Tribune Broadcasting

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tribune Broadcasting is a group of radio and television stations located throughout the United States which are owned and operated by the Tribune Company, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois.

[edit] History

The roots of Tribune Broadcasting originated with the June 1924 purchase of radio station WDAP by the Chicago Tribune. The new owners changed the station's call letters to WGN, to match the Tribune's slogan, "World's Greatest Newspaper". WGN Radio would launch a television station, on channel nine in Chicago, in April 1948. Two months later, the Tribune's sister newspaper in New York City, the Daily News, established its own television station, WPIX (channel 11).

Over the next six decades Tribune Broadcasting (originally known as WGN, Incorporated, and from 1966 to 1981 as WGN Continental Broadcasting Company) would acquire radio and television stations throughout the United States. WGN-TV and WPIX are the only stations Tribune has owned since their inceptions. Tribune also operated several local cable television systems from 1977 to 1985.

Tribune Broadcasting is now immersed in television, with 23 stations located in 19 markets (including four duopolies), and the cable/satellite version of WGN-TV, known as Superstation WGN. In Chicago, Tribune also operates Chicagoland's Television (CLTV), a cable-only news channel. WGN Radio is the company's sole remaining radio station, and serves as the flagship station for a regional distribution service known as the Tribune Radio Network. ([1]) Its primary features are farm reports from longtime WGN agriculture broadcaster Orion Samuelson, and broadcasts of Chicago Cubs games.

From January 1995 to September 2006, Tribune Broadcasting was a partner in the WB Television Network, along with the Warner Bros. division of Time Warner. Tribune held an initial 12.5 percent ownership in the network at its launch and later increased its stake to 22 percent, and most of Tribune's television properties were WB affiliates. On January 24, 2006, the WB announced that it would merge with the CBS-owned United Paramount Network to form a new programming service called the CW Television Network. All but three of Tribune's WB affiliates became affiliates of the CW on September 18, 2006, through ten-year agreements. Tribune does not have an ownership interest in the CW.

In April 2007, Tribune's broadcasting interests were included in the sale of the entire company to Chicago investor Sam Zell, who planned take the firm private. The deal was completed on December 20, 2007. ([2])

On December 21, 2007, Tribune and Local TV announced plans to collaborate in the formation of an as yet unnamed "broadcast management company". This new arrangement will also manage a group of Fox owned-and-operated stations being acquired by Local TV during the third quarter of 2008.^[1]

[edit] Tribune Entertainment

Main article: Tribune Entertainment

Tribune Entertainment was Tribune Broadcasting's television production and syndication arm. Founded in the mid-1980s, this subsidiary folded in December 2007.

[edit] Tribune-owned stations

[edit] Television stations

Note: **indicates a station built and signed-on by Tribune.

[edit] Radio station

[edit] Former Tribune-owned stations

[edit] Television stations

[edit] Radio stations

[edit] References