CW

CW is an abbreviation with multiple meanings across different fields. In media, technology, and everyday usage, it most commonly refers to a U.S. broadcast network, a type of radio signal, or a content warning label. Other uses include the term for clockwise direction in diagrams and navigation.

The CW is an American broadcast television network that launched in 2006 as a successor to The WB and UPN. It was formed as a joint venture between CBS Corporation (now Paramount Global) and Warner Bros. Entertainment. The network targets teens and young adults with a mix of original series, acquisitions, and reruns, and it is distributed through affiliated stations across the United States and through digital platforms. In the 2020s, Nexstar Media Group took principal control of the network, reflecting shifts in ownership and management in the television industry.

Continuous wave, in radio engineering, denotes a signal that is unmodulated or carries a constant amplitude and frequency. It contrasts with pulsed or modulated signals. Continuous waves are used in RF testing, basic radio experiments, and certain forms of amplitude- or frequency-modulated transmissions. In some radio contexts, continuous wave operation corresponds to Morse code radiotelegraphy when the carrier is turned on and off to represent dots and dashes.

Content warning, in online communities, is a label placed before content that may be distressing or triggering to some readers, such as material related to violence, abuse, or self-harm. CW labels help readers decide whether to proceed and may be required by platform guidelines to manage sensitive material.

CW also stands for clockwise, describing motion or rotation in the direction of a clock's hands. It is commonly contrasted with CCW (counterclockwise).