• TV Week, Wednesday, January 25, 2006 11:15 AM

As television industry observers chew over the meaning of the surprise announcement yesterday that UPN and The WB were combining to birth a new network, The CW, one of the first questions to arise was... what about Fox Television?  How will it react?  "The ripples will start with Fox," Marc Schacher, a Tribune programmming executive, told TV Week.  As it turns out, Fox stations will need to program for several hours for at least eight of its stations which currently are affiliated with UPN. Those affiliates will be lost in the fall when UPN shuts down in anticipation of the launch of The CW. The CW will air on CBS- and Tribune-owned stations in major markets. Fox executives who spoke to TV Week said it was too early to know what might go into those critical time slots. The Fox stations could sign up for syndicated fare, currently being shopped at the National Association of Television Program Executives meeting. Or, another plan quickly floated yesterday has Fox--known for acting swiftly on programming matters--launching a talk show.

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