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The CW to broadcast seven nights a week

US free-to-air network The CW will broadcast seven days a week for the first time from October 2, upping its weekly primetime offering to 14 hours.

Betty Ellen Berlamino

When the new season begins this fall, The CW will offer two hours of primetime series each night of the week, between 20.00 and 22.00. To compensate, it is handing over its 15.00-16.00 weekday slot to its affiliated stations for their own use.

The network’s first primetime Saturday slot will be taken up by the opening night of the IHeartRadio Music Festival, with a more regularly scheduled Saturday line-up to follow.

Betty Ellen Berlamino, executive VP of distribution at The CW, said: “As The CW expands and thrives, so do our affiliate partners, and everyone sees the tremendous value and the clear excitement behind the opportunity to brand and identify as a seven-night network on both a national and local level.

“The addition of more original programming to our Saturday primetime line-up coupled with our stations’ ability to now programme the Monday through Friday daytime block is a win-win for all parties.”

Rob Tuck, executive VP of national sales at The CW, added: “Becoming a seven-night-a-week network has been a long-standing goal for everyone here at The CW, and in an extremely tight broadcast environment the ability to expand our primetime by two more hours each week is a dynamic shift that will be gladly welcomed by our clients and the agencies.

“Following the recent industry trend, which has seen considerable contraction on a linear basis, The CW will buck that trend this season by adding a new night of original programming, creating new opportunities for us.”

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