• by Wayne Friedman , October 21, 2014

Joining other local TV station-based digital networks focusing on classic TV programs, CBS Television Stations and Weigel Broadcasting will launch Decades.

Decades will use CBS’ library of more than 100 classic TV shows, such as “I Love Lucy,” “Happy Days,” “Cheers” and others, as well as made-for-TV movies and news/feature content from CBS News and “Entertainment Tonight.”

The network will feature a new one-hour program, “Decades Retrospectical,” focusing around news and culturally timed events. The companies called the network “the ultimate TV time capsule.”

Decades will run on TV stations' digital subchannels. For example, in New York City, where WCBS-TV runs digitally on channel 2.1, Decades will run on channel 2.2.

Weigel will be responsible for making TV station affiliation agreements. No financial terms were disclosed.

Decades is slated to debut during the second quarter of 2015, with the 16 CBS-owned stations that are part of the CBS Television Network. In all, there are 29 CBS Television Stations -- including eight CW affiliates, three independent stations and two MyNetwork TV affiliates.

The CBS-Weigel effort joins a number of other local digital TV station-based networks focusing on “classic” TV programs, including Me-TV (owned by Weigel), This TV (owned by MGM), Retro TV (Luken Communications), Antenna TV (Tribune Media) and Cozi TV. NBCUniversal, which owns Cozi TV, started a year ago.