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THE LOCAL TELEVISION landscape may never be the same.
The merger last week that created the CW network has improved the outlook for Channel 11, while unsettling News Corp.-owned Channel 9 and raising the competitive pressure on its sister station Channel 5, the flagship Fox station.
The surprise decision by CBS Corp. and Time Warner Inc. to create CW by combining their struggling UPN and WB networks puts Channel 11 in the catbird seat, since it will inherit the best from both. Most important for WPIX-11, which has long been the leader in ad revenues, it will finally have a chance to challenge rival Fox 5 for dominance in local news.
"This is going to make us a stronger, more diverse station," says Betty Ellen Berlamino, general manager of WPIX, which will be the New York affiliate for the CW (the letters stand for CBS and Warner Bros., the companies behind the venture). The station will add UPN hits like America's Next Top Model to the top shows in its existing lineup, which includes Gilmore Girls.
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