WGN-TV reunites with The CW

“CW 26” is no more after five years; third affiliation change in eight years as WCIU returns to independence 

As anticipated since Nexstar Media Group bought a controlling interest in The CW, the company’s WGN-TV returns to the network as an affiliate beginning September 1, as first reported by The Desk. This comes as the contract for its current affiliate, Weigel’s WCIU, or CW 26, ends on August 31.

“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,”  said Andrew Alford, who is president of Nexstar’s broadcasting division. “Adding The CW’s programming to them will offer advertisers a variety of new linear and digital opportunities to reach millions of viewers.”

WGN-TV parent Tribune Media was acquired by Nexstar in 2019, and 75 percent of The CW in 2022 from Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global, who were once equal partners in the network since it was formed by the merger of Time Warner’s The WB and CBS Corp.’s UPN in 2006. WGN-TV, as with most of the big-market former Tribune stations, were charter affiliates of The CW.

Nexstar’s strategy has been to add their stations to The CW’s affiliate roster so it can generate additional revenue. But the move was out of necessity in some cases, as CBS’ eight CW stations – nearly all of them had ties to the former UPN – parted ways with the network as it no longer owned an equal stake. Nexstar added its owned stations in a few of these markets including San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Tampa.

Despite complaining about the young-skewing fare on the network not being valuable as news lead-ins, the then-Tribune stations renewed their deals with The CW – except WGN-TV, who decided to focus on a prime-time lineup filled with pro sporting events from the Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks. But starting with the 2020 season, the Cubs moved their non-network games to their regional sports network Marquee. In response to losing the Cubs, NBC Sports Chicago signed exclusive telecast deals with the other three teams, leaving WGN-TV with no sporting events three years after dropping The CW.

Since Nexstar took over the network, it has broadened The CW’s fare, adding more sports programming and ditching most genre shows to focus on non-scripted programming, and imported dramas and comedies from Canada.

The return of The CW to WGN comes full circle. In 2016, The CW moved its affiliation to Fox-owned WPWR-TV, which doubled as a My Network TV affiliate, a programming service created by Fox in the wake of UPN’s departure. The CW parted ways with WPWR after three years as low ratings were a concern as the station was Fox’s only CW affiliate. In 2019, The CW moved to Weigel Broadcasting’s WCIU, rebranding as CW 26. However, speculation on the future of CW 26 became apparent when the station declined to air CW’s newly-acquired sporting events, such as LIV Golf shifting to WGN as a result of its Nexstar ownership.

Currently, WGN airs off-network reruns of Warner’s The Big Bang Theory (picked up from Fox-owned WFLD last September) and Disney/20th’s Last Man Standing weeknights and Sundays. Those shows are expected to move to late-night (and yes, the Sheep is still hosting.)

What’s next for WCIU

Similar to what WPWR did when it reverted to its My50 branding after three years known as CW 50, WCIU is reverting to The U, the branding it launched in January 1995 after Univision deserted the station (which was a part-time affiliate) when they purchased former English-language independent WGBO from Combined Broadcasting. The U branding is now used on its low-power WMEU-TV (Channels 26.2 and 48.1), who also carries a general entertainment schedule; it’s unknown what branding the station would use after September 1.

“It’s good for us and good for the network,“ Weigel vice chairman Neal Sabin said in a statement to Broadcasting & Cable. “We wish them well.”

To fill the slots vacated by The CW this fall, WCIU is adding off-network reruns of Debmar-Mercury’s The Conners; Warner’s Bob Hearts Abishola; and the second cycle of Disney/20th’s Modern Family, moving from Fox’s Chicago duopoly after a long eleven-year run. The station is also adding CBS Media Ventures’ new game show The FlipSide with Jaleel White and maintaining its court-dominated daytime lineup, as WCIU renewed Judge Judy and Hot Bench for at least two more seasons.

WCIU’s return to independent status could also open an avenue for Jerry Reinsdorf as he is looking to launch a new regional sports network and streamer Stadium through his Silver Chalice company to replace NBC Sports Chicago. Stadium is looking for an over-the-air outlet to carry a few games as more teams are striking deals with over-the-air partners. WCIU currently carries Chicago Sky Basketball, IHSA football, and basketball, and up until 2014, carried sports programming from WGN-TV when it didn’t have room on the schedule due to CW programming commitments.