WB Hopes to Recover Viewers Against Thinned Competition

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.

The WB is not immune to this fever, having announced plans for its own series, “Pop Stars,” based on an Australian show that follows the formation of an all-girl band. ABC’s similarly themed “Making the Band,” about a boy group, failed to generate much ratings enthusiasm.

Tune-in for the WB dropped roughly 20% for the recently concluded prime-time TV season, leaving WB behind the other fledgling network, UPN, which received an infusion from the wrestling show “WWF Smackdown!”

Still, officials at the WB--which is part-owned by Tribune Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times--are heartened by the absence of popular teen-oriented shows on other networks such as Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Party of Five” as well as ABC’s “TGIF” Friday comedy bloc. In addition, WB has snagged two shows from elder networks--ABC’s “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and Fox’s clay-animated “The PJs”--that have demonstrated some allure for the teen audience.

Both programs are a significant part of the WB’s aim to strengthen its profile in the comedy arena, after enjoying some success with dramas such as “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “7th Heaven” but largely failing at introducing widely popular sitcoms.

The WB also defended its strategy of placing several shows featuring predominantly African American casts on a single night, which some critics suggest essentially segregates those programs. WB Entertainment President Susanne Daniels said any programmer’s goal is to create compatible blocks of programming people will want to watch straight through the evening.