r/thewb_network

Way before The CW was launched and we're excluding The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Legion of Super-Heroes, Tom and Jerry Tales, Skunk Fu, etc.

Have you ever watched any of these shows aired on The WB? If so, which one are your favorites?

Have you ever watched any of these shows aired on The WB? If so, which one are your favorites?

I have a detailed pitch for a major broadcast television restructuring. The goal is to bring back The WB Television Network as a separate entity owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, while keeping The CW but reverting it to its classic branding and optimizing its affiliate reach.

Here is how the network landscape, ownership, and local channel lineups should change:

🏢 The Core Strategy & Ownership

• The WB Revival: Fully owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
• The CW Rebrand: Bring back the iconic, classic CW logo used from September 18, 2006, to January 13, 2024. Nexstar keeps primary ownership, with Paramount Skydance and WBD remaining joint-venture partners.
• Why No UPN? A UPN revival is unnecessary since Paramount Skydance already operates CBS.

With the revival of The WB brand, Warner Bros. Discovery has a golden opportunity to re-capture a massive broadcast audience by bringing back the iconic Kids' WB! block. Instead of abandoning broadcast, utilizing it to showcase WBD’s powerhouse animation library creates a perfect pipeline for viewers of all ages.

Here is how the revived Kids' WB! lineup could perfectly structure a full day of programming:

Weekday Mornings: Cartoonito (7:00–8:00 a.m. ET)

• The Goal: A dedicated, commercial-free (or ad-lite) block for preschoolers.
• The Lineup: Hit series from the preschool brand like Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders.

Weekday Afternoons: "The Aftertoons Show" (3:00–5:00 p.m. ET)

• The Goal: An after-school destination to catch both new and classic Cartoon Network hits.
• The Lineup: Modern CN favorites, DC animated shorts, and classic Looney Tunes.

Saturday Mornings: The Ultimate Lineup (8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET)

• The Goal: A massive four-hour block honoring the legendary Saturday morning tradition with top-tier WBD Animation.
• The Lineup: Teen Titans Go!, Tiny Toons Looniversity, The Amazing World of Gumball, and flagship DC series

📺 Major Market Shifts (The WB takes the Lead)

• WPIX, KTLA, WGN-TV: The WB becomes the primary affiliate. The CW shifts to a secondary affiliate on these flagship stations.
• KZJO: The FOX-owned MyNetworkTV station will carry The WB as primary affiliate, making MyNetworkTV a secondary affiliate.
• Full CW Drops: KWGN-TV, KRON-TV, KAUT-TV, WPCH-TV, WPHL-TV, KQCA, WTTA, WPNT, WTTO, WLFL, WISH-TV, and select stations completely drop The CW to become standalone affiliates for the revived WB. KQCA will still carry MyNetworkTV as a secondary affiliation. WUPV and KUNS-TV will remove The CW and will become an independent station.

📡 New CW Affiliate Launch Lineup

Following the revival of The WB, The CW will be moved to the following stations, upscaled to 1080i or 720p HDTV for premium picture quality:

• WIAT-DT2 (Birmingham)
• WNCN-DT2 (Raleigh/Durham) — Rewind TV moves to WNCN-DT5 to make room
• WRIC-DT2 (Richmond) — Rewind TV moves to WRIC-DT5 to make room
• WTTV-DT2 (Bloomington)
• WTTK-DT2 (Indianapolis)
• KONG-TV (Seattle)
• WPLG (Miami)

🌙 Proposed Secondary WB Affiliates (Late-Night / Shared)

To maximize local reach, WBD should secure secondary late-night or shared affiliations on these stations:

• WWBT (Richmond, VA): NBC primary / WB secondary late-nights
• WATN-TV (Memphis, TN): ABC primary / WB secondary late-nights
• WFFF-TV (Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY): FOX primary / WB secondary
• KWKT-TV (Waco/Temple/Bryan, TX): FOX primary / WB secondary
• WPMT-TV (Harrisburg/York/Lancaster/Lebanon, PA): FOX primary / WB secondary
• WZPX-TV (Grand Rapids/Kalamazoo/Battle Creek, MI): ION primary / WB secondary

🔄 Relocating The CW to CBS News & Stations

With The WB taking over major Nexstar space, The CW should find a home on these Paramount-owned CBS News and Stations outlets:

• WUPA-DT2
• KMAX-TV
• KPYX
• KSTW
• WTOG
• WPSG
• WPKD-TV
• Note: The CW would remain exactly as it is on WKBD-TV and WBFS-TV.

What do you all think? Would this technical and structural shuffle give viewers the best of both worlds, or is the affiliate switching too complex for local markets to execute? Let’s discuss!