Last week saw the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing by Pappas Telecasting, a station group that includes 8 CW affiliates within its holdings. In the bankruptcy documents, the station groups problems were attributed in part to The CW saying it had "failed to attract the ratings".

This weeks news hasn't gotten any better with the first quarter financial report from Acme Communications (with 5 CW affiliates in its 6 station group) which has reported a wider first quarter loss, again blamed in part on the "disappointing performance by our primary network, The CW."

Perhaps news of The CW's splashy party upfront last night, during which its five-night fall sked was unveiled to advertisers (along with teasers around MRC Sundays), will provide some solace and hope to anxious affiliates and station groups across the land who still await the ratings boost that the merger of the WB and UPN was supposed to deliver. No boost is forthcoming this May at the very least, for as of last night The CW's May Sweep average of 1.02 in A18-49 falls below every single WB and UPN May Sweep average over their last six years as networks:

A18-49 May Sweep Averages
for The CW vs. UPN & The WB

web	CW
2008	1.0 (20 days)
2007	1.2 (28 days)

web	UPN	WB
2006	1.1	1.1
2005	1.5	1.4
2004	1.2	1.5
2003	1.5	1.9
2002	1.7	1.7
2001	1.6	1.6