TV networks WB and UPN

Television Digest with Consumer Electronics,  Jan 12, 1998  

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

In striking departure from previous critics' tours, UPN Pres.-CEO Dean Valentine (who took over job from Lucille Salhany in Sept.), refused to respond to many barbs against company earlier same day by WB officials. "It doesn't matter what WB said," responded Valentine to question. "It doesn't matter what they do." That was in direct contrast to Salhany, who seldom would miss chance to throw barbs at WB.

Valentine did dispute statement by WB Senior Vp Brad Turrell that 4 additional Sinclair stations would join 5 others in dropping UPN affiliation. UPN pres. said "serious negotiations" are under way with Sinclair and "I'm optimistic that we'll come to some deal with them" to keep affiliations. WB made its presentations to critics during day, while UPN had them in evening.

Turrell had claimed that, with departure of 9 Sinclair affiliates, UPN would lose "a possible 6 million homes" while WB would pick up 4 million. He said "a lot has been made of the rivalry between UPN and the WB and the race to be America's 5th network... UPN seems to be going in the opposite direction," with its ratings off 30%. WB CEO Jamie Kellner said he isn't worried that 5 Sinclair stations, which become WB affiliates Jan. 16, would switch to another network because they have 10-year contracts. He said he would visit all 5 stations, along with program talent, in next 2 weeks.

Asked why he moved from being pres. of Walt Disney TV & Animation to UPN last fall, Valentine said: "I had a great run" at Disney but "managing is not as much fun as building." Thomas Nunan, who joined UPN from NBC senior vp in Oct., said that major reason he made move is his belief that Big 4 networks "have lost their way" in programming for "broad-based" audiences.

Valentine said: "I feel pretty good about where we are and even better about where we're going." UPN's current shows are "okay," he said, but new ones will be "star-driven... We are a small network. We have promotioual disadvantages." Nunan said UPN is "in this for the long haul." He said it's too early to present detailed programming plans but "we're optimistic about: where we are in development... We are alive." He disputed claim of WB that it has "creative edge" over UPN.

Kellner mentioned Fox TV Network (which he formerly headed) favorably many times in answering questions of critics. Stressing importance of syndication, he said Fox "went down about $300 million in total deficits" and now syndication of Simpsons "has paid for the entire start-up of the Fox Network and made a profit on top of that." Noting that programmer Warner Bros. is WB's major backer, Kellner said network is "perfect retail store for the factory that can generate profits for Time Warner shareholders."

"We have a niche... We know where we are going, Kellner said. "We know what our objective is... within the next 5, 6, 7 years to be about where Fox and ABC are [today]... We have to be willing to take chances and do unusual and different things... That's what makes Fox successful [and] I think that's what's starting to make us successful."

Kellner said advertisers have "been wonderful to us" and have "embraced the WB more every year." Last spring's up-front buying by advertisers on Fox showed huge increase, he said, but "we certainly don't get the same price that the big networks get but we are getting closer and closer each year in terms of a CPM basis... Quite frankly, I think most people thought we were going to go away." In terms of WB's 18-49 demographics, Kellner said they were "really sexy demos that advertisers are looking for. Within the next 4 or 5 years we're going to be competitive with... the big networks."

COPYRIGHT 1998 Warren Communications News, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning