United Paramount Network

UPN is a television network in the United States, owned by Viacom Inc., which also owns the more widespread CBS network. Because of this dual corproate ownership, in several large American cities, the local CBS and UPN stations are operated as "duopolies."

History

UPN was launched January 16, 1995 as the United Paramount Network, a joint venture between two companies: Paramount Studios and Chris-Craft Industries' United Television group. Both companies owned independent stations in several large cities in the United States. Each controlled 50 percent of the network.

In 2000, Paramount's parent company, Viacom, bought out Chris-Craft to gain 100 percent control of the United-Paramount venture. Shortly afterward, Viacom dropped the "United" name for its new network, opting to change the official corporate name to be the three-letter initials, "UPN."

Programming

The first official UPN network programming was the series Star Trek: Voyager. After Voyager's 7-season run came to an end, UPN began broadcasting the newest Star Trek spin-off, Star Trek: Enterprise. UPN also bought the rights to broadcast the television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer from 20th Century Fox after The WB cancelled the series.

The network also produced some special programs. For example, they presented the Iron Chef USA program during Christmas 2001.

Paramount had earlier attempted its own television network with the Paramount Television Service. Set to launch in Spring 1978, its programming would have only consisted of one night a week. Thirty "Movies of the Week" would have followed Star Trek: Phase Two on Saturday nights. The network failed to sell enough advertising and acquire enough affiliates to make the network viable.

See also: List of programs broadcast by UPN, List of United States television networks

UPN has a new policy of "not picking up other networks' scraps," which was a strong argument when fan pressure was generated in 2004 for them to pick up Angel, the spin-off of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. UPN also shows the WWE's Smackdown show.

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