Wb Television Network

* ACME Communications Inc., Santa Ana owner and operator of a group of stations affiliated with the WB Television Network, reported that its fourth-quarter net loss widened to $8 million, or 48 cents a share, from $5.4 million, or 32 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue declined 10% to $18 million. The company attributed the results to weak advertising demand as well as continued investment in programming and sales resources at its developing stations.

AOL Time Warner Inc.'s WB television network expects to have its first profitable season, assuming audience ratings remain strong and the U.S. TV advertising market as a whole improves, a company executive said. "I think we will be profitable this year, but the challenges are greater because the market isn't as strong as we had envisioned," said Jamie Kellner, the former WB head who was named chief of Turner Broadcasting System Inc. in March. The unit includes the WB, CNN, TNT and TBS networks.

In the first legal battle to emerge since Michael Ovitz pulled the plug on his television production company in August, the WB television network has sued Artists Television Group for failing to live up to its contract to deliver a fall program, "Lost in the U.S.A." In the lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the WB claims it advanced ATG more than $1 million in two payments in late July and early August to help offset production costs for the show.

The end of the TV season each May has traditionally been a time for production companies to box up failed shows and ship them out to the vast canceled series graveyard. Lately, however, some of those hearses are being replaced by moving vans. Several programs on the bubble in terms of coming back next fall could find homes on other networks, reflecting shifting standards of what justifies survival in today's fragmented television landscape.

The wrestling match between Disney and Time Warner has spilled over into the scheduling of next season's prime-time lineups, with Disney employing a novel arm-twisting tactic hoping to get the WB network to buy another season of its acclaimed drama "Felicity."

The WB network is hoping to rebound from a weak ratings performance last season and sees its competition as having been thinned by the cancellation of several shows on the major networks that courted its youthful audience. Addressing TV critics and reporters in Pasadena on Monday, WB Chairman Jamie Kellner also said the television business is rightly criticized for its "me too" mentality, lately evidenced by the crush to follow CBS' summer "reality" series "Survivor" with like-themed projects.

ABC will revise its prime-time roster next season to include five new comedies and three dramas, seeking to provide more power with its sitcom blocks on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Sources say part of the network's strategy will involve moving "Home Improvement" from 9 p.m. Tuesdays to the earlier 8 p.m. slot against "Mad About You"--a face-off between two long-running comedies both presumed to be heading into their final year.

After five years of stable management, WB Television Network faces its first shake-up, with Susanne Daniels named Monday to replace Garth Ancier as the president of entertainment at the network. Daniels, 33, will assume her new post immediately, even though Ancier will remain at WB until his contract expires in May. Ancier is expected to join NBC as president of entertainment, replacing Scott Sassa, who will succeed Don Ohlmeyer as president of NBC West Coast.

Susanne Daniels Entertainment president, WB Television Network, 33 What she's done: In December, Daniels took over the entertainment programming reins at the 5-year-old network, replacing Garth Ancier, who is expected to take the same post at NBC once his WB contract expires in June. Thanks to such teen-oriented hit shows as "Dawson's Creek" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," the WB demonstrated audience growth while the other broadcast networks saw their numbers continue to decline.

The WB network has shown it can get teenagers to huddle in front of their TV wondering if Dawson will wind up with Jen or Joey, if Buffy can maintain a relationship with undead boyfriend Angel, or if those adorable kids on "7th Heaven" will keep living up to their minister father's standards. But can they get them to laugh?

The ratings-starved WB television network gave pink slips Friday to nearly two dozen employees, bringing to about 40 the number of people at the network who have lost their jobs during the last month. The layoffs come at an uncertain time for the 11-year-old Burbank-based network. The WB has said it will lose about $35 million this year. Its partners -- Time Warner Inc., which owns 78%, and Tribune Co.

* ACME Communications Inc., Santa Ana owner and operator of a group of stations affiliated with the WB Television Network, reported that its fourth-quarter net loss widened to $8 million, or 48 cents a share, from $5.4 million, or 32 cents a share, a year ago. Revenue declined 10% to $18 million. The company attributed the results to weak advertising demand as well as continued investment in programming and sales resources at its developing stations.

In the first legal battle to emerge since Michael Ovitz pulled the plug on his television production company in August, the WB television network has sued Artists Television Group for failing to live up to its contract to deliver a fall program, "Lost in the U.S.A." In the lawsuit, filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the WB claims it advanced ATG more than $1 million in two payments in late July and early August to help offset production costs for the show.

AOL Time Warner Inc.'s WB television network expects to have its first profitable season, assuming audience ratings remain strong and the U.S. TV advertising market as a whole improves, a company executive said. "I think we will be profitable this year, but the challenges are greater because the market isn't as strong as we had envisioned," said Jamie Kellner, the former WB head who was named chief of Turner Broadcasting System Inc. in March. The unit includes the WB, CNN, TNT and TBS networks.

Tonight on the WB, writer-producer Darren Star airs "Beverly Hills, 90210's" dirty laundry. The first network sitcom from Star (the creator of "Melrose Place" and "Sex and the City"), "Grosse Pointe" has already weathered a storm of backstage conflicts and rumors. Co-star Joely Fisher recently jumped ship to assume a leading role as John Goodman's sister in Fox's freshman sitcom "Normal, Ohio"--leaving a void in the cast that has yet to be filled.

The WB network is hoping to rebound from a weak ratings performance last season and sees its competition as having been thinned by the cancellation of several shows on the major networks that courted its youthful audience. Addressing TV critics and reporters in Pasadena on Monday, WB Chairman Jamie Kellner also said the television business is rightly criticized for its "me too" mentality, lately evidenced by the crush to follow CBS' summer "reality" series "Survivor" with like-themed projects.

First, a disclaimer: Love looking at women. The word "prude" wouldn't come up in a personality test, nor do I often use "gratuitous" and "sex" in the same sentence. My wife has even suggested I fall into something approaching a trance upon nearing a Victoria's Secret store. It's different, however, when it comes to looking at girls--or at least those who play them on TV.

The wrestling match between Disney and Time Warner has spilled over into the scheduling of next season's prime-time lineups, with Disney employing a novel arm-twisting tactic hoping to get the WB network to buy another season of its acclaimed drama "Felicity."

The end of the TV season each May has traditionally been a time for production companies to box up failed shows and ship them out to the vast canceled series graveyard. Lately, however, some of those hearses are being replaced by moving vans. Several programs on the bubble in terms of coming back next fall could find homes on other networks, reflecting shifting standards of what justifies survival in today's fragmented television landscape.

As what might be called the second-generation networks played meet the press this week, Fox, the WB and UPN outlined programming philosophies that underscore how broadcasting has shifted from courting everyone to targeting narrow segments of the viewing audience.