For all the talk about CBS' furious search for a new affiliate in Milwaukee, the deal for the television network's new outlet here came down to one meeting.

On Nov. 28, the owner of Milwaukee's WDJT-TV (Channel 58) met for the first time with CBS' president of affiliate relations in New York City. Before that, Howard Shapiro, president of Channel 58 owner Weigel Broadcasting of Chicago, said he hadn't talked directly with network executives.

"We've always wanted to be a CBS affiliate," Shapiro said. "They had other options they wanted to explore."

On Dec. 6, eight days after the meeting, CBS and Weigel announced Channel 58's switch from the Milwaukee market's weakest independent station to the new CBS standard-bearer here.

Tony Malara, CBS president of affiliate relations, acknowledged the deal came down to the wire -- just five days before CBS was to lose old affiliate WITI-TV (Channel 6) to the Fox network.

But Malara said he's been working nonstop since May to find a new affiliate in a dozen markets where stations were switching to Fox. The process was complex and time-consuming; Milwaukee just happened to be the last one CBS completed, he said.

"We've done (new affiliates in) 12 markets since May," Malara said. "Before now, we never did more than one per year."

Although Malara said he'd been busy exploring options in Milwaukee, the talks...