Declaration of Independents

[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Allison Romano]
Independent TV stations -- feisty local broadcasters that go up against the biggest entertainment companies in the world—are suddenly enjoying a revival of sorts. Come September, their numbers will roughly double when more than 100 new independents could flood the market as The WB and UPN shut down to form The CW network. Some stations will not win The CW affiliation, and, with the fall season looming, managers at UPNs and WBs are scrambling to find other models. Unlike network affiliates, independent stations have to fill their schedule 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and sell all of the time to advertisers. Without network prime time to draw viewers, independents have to buy more syndicated product or produce local news or specials. Independent stations thrived in the 1970s and '80s, offering movies, reruns of popular TV shows and baseball games. But by the 1990s, the explosion of cable meant that dozens of channels offered similar programming all day long. At the same time, the creation of Fox (1986), The WB and UPN (both 1995) converted many independents to network affiliates, leaving only a few dozen indies scattered across the country. Some of the strongest independents are former network affiliates. Profitable independents point to three crucial elements for success against big-network affiliates: a lineup of hyper-local news and hot syndication; smart packaging and promotion; and new ad opportunities.
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