The CW Plus - Background

Background

A predecessor of the CW, The WB Television Network had a similar group of cable-only stations in small and medium markets called The WB 100+ Station Group, which began operations in September 1998 and continued until The WB Television Network ended operations in September 2006, with many of The WB 100+ stations (particularly cable-only affiliates) ending up with The CW Plus. Since the WB 100+ was created before digital television was easily available in the United States, most WB 100+ stations were only available on cable, with a few main channel affiliations on over-the-air broadcast stations.

CW Plus stations are generally managed and promoted by a local affiliate of a larger over-the-air television station, which may produce some local programming, such as a primetime newscast or local sports; though some affiliates are operated by a local cable provider. CW Plus stations air local commercial inserts, and each have their own local branding, which is usually a combination of the "The CW" name with either the parent station/cable franchise's city of license or a regional descriptor of the area (such as "Northland" for Duluth and Northeastern Minnesota, seen to the above left). Unlike its predecessor, The WB 100+ Station Group, The CW Plus does not use fake call signs; while many cable-only outlets that were part of the WB 100+ group that have since moved to The CW Plus have dropped their use of the fictional call signs, a few have kept the fictional call signs that were used by the outlets while part of The WB 100+ group.