Nexstar Media Group, which owns The CW, said the network’s affiliation will be moving to Nexstar-owned WGN Chicago.
Nexstar had previously said that two other Nexstar owned stations — WVBT Norfolk, Virginia, and KLFY Lafayette, Louisiana — will also carry CW programming starting Sept. 1.
WVBT is a Fox affiliate. The CW will be on digital channel 43.2, replacing Cozi TV. KLFY is a CBS affiliate and The CW will be on channel 10.2.
“The addition of these Nexstar-owned stations as affiliates — two of which are among the country’s Top 50 largest markets, highlighted by Chicago at No. 3 — will bring the number of Nexstar-owned CW stations to 42, covering more than 36% of U.S. TV households,” Andrew Alford, president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division, said. “Adding The CW’s programming to them will offer advertisers a variety of new linear and digital opportunities to reach millions of viewers.”
Nexstar is able to generate additional revenue and profits in markets where it owns The CW affiliates. Since acquiring a majority stake in the network, Nexstar has changed its programming strategy and added sports programming in weekend time slots.
The CW affiliate in Chicago had been WCIU, owned by Weigel Broadcasting.
“It’s good for us and good for the network,“ Weigel vice chairman Neal Sabin said. “We wish them well.”
The CW affiliations will be shuffling in other markets as well. Affiliation agreements with stations owned by the E.W. Scripps Co. are not being renewed in seven markets including Norfolk and Lafayette.
The other markets where Scripps’s CW affiliations are ending are Detroit; Miami; Tucson, Arizona; Corpus Christi, Texas; and San Luis Obispo, California.
Mission Broadcasting, which works closely with Nexstar, agreed to buy WADL in Detroit and was expected to make that station a The CW affiliate. But the Federal Communications Commission put conditions on the sale and it is not clear if the transaction will be completed.
