Viacom agreed to buy Chris-Craft Industries' 50% stake
in UPN for $5M in cash, according to Joe Flint of the WALL
STREET JOURNAL, who writes that the resolved ownership issue
"should make" programming and purchasing decisions for UPN
"easier." UPN's "latest challenge is striking a deal" with
WWF Entertainment to keep its programming on the net after
next season (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/21). In N.Y., Bill
Carter writes that while Viacom must gain FCC approval in
order to own both CBS and UPN, execs at Viacom, CBS and UPN
all "believed they would win some form of concession" from
the FCC to approve the deal. UPN President Dean Valentine
said that UPN "has already expressed interest in carrying"
XFL games next year (N.Y.TIMES, 3/21). The HOLLYWOOD
REPORTER's Cynthia Littleton writes that UPN is in the
"early stages" of "serious" talks with the WWF to carry XFL
games. Sources said that the XFL "could anchor" a sixth
night of programming for UPN next year, as the net now has a
Monday-Friday primetime schedule (HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 3/21).
