or


[03/09/06 - 12:00 AM]
The CW and Acme Communications Announce Long-Term Television Station Affiliation Agreements

[via press release from The CW]

THE CW AND ACME COMMUNICATIONS ANNOUNCE LONG-TERM TELEVISION STATION AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS

America�s Fifth Broadcast Network Increases National Coverage To Almost 60% Of The Country

ACME�s Full WB Station Portfolio (In Albuquerque, Knoxville, Dayton, Ft. Myers, Green Bay, Champaign and Madison) To Join Rapidly Growing CW Affiliate Line-Up

ACME To Become Third Largest CW Affiliate Group Based On Number Of Stations

The CW and ACME Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: ACME) announced today the signing of long-term affiliation agreements for ACME�s television stations in Albuquerque-Santa Fe, Knoxville, Dayton, Ft. Myers-Naples, Green Bay-Appleton, Champaign-Springfield-Decatur and Madison.

The addition of these seven ACME Communications stations increases The CW�s national coverage to almost 60% of the country. America�s fifth broadcast network has affiliates in 19 of the Top 20 markets and 26 in the Top 30.

The newly signed affiliates are: KWBQ-TV Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM; WBXX-TV Knoxville, TN; WBDT-TV Dayton, OH; WTVK-TV Ft. Myers-Naples, FL; WIWB-TV Green Bay-Appleton, WI; WBUI-TV Champaign-Springfield-Decatur, IL; and WBUW-TV Madison, WI..

These stations are in the 46th, 58th, 59th, 66th, 69th, 82nd and 85th largest markets in the country, respectively, and represent 3.01% of total U.S. TV households. All seven stations are currently affiliated with The WB.

Doug Gealy, ACME�s President and COO, noted: �Affiliating our television stations with The CW is an outstanding business opportunity because it immediately enhances the value of our television assets. When you factor in a primetime schedule that includes returning shows that are already viewer and advertiser favorites, a multi-tiered marketing effort that is going to be innovative and impactful, and an accomplished executive team leading the new network, it creates a compelling formula for success. Additionally, with an improved lineup of popular programming still targeted at young adults, we believe The CW�s content will only serve to strengthen our connection with this core audience in our local markets.�

�The addition of these ACME Communications stations as affiliates of The CW bolsters our burgeoning station line-up,� said John Maatta, Chief Operating Officer, The CW. �It also extends a valued business relationship we began with ACME nine years ago when their newly formed company affiliated their television stations with The WB. During that time ACME�s station group has produced impressive ratings and revenue growth, and in fact recently their Knoxville and Dayton stations tied for the #2 ratings spot among all WB affiliates in the November 2005 sweep period for Adults 18-49. That speaks to how well the ACME stations are managed, which includes their savvy station branding, purchasing the best available programming and providing outstanding service to their communities. With these new, long-term affiliation agreements ACME now has the third largest number of CW affiliates, after Tribune and CBS. We�re looking forward to growing our new partnership, and appreciate ACME�s support.�

On January 24, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment announced their intent to form a new 5th network, The CW, to be launched in the fall of 2006. The new broadcasting network will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corporation, with each company owning 50%.

In an important strategic move that secures major market distribution for The CW, it was also announced on January 24th that Tribune Broadcasting and the CBS Corporation's UPN affiliates have agreed separately to sign 10-year affiliation agreements with the new network. The combination of Tribune's 16 major market stations (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Washington, D.C., Houston, Miami, Denver, St. Louis, Portland, Indianapolis, San Diego, Hartford, New Orleans and Albany) and the 11 CBS-owned UPN major market affiliates (Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Detroit, Tampa, Seattle, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, West Palm Beach, Norfolk and Providence) cover the top 13 television markets, 20 of the top 25 television markets and have a total coverage area of more than 47% of the country.

The remainder of the network's distribution system will be a combination of selected current UPN and The WB stations.

The CW will incorporate The WB's current scheduling model, which consists of a 6 night-13 hour primetime lineup including Monday through Friday nights from 8-10 (EST/PST); Sundays from 7-10 (EST/PST); Sunday from 5-7 (EST/PST) outside of primetime as well as a Monday thru Friday afternoon block from 3-5 (EST/PST) and a 5-hour Saturday morning animation block. Together, the network will program 30 hours a week over seven days for its affiliated stations.

CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company with constituent parts that reach back to the beginnings of the broadcast industry, as well as newer businesses that operate on the leading edge of the media industry. The Company, through its many and varied operations, combines broad reach with well-positioned local businesses, all of which provide it with an extensive distribution network by which it serves audiences and advertisers in all 50 states and key international markets. It has operations in virtually every field of media and entertainment, including broadcast television (CBS and UPN), cable television (Showtime), local television (CBS Television Stations), television production and syndication (CBS Paramount Television and King World), radio (CBS Radio), advertising on out-of-home media (CBS Outdoor), publishing (Simon & Schuster), theme parks (Paramount Parks), digital media (CBS Digital Media Group and CSTV Networks) and consumer products (CBS Consumer Products). For more information, log on to www.cbscorporation.com.

Warner Bros. Entertainment, a fully-integrated, broad-based entertainment company, is a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of all forms of entertainment and their related businesses. Warner Bros. Entertainment, a Time Warner Company, stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry, from feature films to television, home video/DVD, animation, comic books, interactive entertainment and games, product and brand licensing, international cinemas and broadcasting.

ACME Communications currently owns and operates eight broadcast television stations in medium-sized markets across the United States. Seven of their eight stations are affiliated with The WB Television Network, making them the fourth largest WB Network affiliated station group in the country. ACME�s second station in Albuquerque is a UPN affiliate. Their television stations broadcast in markets that cover, in aggregate, approximately 3% of the total U.S. population.





  [march 2006]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
   


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[03/17/26 - 12:02 PM]
Hudson Williams, Jennifer Grey, Terry Chen, Elizabeth Adams, Hannah Galway, and William Mapother Join the Cast of "The Altruists"
The Netflix series tells the story of Sam Bankman-Fried (Anthony Boyle) and Caroline Ellison (Julia Garner), two hyper-smart, ambitious young idealists who tried to remake the global financial system in the blink of an eye...before they were accused of stealing $8 billion.

[03/17/26 - 12:01 PM]
Netflix Top 10: Week of March 9 - "One Piece" Season 2 Sets Sail for No. 1 in This Week's Top 10
Proving that demand for prehistoric beasts will never go extinct, docuseries "The Dinosaurs" landed at No. 2 on the English TV list with 9.6 million views.

[03/17/26 - 12:01 PM]
Next on Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN - April 2026
New series include "Dear Killer Nannies," "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair," "The Testaments," and "Star Wars: Maul - Shadow Lord."

[03/17/26 - 10:05 AM]
Chloe Bennet, Max Greenfield, Charlie Hall, Kumail Nanjiani, and Jarrad Paul Join Season 4 of "The White Lotus"
More arrivals await.

[03/17/26 - 10:01 AM]
"Stranger Things: Tales from '85" Coming to Select Theaters on April 18
The screenings of the first two episodes of the new series will take place on April 18 at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM local time, in 34 theaters in the U.S. in partnership with AMC Theatres.

[03/17/26 - 09:31 AM]
Netflix Announces New True-Crime Documentary "The Crash" Premiering May 15
Gareth Johnson directed the film, produced by RAW (an All3Media company).

[03/17/26 - 09:01 AM]
Video: Sweet Niblets! Official Trailer Drops for "Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special"
The special will be released on Disney+ and Hulu on Tuesday, March 24 - 20 years to the day that the original series debuted on Disney Channel.

[03/17/26 - 08:24 AM]
Hulu Renews Hit Drama Series "Paradise," from Dan Fogelman and Starring Sterling K. Brown, for a Third Season
The show continues to resonate with audiences worldwide, amassing over 30M hours for S2 and nearly 12 billion minutes streamed globally across its first two seasons.

[03/17/26 - 08:01 AM]
"The Chi" Signs Off: First Look at the Eighth and Final Season on Paramount+
Production on the new season began in January, kicking off the road to the show's highly anticipated farewell.

[03/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
BritBox Announces Additional Casting, Start of Production for Season Three of Jimmy McGovern's Award-Winning Drama Series "Time"
The three-part drama will be led by David Tennant as Prison Officer Bailey with Siobhan Finneran reprising her role as Marie-Louise, a prison chaplain.

[03/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
Apple TV Announces "My Brother the Minotaur," Premiering April 24
A thrilling mix of folklore, mystery and adventure about a young minotaur - half boy, half bull - found and raised in the human world.

[03/17/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War" - Official Teaser - Prime Video
Jack Ryan returns in a major movie event. Stream "Ghost War" - May 20 on Prime Video.

[03/17/26 - 06:45 AM]
Video: Paramount+ Reveals Trailer & Key Art for Men's College Basketball Docuseries, "Made for March"
The docuseries chronicles two of college basketball's most renowned programs - Kansas Jayhawks and Michigan Wolverines--this season in their bid for a national championship.

[03/17/26 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Love on the Spectrum U.S." - Season 4 Official Trailer - Netflix
New and familiar faces star in this heartfelt documentary series that follows singles on the autism spectrum as they search for true love.

[03/17/26 - 06:01 AM]
New Four-Part Series "Shared Planet" Premieres Wednesdays, April 29-May 20, 2026 on PBS and PBS.org
In an age of serious environmental challenges, this four-part global series offers a look at an alternative and more hopeful future.