The WB

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Discuss everything about the defunct TV channel, The WB, and its TV shows here.

[Pikapower]

Does anybody remember when Michigan J. Frog was the mascot?

[TheFugitive]

Michigan J. Frog was the mascot when they appeared here in Pittsburgh on a low-power
UHF station (Channel 29).  I remember coming across it one night and watching Unhappily
Ever After (a bad copy of Married With Children featuring Bobcat Goldthwait as the voice of
a talking stuffed rabbit) and the nighttime soap opera Savannah.   1995 I think?

Was not terribly impressed.  Even though Savannah featured a tall redhead who wore lingerie
particularly well.  Channel 29 had previously aired all-day coverage of the O.J. Simpson
Trial.

I think this station went out of business when the full-powered Channel 22 dropped their UPN
affiliation in favor of the WB.

[Pikapower]

The WB use air Pokemon as part of their "Kids WB" block before they move it to Cartoon Network. My WB station (WNYO channel 49 which is now a MyNetwork TV station) used to air Pokemon when it was syndicated.

[ynkeesfn82]

In Connecticut The WB got its start late night Wednesdays on ABC affiliate WTNH Channel 8. WTNH than began operating a new station WTVU Channel 59. Programming on WTVU initially was coverage of the OJ Trial from KTLA out of LA. WTVU showed WB programming on Saturday Nights. Eventually WTVU changed their calls to WBNE for Warner Brothers New England. WB59 showed lots of old sitcoms, dramas, and same day repeats of Phil Donahue and Sally Jesse from Channel 8.

So Tribune owners of FOX 61 took over operations of UPN 20 WTXX from NBC 30 WVIT. Since Tribune was part owner of The WB Network Channel 59 and Channel 20 switched affiliations after their affiliation agreement expired. Channel 20 became WB 20 and Channel 59 became UPN Affiliated "The X", WCTX.

Today Channel 59 is MY Network TV affiliate MY TV 9 (from their Cable Position) and Channel 20 is CW affiliate WCCT-TV. They do not use CW in their branding any more. Initially when they dropped CW from the branding of Channel 20 they went by the name "TXX-TV." They then changed on air branding to "The CT" and calls to WCCT-TV. They had a logo that looked like a face that was ripped off from PBS. They also did some lame branding "Changing the Face of Television." At the time of the switch from WTXX to WCCT-TV they carried South Park. This ad ran in The New Haven Advocate.

http://www.bill1820.com/images/wcct-ad-2010-08.jpg

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Does anybody remember when Michigan J. Frog was the mascot?

I do!  ;)

[Hudsons81]

Does anybody remember when Michigan J. Frog was the mascot?

I do!  ;)

Same here-especially when channel 20 here (Detroit) changed it's call sign from WXON to WDWB.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

Kids' WB is still around as an online network, who streams their cartoons online, just like Hulu.

Kids' WB is currently streaming cartoons, including those from Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes, and DC Comics:
www.kidswb.com

[Pikapower]

I wonder how many station picked up Pokemon when it was in syndication were WB affiliates?

[Hudsons81]

I wonder how many station picked up Pokemon when it was in syndication were WB affiliates?

When Pokemon was still syndicated, locally, it was on then-UPN station WKBD-TV 50, airing weekdays at 7:30 AM (source) and moved to WDWB (now WMYD) 20 when it became part of the Kid's WB lineup.

[Ameskid]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Kids' WB lineup survive into the Star era under a different name?

I always found the syndication of Cartoon Network shows in the Kids' WB lineup a little strange. Not every day that you see Static Shock and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends in the same programming block.

[Hudsons81]

Today is the 20th anniversary of The WB's inception.

How many of you remember the network's first year on-air?

[ynkeesfn82]

Today is the 20th anniversary of The WB's inception.

How many of you remember the network's first year on-air?

As I mentioned above there wasn't a stand alone affiliate in Connecticut when they first came on and WTNH our ABC affiliate showed WB Programming overnights on Wednesdays. I think 12:37AM-2:37AM.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

I remember the WB affiliate in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It started out as PAX TV charter O&O station WPXG-TV 14, licensed to the small town of Suring, Wisconsin with studios in a strip mall in Green Bay. It became a WB affiliate on June 2, 1999 under the WIWB callsign, the WB 14 and Wisconsin's WB branding after ACME Communications bought the station from Paxson Communications. Kids WB and Pokemon previously aired as part of WACY-TV UPN-32's "Wacky 32" childrens' TV block before moving to channel 14. PAX continued to operate as a secondary affiliate with most of their programming airing during the mornings, overnights, and weekends on WB 14 until 2005. The station is now WCWF CW 14 and is a duopoly with local FOX affiliate WLUK FOX 11, both stations are owned by Harrisburg Television, a division of Sinclair Broadcast Group and both operate out of the FOX 11/CW 14 studios on 787 Lombardi Avenue in Green Bay.

To this day, there are two pairs of local TV stations in Green Bay, Wisconsin that have local marketing agreements:
* WLUK (FOX) 11 and WCWF (CW) 14 - Sinclair Broadcast Group
* WGBA (NBC) 26 and WACY (MyNetworkTV) 32 - Journal Broadcast Group

[TheFugitive]

Today is the 20th anniversary of The WB's inception.

How many of you remember the network's first year on-air?

I was living in a rental house without cable.  A low-power UHF station had taken to the air a couple of years prior on channel 29.  They developed a bit of a following as during the day they'd air live, uncut coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial.  I came home from work that evening and discovered they were running a knock-off of Married With Children where the lead character spent time spilling his guts about life's problems to a talking stuffed rabbit (voiced by Bobcat Goldthwait). Followed by a rather boring sitcom starring the late comedian Richard Jeni as a brooding single guy.  A night or two later they were running a nighttime soap called Savannah.  I recall a particular redhead on that show who wore lingerie extremely well!   ;)

Those shows were not great, but I found myself watching quite a bit as, like I said, the house did not
have access to cable.  And I was still doing retail management, so my after-work wind down routine consisted of "hand me a beer, turn on the most mindless TV show you can find, and don't talk to me for at least an hour!"

[Pikapower]

The only thing that I watched on The WB was Pokemon!

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

The Powerpuff Girls aired on Kids' WB in 2002. The Powerpuff Girls were added to the block around the time that "The Powerpuff Girls Movie" was in theaters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtbOMpcCTvw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdXvzC9un1k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y2Vk4SXRpY

If you want Kids' WB back, please sign this petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bring-kids-wb-back-on-air/

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

WB affiliates that had news departments:

WGN-TV 9, Chicago, Illinois (later The CW, now an independent)
WPIX 11, New York City, New York (now The CW)
KTLA 5, Los Angeles, California (now The CW)
KWGN-TV 2, Denver, Colorado (now The CW)
KPLR-TV 11, St. Louis, Missouri (now The CW)
KTVK-TV 3, Phoenix, Arizona (now an independent)
KDAF 33, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas (now The CW)
KHWB 39 (now KIAH), Houston, Texas (now The CW)
KSWB-TV 69, San Diego, California (later The CW, now FOX)
WPHL-TV 17, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (now MyNetworkTV)
KNTV 11, San Jose, California (now NBC)
WLFL 22, Raleigh, North Carolina (now The CW)
WNCN 17, Raleigh, North Carolina (later NBC, now CBS)
WTTA 38, Tampa, Florida (now MyNetworkTV)
WNYB-TV 49 (now WNYO-TV), Buffalo, New York (now MyNetworkTV)
WVTV 18, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (now The CW)
WSTR-TV 64, Cincinnati, Ohio (now MyNetworkTV)
KFBT 33, Las Vegas, Nevada (now The CW)
WBSG-TV 21 (now WPXC-TV), Brunswick, Georgia/Jacksonville, Florida (later ABC, now Ion)
WBZL-TV 39 (now WSFL-TV), Miami, Florida (now The CW) (newscast produced by NBC affiliate WTVJ 4, later WTVJ 6)
WTTV 4/WTTK 29, Indianapolis, Indiana/Kokomo, Indiana (later The CW, now CBS)
KWBP 32 (now KRCW-TV), Portland, Oregon (now The CW)
WLVI 56, Boston, Massachusetts (now The CW)

TV stations that discontinued their news departments upon affiliating with The WB:
WJKS-TV 17 (later WJWB, then WCWJ), Jacksonville, Florida (previously affiliated with ABC)

[retailisking]

WB affiliates that had news departments:

WGN-TV 9, Chicago, Illinois (later The CW, now an independent)
WPIX 11, New York City, New York (now The CW)
KTLA 5, Los Angeles, California (now The CW)
KWGN-TV 2, Denver, Colorado (now The CW)
KPLR-TV 11, St. Louis, Missouri (now The CW)
KTVK-TV 3, Phoenix, Arizona (now an independent)
KDAF 33, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas (now The CW)
KHWB 39 (now KIAH), Houston, Texas (now The CW)
KSWB-TV 69, San Diego, California (later The CW, now FOX)
WPHL-TV 17, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (now MyNetworkTV)
KNTV 11, San Jose, California (now NBC)
WLFL 22, Raleigh, North Carolina (now The CW)
WNCN 17, Raleigh, North Carolina (later NBC, now CBS)
WTTA 38, Tampa, Florida (now MyNetworkTV)
WNYB-TV 49 (now WNYO-TV), Buffalo, New York (now MyNetworkTV)
WVTV 18, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (now The CW)
WSTR-TV 64, Cincinnati, Ohio (now MyNetworkTV)
KFBT 33, Las Vegas, Nevada (now The CW)
WBSG-TV 21 (now WPXC-TV), Brunswick, Georgia/Jacksonville, Florida (later ABC, now Ion)
WBZL-TV 39 (now WSFL-TV), Miami, Florida (now The CW) (newscast produced by NBC affiliate WTVJ 4, later WTVJ 6)
WTTV 4/WTTK 29, Indianapolis, Indiana/Kokomo, Indiana (later The CW, now CBS)
KWBP 32 (now KRCW-TV), Portland, Oregon (now The CW)
WLVI 56, Boston, Massachusetts (now The CW)

TV stations that discontinued their news departments upon affiliating with The WB:
WJKS-TV 17 (later WJWB, then WCWJ), Jacksonville, Florida (previously affiliated with ABC)

WPXT 51 in Portland, Maine had one for a number of years dating back to their days as a FOX affiliate. They axed their news department in 2002. WMTW (the ABC affiliate in town) has been broadcasting from WPXT's facility for the past couple of years.

[JJBers]

How long has WB been off the air? 10 years? I don't remember it at all.

[giantsfan2016]

11 years. It went off in 2006. WB started in 95 or 96. Originally in Connecticut it was on 2 hours a week during the overnight hours on WTNH Channel 8 the ABC station. The station today that is now known as "MY TV 9" (WCTX/59) was the WB affiliate run by channel 8. WB 59 WBNE. After the turn of the century in moved over to Channel 20 WTXX (now WCCT) and UPN went over to Channel 59.

[Retail Fan+ (Justin Hill)]

11 years. It went off in 2006. WB started in 95 or 96. Originally in Connecticut it was on 2 hours a week during the overnight hours on WTNH Channel 8 the ABC station. The station today that is now known as "MY TV 9" (WCTX/59) was the WB affiliate run by channel 8. WB 59 WBNE. After the turn of the century in moved over to Channel 20 WTXX (now WCCT) and UPN went over to Channel 59.

WB and UPN would merge, creating a new "fifth network" in 2006 called "The CW." At the same time, FOX would create a network called "MyNetworkTV." Most former UPN and WB networks would become CW affiliates. The remaining former WB and UPN stations that did not become The CW became part of MyNetworkTV, and in some instances, some small markets had a dual affiliation, like KWKB 20, a former The WB affiliate in Iowa City, Iowa, for example, who had a dual affiliation with The CW and MyNetworkTV from 2006 to 2011. Today, that station operates as just a ThisTV affiliate on its main channel, while a Light TV affiliate airs on its digital subchannel.