Looking to jump-start its fall season, the CW will turn to a music festival in hopes of attracting more of its young-viewer target. The iHeartRadio
event featuring Usher, Taylor Swift, Rihanna and Lil Wayne will air Oct. 1, the night before the network’s official premiere week.
Decisions on the exact performances to air will be
made later. The second season of CW’s “Hart of Dixie” will launch the following evening. The new “Emily Owens, M.D.” is scheduled to follow on Tuesdays.
The CW
has scheduled three new shows for the fall as “Gossip Girl” moves into its final season, and “America’s Next Top Model” moves to Fridays, a signal it might be moving
toward the end of the runway.
The iHeartRadio event will be the second run by Clear Channel, which has been pushing the digital music initiative aggressively. It began marketing the
festival last week, using its 850 radio stations. The event will be in late September, with the CW special cobbled together from it.
The CW had a difficult year in the ratings last season,
but could benefit from a deal with Netflix, which will stream past seasons of the show, allowing viewers to catch up or tune in.
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