ECW gone from TNN in September
By JOHN POWELL -- SLAM! Wrestling
ECW's days on TNN are numbered. September 22 will mark the final airing of
ECW's Friday night show on TNN. After that, ECW will no longer be broadcast
on the network owned by CBS and Viacom.
ECW was informed by TNN on Thursday that they were severing their
relationship due to the fact that the ECW On TNN show hadn't reached the
ratings target they had both agreed upon. Under terms of their contract,
TNN says they had the right to end their business relationship.
A Chancery Court decision in Delaware on Tuesday of this week paved the way for the
rival World Wrestling Federation to leave its current home at the USA
Network and move to TNN. WWF's Raw Is War program, currently the rating
kingpin of cable shows, will begin airing on TNN some time in October.
"TNN is the new home for the WWF and our relationship with ECW is ending.
It's that simple. Viacom landed the biggest and most popular thing on
television. We landed the 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' of cable
television," said David Schwartz, the publicity manager for TNN.
An official statement on the ECW Wrestling Web site quotes ECW lead counsel
Stephen Stern as saying that ECW had tried to meet with the network for
months about the ratings but the request fell on "deaf ears and been
ignored".
"ECW believes this type of black and white statement does not tell the
entire story," said Stern in the statement.
Stern also attacked Schwartz directly criticizing his comment about TNN
appreciating "the efforts ECW and Paul Heyman have made to bring wrestling
fans to TNN".
"ECW must question where that appreciation comes from and what
motivates it," Stern said.
"It's the nature of the business. Shows get cancelled all the time," said
Schwartz in response.
