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An '''independent station''', in the television broadcasting industry, is a television station which is not affiliated with any broadcast network. The programming schedules of these stations mainly carry a mix of [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]], brokered and local programming in time periods when network programs would otherwise air (such as during primetime, from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific or 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Central/Mountain). Stations affiliated with minor networks [[The CW]] and MyNetworkTV can also be considered as quasi-independent stations as those networks only program two hours per night in primetime from Monday to Friday, leaving weekends and all other times to their affiliates to program.

An '''independent station''', in the television broadcasting industry, is a television station which is not affiliated with any broadcast network. The programming schedules of these stations mainly carry a mix of [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]], brokered and local programming in time periods when network programs would otherwise air (such as during primetime, from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific or 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. Central/Mountain). Stations affiliated with minor networks [[The CW]] and [[MyNetworkTV]] can also be considered as quasi-independent stations as those networks only program two hours per night in primetime from Monday to Friday, leaving weekends and all other times to their affiliates to program.

Independent stations are most common in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Canada, although they are not as common as they were in the past due to the formation of networks like [[Fox Network|FOX]], UPN and The WB in the United States and the [[Global Television Network]] in Canada leading to many then-independent stations joining those networks in their respective countries. Independent stations were also once common in the United Kingdom and Australia as alternatives to respective state-owned networks the [[BBC]] and the [[ABC (Australia)|ABC]], but those stations subsequently joined British commercial network [[ITV]] and Australian commercial networks Seven Network, Nine Network and Network Ten, which made traditional independent stations in those countries uncommon. In Japan, independent stations are those TV stations that are not affiliated with any network whose main stations are based in [[Tokyo]]. In Europe and the rest of the world, independent stations are all but non-existent as all TV stations in those areas are either owned by state broadcasters or by commercial networks.

Independent stations are most common in the United States and, to a lesser extent, in Canada, although they are not as common as they were in the past due to the formation of networks like [[Fox Network|FOX]], UPN and The WB in the United States and the [[Global Television Network]] and [[Citytv]] in Canada leading to many then-independent stations joining those networks in their respective countries. Independent stations were also once common in the United Kingdom and Australia as alternatives to respective state-owned networks the [[BBC]] and the [[ABC (Australia)|ABC]], but those stations subsequently joined British commercial network [[ITV]] and Australian commercial networks Seven Network, Nine Network and Network Ten, which made traditional independent stations in those countries uncommon. In Japan, independent stations are those TV stations that are not affiliated with any network whose main stations are based in [[Tokyo]]. In Europe and the rest of the world, independent stations are all but non-existent as all TV stations in those areas are either owned by state broadcasters or by commercial networks.

Independent stations generally follow one of the following formats:

Independent stations generally follow one of the following formats: