1993–1995: Origins Much like its competitor UPN, The WB was created primarily in reaction to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s then-recent deregulation of media ownership rules that repealed the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, and partly due to the success of the Fox network (which debuted in October 1986) and first-run syndicated programming during the late 1980s and early 1990s (such as Baywatch, Star Trek: The Next Generation, and War of the Worlds), as well as the erosion in ratings suffered by independent television stations due to the growth of cable television and movie rentals. The network can also trace its beginnings to the Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN), a programming service operated as a joint venture between Time Warner and the Chris-Craft Industries group of stations, and launched in January 1989.
1993–1995 Origins Much like its competitor UPN The WB was created primarily in reaction to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s then-recent deregulation of media ownership rules that repealed the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules and partly due to the success of the Fox network (which debuted in October 1986) and first-run syndicated programming during the late 1980s and early 1990s (such as Baywatch Star Trek The Next Generation and War of the Worlds) as well as the erosion in ratings suffered by independent television stations due to the growth of cable television and movie rentals The network can also trace its beginnings to the Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN) a programming service operated as a joint venture between Time Warner and the Chris-Craft Industries group of stations and launched in January 1989