- CBS X's out The Ex List - Yeah, the lead in this show is hot. And I mean very hot. But that alone won't bring the viewers to the set. CBS dropped The Ex List from its Friday after four episodes, and is being replaced by NCIS repeats. But man, I wish I was on her "Ex List"... Somebody, splash cold water on me!
- Beaumont's KBTV has X'd out NBC - Okay, where was I... oh - yes, the Nexstar-owned station in Beaumont, Texas announced it was switching to Fox effective on January 1, 2009. No word on who will assume the NBC affiliation. NBC currently ranks fourth in prime-time and has struggled out of the gate this young season. Earlier this year, Fox grabbed Tribune's KSWB-TV from The CW.
Of course, this isn't the first time an affiliate dumped a Big 3 network. In a deal that shocked the broadcasting world in 1994, New World Communications switched twelve of its Big 3 network affiliates to Fox, with CBS losing eight stations.
NBC went through the same phoenoemon in the late 1970's and early 1980's (when they were in the third place), with affiliates in Atlanta, Minneapolis, Charlotte, San Diego, and Green Bay jumping ship to ABC, with Baltimore's station jumping to CBS (though CBS actually cut ties with then-affiliate WMAR-TV, and hooked up with NBC affiliate WBAL-TV in 1981, because of too many network pre-emptions. NBC returned to WBAL in 1995 after WMAR dumped NBC for ABC and WJZ-TV became a CBS affiliate. WMAR's pre-emptions would continue, with the station keeping The Tonight Show off the air for a few years.)
WPIX brings back the X- WPIX-TV in New York is returning to its "PIX" branding, effective in December. The Tribune-owned station, which signed on in 1948, is joining other Tribune stations de-emphasizing its CW branding. The station branded itself as "WB 11" (when it was a WB network affiliate) and later "CW 11" before deciding to return to its "PIX" branding, last used in 1994.
The re-branding effort is in no way a retraction from The CW, which has enjoyed ratings gains and buzz from Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill, and 90210 this young season.
The move also bring back its classic "Circle 11" logo, which had been used for decades, and is re-branding its newscasts "PIX Morning News" and "PIX News at Ten."
In addition to its CW programming, WPIX airs syndicated fare such as Maury, Jerry Springer, Judge Mathis, The Honeymooners, The Jeffersons, Family Guy, Two and a Half Men, The Odd Couple, According to Jim, and the return of a longtime staple - Star Trek. The stations also airs New York Mets games. (Check out the comments section here.)
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