ABC family just getting started: Net plans to produce 300 hours of new programming in next year. (Cable).(ABC Family Channel)

Broadcasting & Cable, July, 2003 by Romano, Allison

ABC Family Channel President Angela Shapiro would rather think of her network as barely seven months old, rather than as a cable entity that Disney adopted from Fox (for $5.2 billion) in 2001. For Shapiro, who joined in April 2002, things got started last December, when programming chief Linda Mancuso signed on and new ideas started flowing.

The first move was an afternoon teen block of reality and acquired shows like 7th Heaven, which kicked off in late May. The block is scoring well with Family's young viewers. Compared with a year ago, ratings are up 83% among teens 12-17 this month and 41% in total viewers.

But the afternoon is a playground, and prime time is the real proving ground. Family's prime needs help. Ratings were off 25% to a 0.6...

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