In a business known for preying on weakness, the UPN network has become the ... ONE STAR Edition

• Published in: Pittsburgh post-gazette (Pittsburgh, Pa. 1978)
• Main Author: BRIAN LOWRY AND GREG BRAXTON, LOS ANGELES TIMES
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pittsburgh, Pa Pittsburgh Post - Gazette 27.08.2000
• Subjects: Valentine, Dean
• ISSN: 1068-624X

News Corp.'s surprise deal to acquire the Chris-Craft TV stations - - which provide the network's cornerstone -- has left the future of UPN in doubt, spurring speculation it might be shut down. At present, such assumptions are premature. News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch gave UPN a tentative vote of confidence last week, suggesting it could continue with Fox as a partner or in some other form. "If UPN were to go away, that means there would be a lot of unaffiliated stations," said Jeff Sagansky, president and chief executive of Pax TV, which reaches about 80 percent of U.S. homes. Sagansky estimates that without UPN, Pax could add stations in cities blanketing another 3 percent to 4 percent of the country. The network airs 10 hours of prime-time programming each week -- compared to 22 hours on ABC, CBS and NBC -- and two of those are devoted to "Smackdown!," which almost single-handedly hoisted UPN past the WB in ratings during the TV season that concluded in May. In addition, six of UPN's nine regular series are produced by divisions of Viacom, its parent company.