After seven years of exclusive airing rights to CBS’ “The Young and the Restless,” departing SOAPnet is losing the anchor to its same day airings of daytime soaps at night. CBS’ recent 50% acquisition of TVGN (TV Guide Network) has resulted in the cable network snagging the exclusive basic cable home rights to daytime’s #1 daytime drama series, CBS announced today.

After what must have been a very successful marathon of classic episodes of ABC’s “General Hospital” this past weekend, SOAPnet has announced that it plans to re-run the marathon again this weekend beginning Friday, April 5 at 10:00 PM ET/PT and running through Monday, April 8 at 12:00 AM ET/PT (Sunday night/Monday morning).

As previously reported, beginning Friday, March 29 at 10:00 PM ET/PT and running through Monday, April 1 at 12:00 AM ET/PT (Sunday night/Monday morning), SOAPnet will be airing a 50-hour marathon of 50 classic episodes from the 50 years of ABC’s “General Hospital.”

On Saturday, April 6, fans of ABC’s “General Hospital” will be able to learn more about the 50 year history of one of television’s longest running programs. On that day, ABC News will feature the soap during that night’s airing of “20/20,” Soap Opera Network has learned.

Beginning Friday, March 29 at 10:00 PM ET/PT and running through Monday, April 1 at 12:00 AM ET/PT (Sunday night/Monday morning), SOAPnet will be airing a 50-hour marathon of 50 classic episodes from the 50 years of ABC’s “General Hospital.” The marathon is kicked off with the very first episode of the drama series, which aired on April 1, 1963. The unprecedented event leads into the special anniversary episode of “GH,” which airs Monday, April 1 from 2:00-3:00 PM ET/1:00-2:00 PM PT/CT on ABC and 9:00 PM ET/PT on SOAPnet. The cable network will air an encore of the episode at 12:00 AM ET/PT (Monday night/Tuesday morning). Episodes from every decade the show has been on the air will be featured.

On Sunday, February 10, SOAPnet will air a five-hour special marathon honoring five of the most popular “super couples” from “General Hospital’s” 50 years on television. With voting taking place from January 11 through January 16 on SOAPnet’s Facebook page, nearly 37,000 of you helped whittle down the list of couples that encompassed the likes of Alan & Monica, Dante & Lulu, Duke & Anna, Edward & Lila, Frisco & Felicia, Jason & Elizabeth, Jason & Sam, Jax & Brenda, Lucky & Elizabeth, Luke & Laura, Nikolas & Emily, Patrick & Robin, Sonny & Brenda, Sonny & Carly, Steve & Audrey and Stone & Robin. Which couples will be featured? You’ll have to tune into the “GH Valentine’s Day Supercouple Marathon” beginning Sunday, February 10 at 7:00 PM ET/PT only on SOAPnet.

A few days ago a comment was posted on our website regarding why SOAPnet was still on the air, particularly on the posters cable system, despite the network widely expected to have left the airwaves in 2012. As we reported in April 2011, SOAPnet will transition into Disney Jr. at some point, but not until new deals are forged with cable operators.

Could the incompetence of a network executive get any uglier? Why yes, it can! The latest in a series of blunders by Brian Frons, President, Daytime, Disney/ABC Television Group, since the announcement that he has decided to “evolve” ABC Daytime by canceling “All My Children and “One Life to Live” by replacing them with “The Chew” and “The Revolution,” while sticking his foot in his mouth in interview (Deadline.com), after interview (Entertainment Weekly), after interview (The Wrap), comes a scathing report by another Disney Insider that paints Frons as an executive without much imagineers (Disney speak for imagination).