Editing UPN (section)

=== 1994–1999: Launch and early years ===
{{multiple image
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 | image1 = Upn1995.png
 | caption1 = The original UPN logo, used from 1995 to 1999, and in various iterations from 1997 to 2002 (though the "primary colors" variant continued on some affiliates and in print advertising until 2002).
 | image2 = UPN Logo 1998.svg
 | caption2 = Silver variant of UPN logo, used from 1997 to 2002.
}}
Paramount formed the [[Paramount Stations Group]] in 1991 when it purchased the assets of the [[TVX Broadcast Group]], which owned several independent stations in major markets. This was not unlike the purchase of the [[Metromedia]] stations by [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]] five years earlier, which were used as the nucleus for Fox. In another parallel, [[20th Century Fox]] (the News Corporation subsidiary behind the Fox network, which was spun off with the company's other entertainment assets to [[21st Century Fox]] on June 28, 2013 before [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] [[Acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney|acquired]] them on March 20, 2019), like Paramount, had long been a powerhouse in television syndication. All indicators suggested that Paramount was about to launch a network of its own.

In April 1993, the [[Federal Communications Commission]] ended the [[fin-syn]] rules that prohibited networks from owning the rerun rights to programs they broadcast. Fear that networks would stop buying programs from independent studios was another reason for Paramount to start a network.<ref name="lowry19991226">{{Cite news |last=Lowry |first=Brian |date=1999-12-26 |title=The Whims of War |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-dec-26-ca-47501-story.html |access-date=May 25, 2012 |work=Los Angeles Times}}</ref>

On October 27, 1993, Viacom and Chris-Craft announced the formation of a new television network, later to be named the '''United Paramount Network''', with initial plans to run two hours of programming in prime time for two nights per week.<ref>{{cite news |title = Paramount Plans a TV Network |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/27/business/paramount-plans-a-tv-network.html |first = Bill |last = Carter |newspaper = [[The New York Times]] |date = October 27, 1993 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094915/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/10/27/business/paramount-plans-a-tv-network.html |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref> The new network would be co-owned by United & Paramount Television, while most of its shows were to be produced by Paramount Television.

Initially, the network was to simply be called "U", but the "U Network" trademark was held by the now-defunct [[National Association of College Broadcasters]] (NACB), which had been operating a satellite television programming network featuring programs largely produced by college students since 1991. The founder and first head of UPN, [[Lucie Salhany]], approached NACB with an offer of US$50,000 to transfer the name. Due to the costs related to rebranding the student network, and under the advice of its then-volunteer legal counsel, Cary Tepper, the non-profit association countered with a request of $100,000, which Salhany refused. At one point, the network was set to be titled the '''U/P Network'''<ref>{{Cite news |last = Coe |first = Steve |date = October 10, 1994 |title = U/P Network Unveils Launch Lineup |pages = 7–8 |work = Broadcasting & Cable |url = https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/94-OCR/BC-1994-10-10-Page-0007.pdf }}</ref> before its current name was decided. Ultimately, the "U" in UPN stood for Chris-Craft subsidiary [[BHC Communications#United Television|United Television]], which owned the network's two largest stations, [[WWOR-TV]] in [[New York City]] and [[KCOP-TV]] in [[Los Angeles]]; the "P" represented Paramount Television, the studio that formed a programming partnership with Chris-Craft to create the network. Chris-Craft and Paramount/Viacom each owned independent stations in several large and mid-sized U.S. cities, and these stations formed the nuclei of the new network.

[[Warner Bros.]] announced plans to launch a similar network, which would become known as [[The WB]], in close proximity to UPN. The belief that a new broadcast network could grow to be competitive was predicated on the idea that the network in question would not have a fledgling rival to contend with. With the change in landscape, the joint understanding of assured defeat prompted executives from [[Viacom (1952–2006)|Viacom]] and Time Warner (at the time, UPN and The WB's respective owners, with the latter owning most of The WB) to discuss the prospect of [[Mergers and acquisitions|merging]] the networks together.<ref>{{Cite book |title = Season Finale: The Unexpected Rise and fall of the WB and UPN |last1 = Daniels |first1= Susanne |date = 2007 |publisher = HarperCollins e-books |last2 = Littleton |first2 = Cynthia. |isbn = 9780061542268 |location = Pymble, New South Wales |oclc = 191702277 }}</ref> Both sides reached an agreement on the division of affiliates, but Chris-Craft expressed extreme skepticism and declined to proceed with the merger. A merger would ultimately come in 2006 with the creation of [[The CW]].

UPN launched on January 16, 1995, initially carrying programming only on Monday and Tuesday nights from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]] and [[Pacific Time Zone|Pacific Time]].<ref>{{cite news |title = The Media Business: 2 Would-Be Networks Get Set for Prime Time |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/09/business/the-media-business-2-would-be-networks-get-set-for-prime-time.html |first = Bill |last = Carter |newspaper = The New York Times |date = January 9, 1995 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094720/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/01/09/business/the-media-business-2-would-be-networks-get-set-for-prime-time.html |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref> The first telecast, the [[Caretaker (Star Trek: Voyager)|two-hour pilot episode]] of ''[[Star Trek: Voyager]]'', was an auspicious start, with 21.3 million viewers; however, ''Voyager'' would neither achieve such viewership levels again, nor would any of the series premiering on UPN's second night of broadcasting survive the season. In contrast, The WB debuted one week earlier, on January 11, with four series – only one of which, ''[[Muscle (TV series)|Muscle]]'', would not survive its first season. The first comedy series to premiere on UPN were ''[[Platypus Man]]'', starring [[Richard Jeni]], and ''[[Pig Sty]]'', with both shows airing Monday nights in the 9:00&nbsp;p.m. hour; both received mixed reviews. Neither lasted long. <ref>{{cite news |title = UPN Network Cancels 3 of Its 4 Programs |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/18/arts/upn-network-cancels-3-of-its-4-programs.html |first = Lawrie |last = Mifflin |newspaper = The New York Times |date = May 18, 1995 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094847/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/18/arts/upn-network-cancels-3-of-its-4-programs.html |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref>

Other early UPN programs included the action series ''[[Nowhere Man (American TV series)|Nowhere Man]]'', starring [[Bruce Greenwood]] and ''[[Marker (TV series)|Marker]]'', starring [[Richard Grieco]]; the comic western ''[[Legend (TV series)|Legend]]'' starring [[Richard Dean Anderson]]; the sci-fi themed action series, ''[[The Sentinel (TV series)|The Sentinel]]''; and ''[[Moesha]]'', a sitcom starring R&B musician [[Brandy (entertainer)|Brandy Norwood]]. Of the network's early offerings, only ''Star Trek: Voyager'', ''Moesha'' and ''The Sentinel'' would last longer than one season. As a result of the lack of viewership, UPN operated on a loss and had lost $800&nbsp;million by 2000.<ref>{{cite magazine |title = Why Won't Anyone Pull the Plug on UPN? |url = https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/04/03/why-wont-anyone-pull-the-plug-on-upn |first = James |last = Surowiecki |magazine = [[The New Yorker]] |date = April 3, 2000 |access-date = January 17, 2010 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081218170110/https://www.newyorker.com/archive/2000/04/03/2000_04_03_032_TNY_LIBRY_000020545 |archive-date = December 18, 2008 }}</ref>

Within nearly two years of the network's launch, on December 8, 1996, Paramount/Viacom purchased a 50% stake in UPN from Chris-Craft for approximately $160&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news |title = Viacom Buys 50 Percent Stake in UPN Network |url = https://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/05/business/viacom-buys-50-percent-stake-in-upn-network.html |newspaper = The New York Times |date = December 5, 1996 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094516/http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/05/business/viacom-buys-50-percent-stake-in-upn-network.html |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title = Viacom to Buy Half of UPN: Is Investing $160 Million in Fledgling Network |url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18935896.html |first1 = Steve |last1 = McClellan |first2 = Lynette |last2 = Rice |periodical = [[Broadcasting & Cable]]|date = December 9, 1996 |access-date = June 22, 2013 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131011162936/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18935896.html |archive-date = October 11, 2013 }}</ref> Like Fox had done nine years earlier, UPN started with a few nights of programming each week, with additional nights of primetime shows gradually being added over the course of several seasons. Because of this, UPN's affiliates were basically independent stations for all intents and purposes during the network's early years, with these stations airing either syndicated programs or movies during primetime on nights when the network did not provide programming. The first expansion of its primetime lineup came with the addition of programming on Wednesday nights on March 6, 1996 (during the second half of the 1995–96 season); that expansion also saw UPN assume the broadcast rights to the [[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards]], which aired its inaugural broadcast on CBS the year before.

UPN ordered 36 sci-fi films to air as part of its weekly movie presentations beginning in 1998; the films were supplied by four production companies, with most of the titles coming from Paramount. Some titles would be shown on [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]] first, which allowed the [[pay television|premium cable channel]] to cooperate in advertising the movies.<ref>{{cite book |last1 = Segrave |first1 = Kerry |title = Movies at Home : How Hollywood Came to Television |date = 1999 |publisher = McFarland |location = Jefferson, North Carolina |isbn = 0786406542 |page = 144 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=IZTehB3M1_kC&pg=PA144 |access-date = January 8, 2016 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160624054459/https://books.google.com/books?id=IZTehB3M1_kC&lpg=PA146&pg=PA144 |archive-date = June 24, 2016 }}</ref>

UPN completed its prime time expansion in the 1998–99 season, with Thursdays and Fridays as the last nights of programming to be added to the network's evening slate. That season saw the debut of ''[[The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer]]'', a sitcom set during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] that centered on a black English nobleman who becomes the valet to [[Abraham Lincoln]]; even before its premiere, the series was riddled by controversy and protests from several African American activist groups (including the Los Angeles chapter of the [[NAACP]], who picketed outside [[Paramount Studios]] one week before the originally scheduled [[television pilot|pilot episode]]) and some advertisers for its perceived lighthearted take on [[Slavery in the United States|American slavery in the 19th century]]. Despite the publicity ''Desmond'' received from the controversial approach it applied to its topic, the series suffered from low ratings (with the first episode on October 5, 1998, placing 116th out of 125 programs aired that week on network television) and was canceled after four episodes.<ref>{{cite news |title = Racism Is Not 'Diary's' Crime |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-02-ca-28389-story.html |first = Howard |last = Rosenberg |newspaper = Los Angeles Times |date = October 2, 1998 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094649/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/02/entertainment/ca-28389 |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Candy Maker Pulls Its Ads from Controversial Comedy |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-13-fi-32006-story.html |first = Greg |last = Braxton |newspaper = Los Angeles Times |date = October 13, 1998 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094959/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/13/business/fi-32006 |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = 300 Protest at Studio Against TV Comedy Set in Slavery Era |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-01-me-28286-story.html |first = Greg |last = Braxton |newspaper = Los Angeles Times |date = October 1, 1998 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094615/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/01/local/me-28286 |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = They Vote by Remote: As UPN debuts 'Desmond Pfeiffer,' Viewers Tune in Other Channels |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-oct-07-ca-29945-story.html |first = Greg |last = Braxton |newspaper = Los Angeles Times |date = October 7, 1998 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094510/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/oct/07/entertainment/ca-29945 |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = 'Desmond Pfeiffer' Is Deep-Sixed |url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-07-ca-40123-story.html |first = Greg |last = Braxton |newspaper = Los Angeles Times |date = November 7, 1998 |access-date = September 2, 2015 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015094549/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/nov/07/entertainment/ca-40123 |archive-date = October 15, 2015 }}</ref>