New World Communications signed a group-wide affiliation deal with Fox, initiating a wide-ranging realignment of U.S. television network affiliations. After initially courting WEWS-TV owner Scripps-Howard, CBS signed up WOIO as their replacement affiliate in Cleveland despite WOIO not having a news department. Two months before the New World-Fox pact was announced, Malrite and Cannell began talks over a local marketing agreement (LMA) between WOIO and WUAB, with Malrite assuming operational control of WUAB; the U.S. Department of Justice announced the planned LMA prior to CBS executives meeting with WUAB. The LMA took effect on August 18, 1994, before WOIO's affiliation switch to CBS. Malrite announced plans for new studios at Reserve Square in Downtown Cleveland and newscasts for WOIO to be produced by WUAB. Much of WOIO's syndicated programming and Cavaliers broadcasts were also transferred to WUAB. The changes also resulted in the permanent cancellation of the Prize Movie, which WUAB revived earlier in 1994 after cancelling it in September 1993 to accommodate several new talk shows on the schedule. Outside of a period from 1984 to 1985 when Dave "Fig" Newton hosted, John Lanigan had been the program's host for 18 years. Affiliations with UPN and The WB WUAB committed to become a charter affiliate of the United Paramount Network (UPN)—a joint venture between Chris-Craft's United Television division and Paramount Pictures—in November 1993, over a year before the network launched on January 16, 1995. Several days earlier, on January 6, 1995, WUAB signed up as a charter affiliate of The WB, a venture between Time Warner and Tribune Broadcasting. WUAB made the addition due to both networks launching with limited schedules: UPN on Monday and Tuesday nights and Saturday afternoons and The WB on Wednesday evenings. Both networks committed to expanding their schedules for the 1995–96 television season to include an additional night along with children's program blocks (UPN Kids and Kids' WB), while UPN took priority on WUAB with WB shows airing at other times. The 1995 Cleveland Indians season, one of the most successful in team history, saw WUAB's viewership jump to a 27 audience share for their game coverage, a substantial increase from the station's 7 share during the 1992 season. WUAB signed a new multi-year contract afterwards which included up to 70 Indians telecasts in 1996, further resulting in shows from both networks airing out of pattern. After The WB announced a third night of