslot.

 

[Super_Ludacris]

I look foward to Friday nights on CW"

Tonight on Smackdown! Chloe Sullivan and Veronica Mars go head to head with the daughter-Mother combo of the Gilmore Girls in a "I quit- Hell in the Cell" match. Which team will annoy the other into submission. Special guest referee Trya Banks forehead

 

[SuperHeroHype]

Supernatural is part of the list;

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=12867

 

[AgentPat]

Daily Variety
1/24/06

WB, UPN merge
Moonves plans Sept. start for new net
By BLOOMBERG

The WB and UPN television broadcast networks, which have failed to improve their audience ratings, will merge to form the CW Television Network to lure younger viewers.

CBS, which owns UPN, and the WB, owned by Tribune Co. and Time Warner Inc., will start the new network in September, the companies said today in a statement. New York-based CBS and Time Warner will each own 50 percent of the CW network and operate it as a joint venture.

Combining the networks will boost prospects for profitability, CBS Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said at a press conference in New York. The WB, which posted a loss last year, has struggled with declining ratings. In the current television season, the WB is ranked sixth and UPN ranks eighth among U.S. viewers.

"The long range plans look far better with this entity and we will reach our financial goals," Moonves said.

Shares of Time Warner, the biggest media company, today rose 12 cents to $17.21 at 11:41 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Stock in CBS, formed when Sumner Redstone split Viacom Inc., rose 33 cents to $26.15.​

Things just got a LOT more complicated.

One of the main reasons SV was so lucrative for Warners is because they owned it, lock, stock and barrel. Now they will have to SHARE profits split equally down the middle with CBS post September, 2006.

All bets are off, folks. We're in new territory now.

 

[Super_Ludacris]

With the two networks combining, I wonder if Smallville will be shuffled around the schedule again for next Fall, or if they'll retain the Thursday at 8:00 timeslot.

Thrusdays are the big tv times and Smallville is like the best show for both networks. Expect to have an even larger profile going into Season 6

I think UPN will lose more shows than WB

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

hulk...what i meant was if you violate a non disclosure agreement, theres no real damage to the network...so clearly you would get fired. but what kind of damages could the network pursue? i highly doubt there would be any way to measure or prove compensatory or consequential damages. so i would think there would have to be some kind of liquidated damage clause in the agreement that the network could seek in the event a person went and disseminated the information.

which then leads me to the back balling...if someone gets fired for breaching the nda, is that something the other networks would look so down on, that the person would never get hired by another network.

without either of those two possibilities, it doesnt seem the NDA would have a whole lot of teeth.

Sure there's damage to the Network. Any dissemination of their information beforehand could result in things like other companies trying to "get in on the action", driving up the price, etc. So technically they can get "injured".

From my experience you dont see LDC's attached to NDA's when you're talking about a compay's own employees. You usually see it where one company is working on something with another company, and they dont want them going to the media about the project or product. Like here for instance, WB and UPN may have signed an NDA with each other that had an LDC if the news was leaked before they held a press conference.

In terms of detriment to an actual employee in an NDA, usually termination is enough for most people, but youre right about being "black-balled" top an extent. If you're trying to get a job with another big company and you were laid off from your last company because you violated an NDA, it's not going to look good for you.
Also you could be subject to civil/criminal penalties if you took some of that information and sold it and profitted from it somehow and injured the first company.

 

[Trainwreck2100]

UPN had no Sat morning line up, so The Batman

and all the cartoons should make the cut

 

[Kane]

I dont think the timeslot even matters for SV next season. Isnt 6 supposed to be the final season?

 

[RakuMon]

This was actually the better of the two options, since neither Net was doing all too well, now they'll just take the strongest shows from each and use those. The other alternative wouldve been to sell off the WB shows to the highest bidder, meaning you couldve had Smallville on Fox, but that wouldve been bad unless it got a major increse in viewership b/c 5 and 1/4 million usually doesnt cut it on the major networks

I think the best outcome from this merger is increased audiences. By making UPN and WB one network, it allows the new network CW to reach more people. The markets in which a UPN affiliate was available but not a WB one will now carry WB programming and vice versa. While it still won't be as big as ABC, NBC or CBS, CW could rival FOX and will definitely reach a larger swath of the viewing public, which is only GOOD NEWS for Smallville.

If this season's numbers are any indication, putting Smallville in more viewers' homes will jack up the show's ratings. Plus, all the 3-4 million viewers who tune into UPN on Thursday nights will now be folded into SV's auds. This is actually exciting news. Both netlets can now cut their respective dead weight (WB's Friday night lineup, most of UPN's shows) and combine each net's powerhouses.

Imagine a Thursday night lineup of SV followed by Veronica Mars. America's Next Top Model and Beauty and the Geek. Everybody Hates Chris paired with... okay, WB doesn't have a sitcom. Still you get the idea. Putting Smallville on a larger network increases its profile. Especially having it share a stable with shows who have mainstream buzz (like VM, ANTM and EHC).

 

[ang_hulk]

GOOD! I liked when upn got buffy,they did really well with it so Im hopin the same happens with smallville,UPN has some good writers to its name so i cant wait to see what happens.they were like the same network anyways so who cares.