In wielding its strong market position, The CW has added five new stations to its network--deals negotiated on a more network-advantageous market-by-market, station-by-station basis. Stations were
added in Cleveland; Orlando, Fla; Louisville, Ky; South Bend, Ind; and Charlotte, N.C. The CW's target is getting to a 93 percent or 94 percent clearance level by September when it launches. The WB is
currently at that level now; UPN is around 90 percent or 91 percent. CBS and Time Warner agreed to merge their respective UPN and WB networks in January. With CBS and Tribune stations, The CW now has
stations in 25 of the top 30 markets. -- Wayne Friedman
