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Austin’s WB to become new CW Network
Austin’s KNVA, currently home to the WB network, will switch to the new CW on Sept. 5 when the WB and UPN merge. The oddly named CW stands for corporate partners CBS and Warner Bros.
The fledgling network is expected to include successful programs, geared to young viewers ages 18 to 34, from both disappearing networks, including “Smackdown,” “Veronica Mars,” “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Smallville,” “Gilmore Girls” and “America’s Next Top Model.”
“We are very happy to have finalized an agreement for KNVA with the CW network,” general manager Carlos Fernandez said in an e-mail. “We’re looking forward to providing Austin and Central Texas the unique programming that will be the signature of this new, exciting network. Our partnership with the WB has been a solid one, and we expect even bigger things with The CW.”
There was speculation last month that KNVA, which is managed by LIN Television’s KXAN, might sign on with new Fox weblet My Network TV. That rumor swirled after KBEJ, a Fredericksburg station that serves San Antonio and Austin with UPN programming, signed up with CW. It was assumed that KBEJ would be Austin’s CW, too.
But after months of negotiations, LIN struck agreements with CW for four of its TV stations, including Austin. KBEJ, whose call letters will change to KCWX, will be exclusive to San Antonio.
KNVA, which launched in 1994 as an independent, became a WB affiliate the following year. It is owned by a company called 54 Broadcasters, of which KEYE anchor Ron Oliveira is a partner.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Local news
Comments
By Greg
April 21, 2006 06:18 PM | Link to this
KBEJ has already changed its calls to KCWX. Anyone remember that KNVA began as all weather, all the time, before the WB launched?
By Hal
April 20, 2006 09:07 AM | Link to this
So the next question is, "What's Time-Warner Austin going to put on channel 23 (hopefully not duplicate programming with CW-12)?"
By austinights
April 18, 2006 05:48 PM | Link to this
All I want to say is....ALLLLRIGGHHTT!!! Gotta love KNVA 54!