The CW to begin programming Saturdays, expanding to seven nights for the first time

The Hollywood Reporter

The move to add a primetime footprint on Saturdays starting this fall marks the first time The CW will air original programming on all seven nights after launching in 2006. The CW's predecessors The WB and UPN also didn't program Saturdays. As part of the new arrangement, The CW will return five hours of daytime programming, specifically the 3 p.m. hour, to its affiliates. The CW will kick off its Saturday programming on Oct. 2 with the iHeartRadio Music Festival concert special. The CW will now have 14 hours of primetime programming per week, one hour fewer than Fox. “As The CW expands and thrives, so do our affiliate partners, and everyone sees the tremendous value and the clear excitement behind the opportunity to brand and identify as a seven night network on both a national and local level,” said Betty Ellen Berlamino, The CW's executive vice president of distribution at The CW. “The addition of more original programming to our Saturday primetime lineup coupled with our stations’ ability to now program the Monday through Friday daytime block is a win-win for all parties.”