Paramount Stations To Become CW Affiliates, Including a Return in Detroit

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Agreements are part of broader affiliation deal between Nexstar and Paramount Global

The CW president Dennis Miller (l.) and president, entertainment Brad Schwartz at the network’s TCA Press Tour presentation in January.
The CW president Dennis Miller (l.) and president, entertainment Brad Schwartz at the network’s TCA Press Tour presentation in January. (Image credit: Chris Frawley/The CW)

The CW has found new affiliates in Detroit and Miami and one looks a lot like its old affiliate in Detroit.

Nexstar, which acquired control of The CW from Paramount Global and Warner Bros. Discovery in 2022, said it signed a new affiliation deal with Paramount’s CBS News and Stations that not only renews the agreements with the 40 CBS affiliates Nexstar owns, but makes Paramount-owned stations WKBD Detroit and WBFS Miami affiliates of The CW, effective September 1.

WKBD had been The CW affiliate before a recent round of corporate musical chairs that played out in Detroit and other markets.

The agreement solves a problem that was developing for Nexstar in ensuring The CW was carried in every local market.

The merry-go-round started when Paramount, which retained a 12.5% stake in the The CW, decided to turn its eight CW affiliates — including WKBD — into independent stations last year. 

E.W Scripps Co.-owned stations including WMYD Detroit and WSFL Miami, became The CW affiliates, but in April it was announced those stations would be dropping the network.

Nexstar was able to replace many of the Paramount and Scripps affiliates with stations it owns or manages, but the situation in Detroit and Miami seemed to be going down to the wire because few full-powered stations were available.

WADL, Detroit, owned by Adell Broadcasting, nearly became the CW affiliate in Motor City, but an agreement for WADL to be acquired by Mission Broadcasting for $75 million in a deal that would have been financed by Nexstar, which would also run the station under management agreements. The deal was terminated after the Federal Communications Commission approved the acquisition but imposed conditions that would have prevented Nexstar from controlling the stations.

Nexstar manages Mission stations in several markets.

Kevin Adell, CEO of Adell Broadcasting, said last week he was still discussing a potential deal with the CW.

Financial terms of Nexstar’s deal with Paramount were not disclosed. 

Paramount said that WBFS and WKBD would be carrying The CW’s news, primetime entertainment, live sports and special event programming.

Nexstar’s new CBS affiliation deal also covers two stations owned by Mission Broadcasting that are managed by Nexstar.

The 42 CBS affiliates that Nexstar runs reach nearly 19 million television households or about 15% of the U.S. audience.

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.