WGN For Sale?

[Mark]

Larry Potash was also set to go to WBBM but WGN matched his contract to keep him. As you know Dave WBBM has a history of taking anchors, though only Rob Johnson seemed to have any success. Actually WLS and WMAQ pretty much did the music swap of anchors many times.

Tribune Owns TV Stations in:

Los Angeles
Sacramento - Fox
San Diego - Fox
Denver
Hartford - New Haven - Fox
Waterbury, Connecticut
Washington, D.C.
Miami
Chicago
New Orleans - ABC & CW
Grand Rapids - Fox
St. Louis
New York City
Salem - Portland
Philadelphia - MyNetworkTV
York - Fox
Dallas - Fort Worth
Houston
Tacoma - Seattle FOX & MyNetworkTV

All are CW except as noted. All are on UHF except WPIX NYC and WCPQ Tacoma

So Young in San Francisco wouldn't matter, unless the Tribune station in Sacramento is worth something to someone in the bay area

[Pat Cook]

Hubbard Broadcasting is looking into purchasing Tribune Broadcasting properties - including the former "Superstation" based in Chicago.

Well TECHNICALLY that would include KWGN 2 here in Denver.  Only problem to that is I don't think Local Media would be willing to give up KWGN after everything they've put into it IMO

Because of this, I honestly can't see how ANYONE except Local Media can make it happen (Even in New Orleans where ABC affiliate WGNO 26 would be on this block)

Just sayin'.....

Cheers & 73

[KeithE4]

Larry Potash was also set to go to WBBM but WGN matched his contract to keep him. As you know Dave WBBM has a history of taking anchors, though only Rob Johnson seemed to have any success. Actually WLS and WMAQ pretty much did the music swap of anchors many times.

Tribune Owns TV Stations in:

Los Angeles
Sacramento - Fox
San Diego - Fox
Denver
Hartford - New Haven - Fox
Waterbury, Connecticut
Washington, D.C.
Miami
Chicago
New Orleans - ABC & CW
Grand Rapids - Fox
St. Louis
New York City
Salem - Portland
Philadelphia - MyNetworkTV
York - Fox
Dallas - Fort Worth
Houston
Tacoma - Seattle FOX & MyNetworkTV

All are CW except as noted. All are on UHF except WPIX NYC and WCPQ Tacoma

So Young in San Francisco wouldn't matter, unless the Tribune station in Sacramento is worth something to someone in the bay area

Also Indianapolis - Fox & CW

[Pat Cook]

On the Tv side, I think the most important assets would be WPIX, KTLA, WGN 9 and WGN cable. CBS might want WGN 9 for a Chicago duopoly.

So would FOX if they were to sell WPWR first.  As for WGN America, it would be sold off to either Comcast or whoever the big cable company in Chicago is (And rebranded as something else similar to what evolved as TBS)

The local channel could get new calls like WTBS which was split from the cable counterpart.

If WGN America is rebranded, why change the calls of WGN 9

WPIX and KTLA could be sold together to another major company, as well as WGN cable.

Agreed

After these are sold, remaining stations could be sold to the same company that bought WPIX/KTLA or broadcasters of each market. Like in DC, Gannett or Allbritton might be interested in the Tribune station there. In Philly, maybe Fox would go for the duopoly.

In Denver, Local Media would simply convert the LMA they have with Tribune over KWGN & turn it into full ownership of the station.  In New Orleans, WGNO 26 could be bought by Belo, Hearst Argyle or the Saints owner as part of a duopoly of either WWL 4, WDSU 6 or WVUE 8

JMO though.....

Cheers & 73

[Pat Cook]

I wonder who would acquire Antenna TV if Tribune is sold off in pieces.  I can't see Weigel Broadcasting acquiring it, as they already have MeTV.  Say it did happen, Antenna TV would be eliminated, & the Sony library would be in Weigel's hands (they don't have national access to the Sony library, like they do for just Chicago).

Last time I checked, Sony has a cozy relationship with CBS.  Given this, I personally don't see a problem

The other option would be if Weigel acquired Antenna TV is to turn it into a national MeToo, & make MeTV comedy only & MeToo drama only (like they did when MeTV was just in Chicago).  I really don't see that happening though.

Neither do I as current MeTV affiliates wouldn't want to devote an extra subchannel to it

Besides, if Antenna TV were eliminated by merging with MeTV, Weigel & MGM would have to deal with the affiliations as to who would keep MeTV outside of Chicago, Milwaukee, & South Bend, IN.

Agreed

I just hope Tribune stays together somehow.

I just don't see how.

Speaking of WGN, let's not forget there's also WGN-AM 720.  I know this isn't the radio board but since the radio station is tied to the TV station, who (Outside of maybe CBS Radio) would be interested in buying it?

Cheers & 73

[Pat Cook]

I was wondering if The ABC St. Louis Affiliate (KPLR) is also affected in this deal?

It would be.  As for a potential owner, Scripps Howard comes to mind (They could also swing an unrelated deal to lure Sinclair in coughing up KDNL for a duopoly)

Thoughts?

Cheers & 73

[Pat Cook]

Zell has said he has no interest in selling Tribune off piece by piece, though he might consider TV stations as a unit, newspapers as a unit and so forth.

Given the properties & all the FCC regs. involved, he will quickly discover that he has no choice

The big loser in this could be the CW? Or it could be a winner if the Tribune doesn't want to renew it's CW affiliates.

How could the CW be a winner if Tribune doesn't renew it's affiliation agreements?  They own THE BIGGEST CW affiliates.  Tribune bailing on the CW would surely put a nail in its coffin (No matter what CBS tries to do to save it)

Cheers & 73

[Pat Cook]

Should MLB bar WGN America from nationally televising Cubs/White Sox games in the next couple of years, it would be tough for WGN America to survive. The remaining programming wouldn't have too much appeal.

It wouldn't be that tough.  The remaining programming could be used by a rebranded WGN America to reinvent itself as a general entertainment channel akin to what USA Network has become under NBC Universal's (And now Comcast's) leadership

Cheers & 73

[Pat Cook]

CBS owns two stations in LA and NY already so those are out.

CBS owns a duopoly IN NEW YORK   Who's the mystery station?

FOX could try to by WGN and put it's new Spanish network on there

Are you INSANE ??   There's NO WAY ChicagoLanders would allow that.  They'd much prefer to see MyNetwork TV become a secondary network on WGN before it ever became a MundoFOX affiliate

or WPWR and somehow work out a shell company to allow ownership.

Or sell WPWR to a new owner with an affiliation agreement with MundoFOX secured

And since it's just fun speculation anyway..

Aside from MyNetwork TV becoming a secondary network in some places (Which can be discussed in another thread), there's no speculation to this

Cheers & 73

[Pat Cook]

How does KRON (Young Broadcasting) play out in this deal?

It doesn't

Cheers & 73