AS I SEE IT 1/30: News on major wrestling TV change
On Monday, January 30, 2006 at 6:47 AM EST
AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com
On January 24, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment announced their intent to form a new fifth network to be called "The CW" (from CBS and Warner Brothers), as a joint venture beginning this fall. Tribune Broadcasting and CBS Corporation UPN affiliates have enacted 10 year affiliation agreements with the new CW network. As a result, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment will cease operations of UPN and The WB, which will continue to broadcast their respective network schedules until fall 2006 and the official launching of the CW Network.
The most obvious reason you're reading about this is that this new network has made clear in the announcement of the new network that "WWE's 'Smackdown, which has been a mainstay at UPN, is expected to play a role in the schedule".
Variety.com has reported CBS Paramount Group President Nancy Tellem to have stated that UPN has "quietly worked out a deal to keep WWE's 'Friday Night Smackdown' on the air for at least two more seasons". WWE has not directly confirmed this fact as of this writing. They would need to offically make a renewal deal before springtime, when schedules are normally announced by networks. Assuming a deal is (or has been) made by WWE and The CW, here is an initial list of stations that will air Smackdown beginning this fall:
16 former WB Network stations affiliated with Tribune Broadcasting:
12 CBS Station Group (former UPN) television markets will include:
The initial listing of The CW affiliates consists of Tribune's 16 major market stations and the 12 CBS owned UPN major market affiliates. The remainder of the new network will be a combination of selected current UPN and WB stations, expected to exceed 95% coverage of the United States. Again, assuming that a deal is reached by WWE and The CW...these stations will carry Smackdown on what has been reported as Friday nights by some mainstream media sources.
This move will make some major changes in certain markets for viewing Smackdown, with New York's WWOR Channel 9 losing Smackdown. The station frequently aired features about personalities on and around Smackdown and WWE on the 10:00 pm Evening news immediately after Smackdown.
In a first comment by WWE on the merger of The WB and UPN networks to form The CW Network, and any effect on Smackdown past this fall; Gary Davis, Executive Vice President of Corporate Communications stated the following on January 25 to PWBTS.com:
"WWE has had a longstanding and successful relationship with UPN and we look forward to a similar relationship with The CW Network."
While not a specific statement, it indirectly suggests that WWE is prepared to deal with the new entity, which may well allow for even wider distribution of WWE's Smackdown as the new network would benefit from additional exposure on some of the former The WB stations that will eventually be included in the new The CW Network.
In independent wrestling news, the relationship between CZW and Ring of Honor apperas to be continuing, as CZW and Ring of Honor announced Wednesday that Ring of Honor and CZW will be running a doubleheader on Saturday, March 11th at the ECW Arena; after the Connecticut Sports Center in Woodbridge, CT dropped the March 11 show, feeling it was "too much of a hassle to host professional wrestling in the facility". A new Connecticut location and date will be made known by ROH.
The Ring Of Honor show will occur at 4:00 pm on March 11, with the CZW show following up approximately 45-60 minutes after the completion of the Ring of Honor show.
Tickets for March 11 in Philadelphia are now available at this link or by calling (215) 781-2500. Tickets will be available for the CZW March 11 show at the February 11th ECW Arena show or at this link.
Already signed to appear on the ROH show are: ROH World Champion Bryan Danielson; ROH Tag Team Champions Austin Aries and Roderick Strong; Samoa Joe; Christopher Daniels; The Embassy featuring Alex Shelley with Prince Nana; Colt Cabana; Jay Lethal; The Rottweilers of Low Ki, Homicide & Ricky Reyes with Julius Smokes; BJ Whitmer with Lacey; Jimmy Yang and more to be signed
Until next time...
If you have comments/questions, or if you'd like to add the AS I SEE IT column to your website, I can be reached by e-mail at bobmagee1@hotmail.com.