'One Tree Hill' creator signs up for 7th season

RALEIGH -- The creator of television series "One Tree Hill" hopes the CW network will decide by Jan. 1 whether to bring back the Wilmington-filmed series now that he's agreed to head a
seventh season.

Mark Schwahn has signed three deals, including a one-year agreement with Warner Bros. TV to continue as executive producer for a possible seventh season. The actors' six-year contracts end after this season.

In a phone interview from Wilmington, Schwahn said he told the network he would like to know if the show is returning before filming begins on the last four or five episodes. He said he believes the network owes that to the show's fans.

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