New US networks gear up for launch

Two new terrestrial networks are preparing to launch in America this month; tomorrow (Tuesday), myNetworkTV will make its telenovela-dominated debut while on September 18, The CW will spring forth from the merger of UPN and The WB.

The two new networks are inextricably linked; had it not been for Warner Bros and CBS' decision to merge their two terrestrial "netlets," the Fox TV Stations group would never have had to come up with a brand to give its UPN-affiliated stations that had the misfortune to be in a local market where the existing WB affiliate was already slated to flip to The CW. They came up with myNetworkTV and a telenovela "short drama series"-dominated schedule. Those shows - Desire (two hunky brothers on the run from the mob fall for the same woman) and Fashion House (starring Bo Derek as a fashion mogul) among them - have already been airing "prequel" webisodes on the network's website; the telenovelas will be all-original and air in spurts of 13 weeks, constantly building up to "high-intensity" finales.

Many of the telenovelas coming up on myNetwork's schedule are in fact adaptations from Spanish-language programmes that are both much-loved by Hispanic audiences and the target of jokes-a-plenty from college kids who happen to end up watching Univision at 3am. As such, the telenovela format is new to English-language TV in the States, and has generated quite a bit of press coverage - not all of it favourable.

"One can only hope the scripts have lost something in the translation — though my guess is they would be awful in everything from English to Esperanto," was the USA Today TV critic's verdict.

Nevertheless, with myNetworkTV enjoying a significant amount of terrestrial coverage in the US - a large minority of that being as digital sidecar channels to Fox-affiliated broadcast stations - the Nielsen ratings will provide a clear indication of how telenovelas perform after the language jump. As you'd expect, Fox thinks it's onto a winner, whatever the critics may say; Bob Cook, the 20th Century TV chief in charge of myNetwork's launch, told MediaWeek that the network is on course for $50m in "upfront" advertising sales.

For its part, The CW is planning a soft launch on September 18 but will really get things moving with the season debut of America's Next Top Model on Wednesday, September 20. Rumours that the network's name - a contraction of CBS and Warner Bros. - would be changed from CW due to the risk of water closet-related letter transposition - proved unfounded, but the network's logo was changed from a blue, white and Arial Black arrangement into a green, upside-down version of CNN's.

UPN will cease operations as of September 15, already having been dumped for myNetworkTV in many markets - including New York City and Los Angeles. WWE SmackDown! will be the last show to go out with the UPN bug in the lower-right corner. In contrast to UPN's limp exit, The WB plans to go out on Sunday, September 17 with a day-long programming run of pilot episodes from the network's key series including Buffy's two-hour debut, Felicity and Dawson's Creek. Network branding fans will be in for a treat during the ad breaks, with old idents and promo campaigns coming back for one last outing.

Stay with Digital Spy for full coverage all through September.