Pittsburgh Could Lose The CW TV Network

PITTSBURGH, PA —KDKA-TV sister station WPCW-TV is one of eight CBS-owned stations that will drop their affiliation with The CW in September and become independent.

Unless another local affiliate is found, the move will leave The CW - which airs programs such as "The Flash," "Riverdale," and "Gotham Knights" - without a Pittsburgh presence. The CW provides a two-hour programming block to stations Sunday through Friday from 8 p.m.-10 p.m.

The move comes after Nexstar Media Group acquired a majority stake in The CW last year, with CBS parent company Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery retaining 12.5 percent each of the network but having the option to force Nexstar to buy them out in 2026.

"We look forward to reimagining these stations as independents while leveraging the considerable value of their prime-time real estate in each of the markets,” Wendy McMahon, president and co-head of CBS News and Stations, told Variety. “It’s an exciting time to look at new opportunities to add local programming, including live sports, and shows from across the Paramount Global brands."

In a statement, Nexstar said that it is confident The CW will continue reaching 100 percent of U.S. television households without interruption.