MyNetworkTV

So, with the sudden announcement that WB and UPN had been erased to make way for CW, I was a little surprised that no one here noticed (or mentioned) MyNetworkTV, FOX's new startup sister Network. It's a strict competitor of CW and is probably going to stomp CW's ass as far as market penetration. While CW wants to keep most of the inventory and is actually going to CHARGE affiliates to broadcast the programming, MNTV gives affiliates pretty much all of the inventory and offers the programming like a true Broadcast Network should - free of charge.

My independent station is going to become an MNTV Affiliate and I just got the first press kit today. Interesting stuff. To launch, they'll be showing two Prime Time "Soaps" (actually Telenovellas, but in English). I've watched the pilots for both and they're good - if you're into that kind of thing.

Anyway, MNTV launches September 5th, so Fall Launch is shaping up to be pretty exciting.

Well, I'm really not sure how much I can say as I don't think this was an all-inclusive press kit. I think this is just what they sent to the new affiliates to sort of get them geared up for the impending launch. I will say that they will definitely grab the audience they seek (The demo is A18-34, but something tells me these first two series are gonna skew really high in females). Think General Hospital or All My Children but a little more risque insofar as the sex and violence and a little more reigned in with the story.

The basic format (for those not familiar with a telenovella) is that these shows will air brand new episodes, 5 days a week for 13 weeks (that's 65 new episodes in one season which is unreal). Obviously, it's just like a soap opera in that regards, but where it differentiates is that after that 13 week run, that arc will have completely tied itself up, and then a new story starts, with new characters, new plotlines, new everything, but just stay under the banner of the show title. A good (maybe) example would be if Tales From the Crypt spread each episode out over 65 episodes. You get a brand new story every thriteen weeks, but it all still falls under the Tales From the Crypt umbrella.

I know that here CW took over our WB Affiliate. The MNTV, well it took over our Independent station, which used to be the UPN Affiliate until the owners of the CBS Affiliation in our market bought the UPN Affiliation - and now they'll have nothing. Hehe.

Again, not sure what I can discuss as I'm not sure how much is public knowledge. I know that there are two new shos they're working on. Both Reality-Based. And it's not really a "hybrid network," it's a new standalone, it's just been launched and backed by FOX (sort of like FX, but broadcast instead of cable).

Indeed. I like that they didn't go the route of FOX's dumping ground, showing re-runs of all of their failed shows. There's original programming, and it's 6 nights a week at LAUNCH (When FOX launched it was only two hours on Sunday IIRC). Obviously there will be an abundance of cross-promotion but I like that they're treating this as its own entity, rather than saying "new network FROM FOX!"

Plus the branding potential is extremely easy to customize. Promoting this Network is gonna be fun.

I'm not entirely sure it will. This thing is launching this September and they've already sent out Affiliate Kits. Plus as I mentioned above, the branding is a little easier (and catchy at that). Where as now a FOX or NBC Affiliate would be FOX51 or NBC5, MNTV is gonna twist that just a bit and the stations would be branded My8 or My23, which translates into effortless Image Spots and the whole Nine Yards. Granted, if I had to brand it MyNetworkTV 23, that would suck, but I like this "My..." thing.

CW? I don't know. But MNTV? Definitely. It's set up just like every other Major Broadcast Network, insofar as the two hours in Prime (7p-9p C) are dedicated to Network programming while the other 22 hours in the day belong to the affiliate.

Not necessarily. MNTV is going to be replacing the Prime Block programming on pre-existing affiliates. Affiliates who already have syndicated programming in their lineup. Granted, some air more infomercials than others but typically every affiliate has actual programming from 8am through 2am. Paid Programming is typically reserved for the late night (or on weekends).

As far as the network programming, I did neglect to mention two other shows, both reality-based, but one being more like a News Magazine. Obviously as time goes by the programming will change and adapt, but I think it's a pretty healthy lineup for launch.