The WB Television Network will replace the Kids WB!, 3-5:00 pm timeslot with a branded general entertainment programming block Monday through Friday for its affiliate group of over 200 television stations beginning January 2006, it was announced today (may 31, 2005) by Garth Ancier, chairman of The WB. At the same time, the Kids WB! Saturday morning lineup, considered primetime for kids programming, will expand from four to five hours, running from 7:00 am to 12:00 pm, noon.
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, said Ancier. 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 networks needs. We are thrilled with the results which are expressed in the agreement we have announced today.
Ancier continued, 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 late afternoon weekday block will consist of off-network series initially, with an eye to also develop first-run strips down the line. The WB now becomes 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, added 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 powerful kids franchises, including the blockbuster POKÉMON, 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. 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, to serve the demand for kids programming in the afternoons for viewers and advertisers.
Additionally, a contributing factor in the decision was the recent rule by the Federal Communications Commission that mandates that promotional matter be counted as commercial time under the prevailing commercial cap. The WB saw this move as creating regulatory uncertainty concerning the wisdom of continuing with the Monday through Friday block.
