or


[05/31/05 - 12:00 AM]
The WB Network Will Program Its Monday-Friday 3:00-5:00 PM Block with Branded General Entertainment Programming Beginning January 2006

[via press release from The WB]

THE WB NETWORK WILL PROGRAM ITS MONDAY-FRIDAY 3:00-5:00 PM BLOCK WITH BRANDED GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMING BEGINNING JANUARY 2006

Burbank, CA May 31, 2005

NEW WEEKDAY GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMING WILL APPEAL TO THE NETWORK'S YOUNG ADULT SENSIBILITY AND CREATE A MUCH LARGER AFTERNOON AUDIENCE FOR THE WB AFFILIATES

KIDS' WB!, THE HIGHEST RATED CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING NETWORK ON BROADCAST TELEVISION, WILL EXPAND FROM 4 TO 5 HOURS ON SATURDAY MORNINGS - -- PRIMETIME FOR KIDS' PROGRAMMING

The WB Television Network will begin to program its affiliate group of over 200 television stations with a branded general entertainment programming block Monday through Friday from 3-5 p.m., beginning January 2006, it was announced today by Garth Ancier, Chairman of The WB.

Simultaneous to this move, Kids' WB!, which has occupied the 3-5 p.m. time slot since the network's launch a decade ago, will expand its Saturday morning lineup, considered primetime for kids' programming, from four to five hours (7 a.m.-12 p.m.). The WB will be working extra hard with Cartoon Network, which sells ad time for Kids' WB!, to make sure that advertisers' needs will be fully met with the expanded inventory in the highly rated Saturday morning block.

�This is a win-win strategic move initiated in response to the changing television environment. Our affiliates have explained to us their challenges in the Monday through Friday kids' business. We have had ongoing conversations exploring different approaches to the stations' and network's needs. We are thrilled with the results which are expressed in the agreement we have announced today,� said Ancier. �This move will significantly increase ratings and revenue for both our station partners and the network. It will create a two-hour-a-day branded block that will provide strong lead-ins for our stations' early fringe and access blocks, which should in turn have a positive effect on primetime ratings. At the same time we add one hour to Kids' WB! on Saturday mornings, fortifying our number one position on weekends.�

The WB-branded 3-5 p.m. weekday block will consist of off-network series initially, with an eye to also develop first-run strips down the line. This move immediately makes The WB a significant buyer of off-network programming, which will be welcomed by program suppliers and producers.

�We have already had informal discussions with a number of studios and plan on meeting with all of them in the coming days as we put together our first schedule,� continued Ancier. �The good news is that there are a number of very interesting program choices for our launch in January and even more choices beginning in September 2006. We plan to announce our first schedule shortly.�

Kids' WB! continues to be an enormous success in the kids' business winning 15 consecutive Saturday morning sweeps races among broadcast networks including this May 2005. Driving this success are a group of powerful kids' franchises, including the blockbuster Pok�mon, white-hot Yu-Gi-Oh! and recent Emmy winners from Warner Bros. Animation The Batman and Xiaolin Showdown.

The WB got into kids' programming a decade ago to develop a strong and loyal following of kids who would then become the primetime viewers of the future. The idea was to differentiate The WB stations in the marketplace and have kids think of The WB/Kids' WB! as their network.

Since that time, the awareness of The WB has grown significantly. In addition, cable networks such as Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel have changed the dynamics in the kids' business by programming virtually 24 hours a day, seven days a week, fulfilling, to a great extent, the demand for kids' programming in the afternoons for viewers and advertisers.

Additionally, a contributing factor in the decision was the recent Rulemaking by the Federal Communications Commission which mandates that promotional matter be counted as commercial time under the prevailing commercial cap. This Rulemaking created regulatory uncertainty concerning the wisdom of continuing with the Monday through Friday block.





  [may 2005]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


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





[02/05/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: Peacock Releases Teaser and Premiere Date for Upcoming Original Series "The Miniature Wife"
All episodes of the series starring Elizabeth Banks and Matthew Macfadyen will premiere on April 9, 2026 only on Peacock.

[02/05/26 - 08:29 AM]
Video: "The Forsytes" Official Trailer
Don't miss the U.S. premiere of this highly anticipated drama Sunday, March 22 on PBS.

[02/05/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: MGM+ Debuts Official Trailer and Key Art for Comedy Series "American Classic" Starring Kevin Kline, Laura Linney and Jon Tenney
The eight-episode, heartfelt comedy series about a family full of drama will debut Sunday, March 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

[02/05/26 - 08:01 AM]
Video: Date Announcement & Teaser - Hulu Original Series "Rivals" Season 2
The series returns in two six-episode batches: the first on May 15 with a three-episode premiere and the second later in the year.

[02/05/26 - 08:00 AM]
AMC's Critically Acclaimed Drama, "Dark Winds," Renewed for a Fifth Season Ahead of the Season 4 Premiere
Season five, which begins filming in Santa Fe, New Mexico in March, will also consist of eight, hour-long episodes set to debut in 2027.

[02/05/26 - 07:01 AM]
Video: Prime Video Releases Trailer and Key Art for "Young Sherlock"
All eight episodes of the series will premiere on March 4, 2026, exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[02/05/26 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "The Dinosaurs" - Official Trailer - Netflix
From executive producer Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, and the award-winning team behind "Our Planet," this groundbreaking documentary series follows the rise and fall of the dinosaurs across hundreds of millions of years.

[02/05/26 - 02:01 AM]
The Final Season of "Turn of the Tide" Premieres on April 10
Netflix has unveiled today the release date and first images of the third and final season of the hit Portuguese series.

[02/04/26 - 07:01 PM]
Video: "This Is I" - Final Trailer - Netflix
Bullied for wanting to be an idol, Kenji finds belonging in a cabaret and help from a trailblazing doctor, emerging onstage as her true self, Ai Haruna.

[02/04/26 - 04:01 PM]
Video: "Boyfriend on Demand" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Seo Mi-rae is worn out by work. Love? It's the last thing on her mind. But a virtual dating service sparks feelings - and maybe a real shot at romance.

[02/04/26 - 03:31 PM]
"The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story" Premieres Wednesday, Feb. 11, on Hulu
When high school student Cassie Stoddart was found stabbed to death in a house on the outskirts of Pocatello, Idaho, the community was gripped by fear that a random killer was on the loose.

[02/04/26 - 10:01 AM]
Video: "War Machine" - Official Trailer - Netflix
On one last grueling mission during Army Ranger training, a combat engineer must lead his unit in a fight against a giant otherworldly killing machine.

[02/04/26 - 09:04 AM]
"The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose" to Air on ABC and Hulu Following "The Oscars"
Ahead of the new season, 18 former Bachelorettes look back on their unforgettable journeys, share juicy behind-the-scenes stories, and offer heartfelt advice to the franchise's newest leading lady, Taylor Frankie Paul.

[02/04/26 - 09:00 AM]
Alfie Allen Joins MGM+'s Thriller Horror Series "The Institute" for Season Two
He'll play Nolan Reeves, an eccentric European tech billionaire and one of the Institute's financial backers with an ambitious agenda all his own.

[02/04/26 - 08:31 AM]
Video: NBC Unveils Official Trailer and Megan Thee Stallion Guest Appearance for New Comedy Series "The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins"
Megan will play Denise, a recently divorced mom who strikes up a flirtation with Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe).