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Report: The Demise of the CW Could Be Near

080516gossipgirl2.jpg
Gossip Girl by Giovanni Rufino/The CW
Got any friends who might like shows on the CW? Find 'em, and get 'em in front of a TV — pronto. The Wall Street Journal says if ratings don't perk up, the CW could fold as soon as next year.

A big part of the ratings issue — the network has lost about 30% of its target of 18 to 34-year-olds — is that its audience spends a lot of free time on the Internet and not in front of the tube. The writers' strike also accelerated the viewership decline.

In an effort to steer eyeballs back to the TV, the network recently pulled free episodes of Gossip Girl from its website, but ratings for the TV show did not improve.

The Journal quotes industry officials as saying it's possible one of the CW's owners — CBS and Time Warner — could cash in and walk away next year.

Rather than go after both men and women age 18 to 34, the CW ditched man-centric shows like WWE SmackDown last spring and repositioned itself as targeting only women in that age group. — J.R. Whalen

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Posted by TV Guide News
May 16, 2008 3:32 PM
thats what they get for cancelling Veronica Mars.
Posted by bicnlin
May 16, 2008 3:43 PM
What would this mean for shows currently on the CW? Would Supernatural just disappear if the network folded?
Posted by Dianora
May 16, 2008 3:53 PM
Dianora- I think we'd have to hope for another network to pick us up. C'mon CW- just hold out for 2 more years.
Posted by acsgrlie
May 16, 2008 3:58 PM
Try replacing Dawn Ostroff with someone with a vision and taste before pulling the plug. Seriously.
Posted by breakdown
May 16, 2008 4:10 PM
I want them to bring back UPN/WB. While they were small networks, they did have there own small markets. I almost never watched UPN but watched a ton of WB.
Posted by JeffDS3
May 16, 2008 4:28 PM
Moonlight, anyone?
Posted by Sue Crocker
May 16, 2008 4:44 PM
I wish they'd bring back WB. WB had some wonderful shows on it and I watched it every night. Our station here showed the UPN shows at the 7-9 hours, then the news 9-10, then all the WB shows 10-12. It worked perfectly. I taped it every night and would get mad if I missed any of it. They should bring back the people who ran the WB.
Posted by Mannie_Annie
May 16, 2008 4:45 PM
Ostroff needs to go. Now. She cancels Veronica Mars yet treats Gossip Girl like gold, even though its ratings aren't any higher than VM's were!

This whole business of targeting only young women is so stupid. You can't build a broadcast network around that. That's what Lifetime and Oxygen are for! Shows like Supernatural and Reaper can appeal to wider audiences including guys, but how many guys are now going to ignore the CW even more when it's filled with Gossip Girl clones.
Posted by killerhook321
May 16, 2008 4:45 PM
I don't understand. Is Farmer Takes A Wife not raking in the viewers?
Posted by deeshopper
May 16, 2008 5:05 PM
I wouldn't be surprised and I wouldn't mind. There isn't anything worth watching since they cancelled Veronica Mars.
Posted by Illyria
May 16, 2008 5:05 PM
I am reminded of those two great Southern philosophers, Forrest Gump and Ron White: "Stupid is as stupid does" (Gump) and "You can't fix stupid" (White).:^O
Posted by tvfan1957
May 16, 2008 5:11 PM
killerhook321: "This whole business of targeting only young women is so stupid. You can't build a broadcast network around that. That's what Lifetime and Oxygen are for!"

Word. Amen. And all those other phrases! I admit, The only show I watch on that network is Smallville. I just knew when I read that WB was going to be no more that it wouldn't bode well.

And I agree with breakdown about showing Dawn Ostroff the door. She likes these women demographics? Why doesn't she just go take her resume to Lifetime?

~Sangeeta
Posted by Geets226
May 16, 2008 5:23 PM
I'm still trying to get over the fact that I'm not the target demo anymore.
Posted by tp72
May 16, 2008 5:41 PM
tp72:"I'm still trying to get over the fact that I'm not the target demo anymore."

tp72, maybe this will help: I've NEVER been the target demo. What would happen, if the corporations didn't use the "targeted demographics" when deciding to put out shows and just concentrated on making Good Shows? And, I don't know, maybe give them a chance to develop, like they did with Dallas (okay, I'm really showing my age here,lol).

~Sangeeta
Posted by Geets226
May 16, 2008 5:57 PM
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