Tribune Broadcasting

Tribune Broadcasting Company, LLC was an American media company which operated as a subsidiary of Tribune Media, a media conglomerate based in Chicago, Illinois. The group owned and operated television and radio stations throughout the United States, as well as full- or partial-ownership of cable television and national digital subchannel networks.

Tribune Broadcasting Company, LLC

Formerly	WGN Incorporated (1924–1966) WGN Continental Broadcasting Company (1966–1981)
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Broadcast television radio
Founded	1924; 99 years ago (1924)
Defunct	September 19, 2019; 4 years ago (2019-09-19)
Fate	Acquired by Nexstar
Successor	Nexstar Media Group
Headquarters	515 North State Street, Chicago, Illinois , United States
Area served	United States
Key people	Peter Liguori (President/CEO, Tribune Media) Larry Wert (President, Tribune Broadcasting)
Parent	Tribune Media
Divisions	Tribune Studios
Website	www.tribunemedia.com
Footnotes / references ^[1]

History

 

Tribune Broadcasting logo used from 1995 to August 4, 2014.

Tribune's broadcasting unit originated with the June 1924 purchase of Chicago, Illinois, 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" first used by Tribune in a February 1909 feature commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln and then served as the newspaper's motto from August 29, 1911, until December 31, 1976.^[2][3]

On September 13, 1946, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted Tribune license to operate a television station on channel 9 in Chicago and then signed-on a television station in Chicago, WGN-TV on April 5, 1948, initially as a dual affiliate of CBS and the DuMont Television Network.^[4][5][6][7] Two months later, the Tribune's then-sibling newspaper in New York City, the Daily News, established its own television station, independent WPIX.^[8] WGN-TV became an independent outlet by 1956, and would eventually morph into a pioneering national superstation on November 9, 1978, as its signal was linked to cable and satellite customers across America.

After McCormick succumbed from pneumonia-related complications on April 1, 1955, ownership of WGN-TV-AM, the Chicago Tribune and the News Syndicate Company properties would transfer to the McCormick-Patterson Trust, assigned to the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation in the names of the non-familial heirs of McCormick (whose two marriages never produced any children) and familial heirs of Patterson. The trust was dissolved in January 1975, with a majority of the trust's former beneficiaries, including descendants of the McCormick and Patterson families, owning stock in the restructured Tribune Company entity – which assumed oversight of all properties previously overseen by the trust – afterward.^{[9][10][11][12][13]}

In subsequent years, the Tribune Company gradually expanded its broadcasting unit, of which WGN-TV-AM served as its flagship stations, a tie forged in January 1966, when the subsidiary (sans the WPIX television and radio stations, which continued to be controlled by the Tribune-managed News Syndicate Co. before being fully integrated into the company's main station group following its 1991 sale of the Daily News) was renamed the WGN Continental Broadcasting Company.

The group became known as the Tribune Broadcasting Company in January 1981, but retained the WGN Continental moniker as its de facto business name until 1984 and as the licensee for WGN-TV and WGN Radio thereafter. The company gained its third television and second radio station in 1960, when it purchased KDAL-TV (now KDLH) and KDAL (AM) in Duluth, Minnesota, from the estate of the late Dalton LeMasurier (Tribune sold KDAL-TV in 1978 and KDAL radio in 1981); the company would later purchase KCTO (subsequently re-called KWGN-TV) in Denver from J. Elroy McCaw in 1966.^[14][15][16]

Tribune's later television purchases included those of WANX-TV (later renamed WGNX) in Atlanta and WGNO in New Orleans (both in 1983);^[17] KTLA in Los Angeles (in 1985),^[18] WPHL-TV in Philadelphia (in 1992).^[19] WLVI-TV in Boston (owned from 1994 to 2006);^[20] KHTV (now KIAH) in Houston (in 1995);^[21] KTTY (now KSWB-TV) in San Diego (in 1996);^[22] KCPQ and KTWB-TV (now KZJO) in Seattle (in 1998 and 1999, respectively);^[23][24] and WBDC-TV (now WDCW) in Washington, D.C. (in 1999).^[25] WGN-TV and WPIX were the only stations that Tribune had owned since their inceptions. Tribune also operated several local cable television systems from 1977 to 1985.

In 1993, Tribune launched Chicagoland Television (CLTV), a regional cable news channel for the Chicago area, which originally operated separately from the company's other Chicago media properties until it merged its operations with WGN-TV's news department in 2009. In November 1994, Tribune Broadcasting formed a partnership with several minority partners, including Quincy Jones, to form Qwest Broadcasting; Qwest operated as a technically separate company from Tribune (which owned stations in a few markets where Tribune-owned stations, including WATL in Atlanta, which was operated alongside Tribune-owned WGNX);^[26] Tribune would later acquire the Qwest stations outright in November 1999.^[27]

In January 1995, Tribune Broadcasting became a partner in The WB Television Network, in a joint venture with the Warner Bros. Television division of Time Warner.^[28] Tribune initially had a 12.5% ownership interest in the network at its launch and later increased its stake to 22%. In addition, partly as a result of a November 1993 affiliation deal with the network, most of Tribune's television properties were WB affiliates. On July 2, 1996, Tribune acquired Renaissance Broadcasting, which owned Fox- and WB-affiliated stations in several large and mid-sized markets.^[29]

On January 24, 2006, Time Warner announced that it would partner with CBS Corporation to form a new network that would feature The WB and CBS-owned UPN's higher-rated shows mixed with newer series, called The CW Television Network. All but three of Tribune's 19 WB affiliates became affiliates of The CW on September 18, 2006, through ten-year agreements (the exceptions were in Philadelphia, Seattle and Atlanta, due to The CW affiliating with CBS-owned stations in those markets), though Tribune itself would not exercise an ownership stake in The CW as it did with The WB.^[30]

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 publicly traded company private. The deal was completed on December 20, 2007.^[31]

On December 21, 2007, Tribune and Oak Hill Capital Partners-controlled Local TV, LLC announced plans to collaborate in the formation of a "broadcast management company" (later named The Other Company); its Tribune Interactive division also operated the websites of its stations as part of the partnership.^[32][33][34]

On December 8, 2008, Tribune announced that it would voluntarily restructure its debt obligations, as part of its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court. As the company had sufficient funds to do so, Tribune continued to operate its newspaper publishing and broadcasting, and interactive businesses without interruption during the restructuring.^[35]

On January 1, 2011, Tribune launched the digital broadcast network Antenna TV, a service that features a variety of classic television series, including programming from Sony Pictures Television and D.L. Taffner Entertainment.^[36] On May 13, 2013, Tribune announced that it would buy a 50% stake in the This TV digital broadcast network from fellow Chicago-based media company Weigel Broadcasting; Tribune took over operational duties for the network on November 1, 2013.^[37]

Split and subsequent transactions

On July 1, 2013, Tribune announced that it would purchase the 19 stations owned by Local TV, LLC outright for $2.725 billion; the purchase expanded the number of Big Three network affiliates in its portfolio from one to 10 (most of Tribune's television stations prior to the purchase had either been independent stations or from 1995 onward, affiliates of networks that have launched since 1986; New Orleans station WGNO (channel 26) – an ABC affiliate – was Tribune's only station affiliated with one of the three pre-1986 networks prior to the purchase), as well as form duopolies involving stations in Denver and St. Louis where the two companies maintained local marketing agreements.^[38]

In order to prevent conflicts with newspaper cross-ownership restrictions (specifically, with Daily Press and The Morning Call), three stations involved in the acquisition – the Norfolk, Virginia, duopoly of WTKR (channel 3) and WGNT (channel 27), and Scranton, Pennsylvania, station WNEP-TV (channel 16) – were sold to Dreamcatcher Broadcasting and are operated by Tribune under shared services agreements (Tribune has an option to purchase WNEP after the publishing/broadcasting split,^[39] although such a transfer may be complicated by possible FCC action on a proposal to end a "discount" in television station ownership limits that count UHF stations to half a percentage to a group's overall market reach, which would put Tribune just over the current limit of 39%, under which the company's current station holdings after the Local TV purchase would be grandfathered^[40]). The Federal Communications Commission approved the acquisition on December 20,^[41] and the sale was completed one week later on December 27.^[42]

Aborted merger with Sinclair; acquisition by Nexstar

On February 29, 2016, Tribune Media announced that it would review various "strategic alternatives" to increase the company's value to shareholders, which include a possible sale of the entire company and/or select assets, or the formation of programming alliances or strategic partnerships with other companies, due to the decrease in its stock price since the Tribune Publishing spin-off and a $385 million revenue write-down for the 2015 fiscal year, partly due to original scripted programming expenditures for WGN America since it converted the cable network from a superstation in 2014.^{[43][44][45][46]}

With the FCC reinstating the "UHF discount" rule, reports surfaced in late April 2017 that multiple parties were attempting to make offers for Tribune, including Sinclair Broadcast Group, Nexstar Media Group, and a partnership between 21st Century Fox and Blackstone Group.^{[47][48][49][50]} On May 7, 2017, it was reported that Sinclair Broadcast Group was nearing a deal to purchase Tribune Media,^[51][52] and that 21st Century Fox had dropped its bid for the company.^[53][54] On May 8, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group officially announced its intent to acquire Tribune Media. The transaction would have been a cash-and-stock deal valuing the company at $3.9 billion. Depending on regulatory changes or decisions, some divestitures might have been required.^[55] However, on August 9, 2018, Tribune canceled the Sinclair deal.^[56]

On November 14, 2018, it was reported that Nexstar was a leading bidder to acquire Tribune.^[57][58] On December 3, 2018, Nexstar announced its intent to merge with Tribune Media for $6.4 billion ($4.1 billion for all of Tribune's shares in cash and $2.3 billion of Tribune's debt).^[59] The merge would give the company 216 stations in 118 markets, placing it just below the FCC's market cap of 39% of TV households and making it the largest owner of television stations in the United States. On August 1, 2019, the United States Department of Justice approved the deal between Nexstar Media Group and Tribune Media.^[60][61] The sale was approved by the FCC on September 16,^[62][63][64] and occurred on September 19.^[65][66][67]

Television production and distribution

Tribune Entertainment

Main article: Tribune Entertainment

Tribune Entertainment was Tribune's television production, syndication and advertising sales subsidiary. Founded in 1981, this subsidiary produced and/or distributed several first-run syndicated programs including most notably Geraldo, Soul Train, and the U.S. Farm Report; Tribune Entertainment's production and syndication divisions were shut down in December 2007.

Tribune Studios

Tribune Studios

Type	Division
Industry	Television
Founded	March 19, 2013 (2013-03-19)
Defunct	September 17, 2019 (2019-09-17) (6 years, 5 months and 29 days)
Fate	Acquired by Nexstar
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Key people	Matt Cherniss (president)
Production output	TV shows
Parent	Tribune Media
Footnotes / references ^[68]

On March 19, 2013, Tribune Company announced its return to television production with the formation of Tribune Studios (not to be confused with the Los Angeles studio facility that formerly held the same name until its sale by Tribune to private equity firm Hudson Capital in 2008, and was subsequently renamed Sunset Bronson Studios). The new company will produce programs primarily for Tribune Broadcasting's television stations and WGN America, some of which will receive national distribution.^[69] On September 17, 2019, Tribune Studios, the television parent of Tribune Broadcasting, was acquired by Nexstar, and the television company went disbanded shortly.

Former stations

Tribune Broadcasting owned 39 television stations located in 33 markets (including eight duopolies). 31 of its stations were affiliated with each of the post-1986 broadcast networks: 14 were affiliated with Fox (not counting a satellite station of KDVR), 12 with The CW and three with MyNetworkTV (not counting a digital subchannel of WQAD-TV). In addition, the company owned five CBS affiliates (not counting a satellite of WTTV), two ABC affiliates, two NBC affiliates and one independent station (not counting a digital subchannel of WTTV). It also provided operational services to three stations (one ABC affiliate, one CBS affiliate and one CW affiliate – the latter two were also operated as part of a duopoly) in the respective markets of Norfolk-Hampton Roads-Newport News, Virginia, and Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, through shared services agreements with Dreamcatcher Broadcasting.

Television

Stations are listed alphabetically by state and city of license.

• (**) – Indicates a station that was built and signed-on by Tribune.

City of license / Market	Station	Channel	Years owned	Current status
Huntsville–Decatur, AL	WHNT-TV	19	2013–2019^[a]	CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Fort Smith–Fayetteville, AR	KFSM-TV	5	2013–2019^[a]	CBS affiliate owned by Tegna Inc.
	KXNW	34	2013–2019^[a]	MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Los Angeles, CA	KTLA	5	1985–2019	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
Sacramento–Stockton–Modesto, CA	KTXL	40	1997–2019^[b]	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
San Diego, CA	KTTY/KSWB-TV	69	1996–2019	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Denver, CO	KWGN-TV	2	1966–2019^[c]	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
	KDVR	31	2013–2019^[a]	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Fort Collins, CO	KFCT^[A]	22	2013–2019^[a]	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Hartford–New Haven, CT	WTIC-TV	61	1997–2019^[b]	Fox affiliate owned by Tegna Inc.
Waterbury, CT	WTXX/WCCT-TV	20	2001–2019	The CW affiliate owned by Tegna Inc.
Washington, D.C.	WBDC/WDCW	50	1999–2019	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
Miami–Fort Lauderdale, FL	WDZL/WBZL/ WSFL-TV	39	1997–2019^[b]	The CW affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Atlanta, GA	WGNX	46	1983–1999	CBS affiliate WANF, owned by Gray Television
	WATL	36	1999–2006	MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by Tegna Inc.
Chicago, IL	WGN-TV **	9	1948–2019	Independent owned by Nexstar Media Group
Moline, IL (Quad Cities)	WQAD-TV	8	2013–2019^[a]	ABC affiliate owned by Tegna Inc.
Bloomington, IN	WTTV	4	2002–2019	CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Indianapolis, IN	WXIN	59	1997–2019^[b]	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Kokomo, IN	WTTK^[B]	29	2002–2019	CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Des Moines, IA	WHO-DT	13	2013–2019^[a]	NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
New Orleans, LA	WGNO	26	1983–2019	ABC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
	WNOL-TV	38	1999–2019	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
Cambridge–Boston, MA	WLVI-TV	56	1994–2006	The CW affiliate owned by Sunbeam Television
Grand Rapids–Battle Creek–Kalamazoo, MI	WXMI	17	1998–2019	Fox affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Duluth, MN–Superior, WI	KDAL-TV	3	1960–1978	The CW affiliate KDLH, owned by Gray Television
Kansas City, MO	WDAF-TV	4	2013–2019^[a]	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
St. Louis, MO	KTVI	2	2013–2019^[a]	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
	KPLR-TV	11	2003–2019^[c]	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
New York, NY	WPIX **	11	1948–2019	The CW affiliate owned by Mission Broadcasting^[d]
Schenectady–Albany–Troy, NY	WEWB-TV/WCWN	45	1999–2006	The CW affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
High Point–Greensboro–Winston-Salem, NC	WGHP	8	2013–2019^[a]	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Cleveland, OH	WJW	8	2013–2019^[a]	Fox affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Oklahoma City, OK	KFOR-TV	4	2013–2019^[a]	NBC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
	KAUT-TV	43	2013–2019^[a]	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
Salem–Portland, OR	KRCW-TV	32	2003–2019	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
Philadelphia, PA	WPHL-TV	17	1992–2019	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)/MyNetworkTV affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Scranton–Wilkes-Barre, PA	WNEP-TV	16	2013–2019^[a]^[e]	ABC affiliate owned by Tegna Inc.
York–Harrisburg–Lancaster–Lebanon, PA	WPMT	43	1997–2019^[b]	Fox affiliate owned by Tegna Inc.
Memphis, TN	WREG-TV	3	2013–2019^[a]	CBS affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
Dallas–Fort Worth, TX	KDAF	33	1997–2019^[b]	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
Houston, TX	KHTV/KHWB/ KHCW/KIAH	39	1995–2019	The CW owned-and-operated (O&O)
Salt Lake City, UT	KSTU	13	2013–2019^[a]	Fox affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Norfolk, VA (Hampton Roads)	WTKR	3	2013–2019^[a]^[e]	CBS affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
	WGNT	27	2013–2019^[a]^[e]	The CW affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Richmond, VA	WTVR-TV	6	2013–2019^[a]	CBS affiliate owned by the E. W. Scripps Company
Tacoma–Seattle, WA	KCPQ	13	1999–2019	Fox owned-and-operated (O&O)
	KTWB-TV/ KMYQ/KZJO	22	1998–2019	MyNetworkTV owned-and-operated (O&O)
Milwaukee, WI	WITI	6	2013–2019^[a]	Fox owned-and-operated (O&O)

1. Acquired from Local TV LLC.
2. Acquired from Renaissance Broadcasting.
3. From 2008 to 2013, Local TV LLC operated KWGN-TV and KPLR-TV under local marketing agreements with KDVR and KTVI.^[70]
4. Operated under a local marketing agreement by Nexstar Media Group.
5. Owned by Dreamcatcher Broadcasting, LLC, and operated through a local marketing agreement.

1. Satellite of KDVR.
2. Satellite of WTTV.

Radio

At the time of Tribune's dissolution, WGN was the company's sole remaining radio station and served as the flagship station for a regional distribution service known as the Tribune Radio Network.^[71] Its primary features were farm reports from WGN's Orion Samuelson and Max Armstrong; the network also handled distribution of the Chicago Cubs Radio Network until the 2014 season.

AM Stations	FM Stations

City of license / Market	Station	Years owned	Current status
Sacramento, CA	KGNR 1320	1975–1996	KIFM, owned by Audacy, Inc.
	KCTC 96.1	1975–1996	KYMX, owned by Bonneville International
Denver, CO	KEZW 1430	1993–2002	KAMP, owned by Audacy, Inc.
	KKHK 99.5	1995–2002	KQMT, owned by Audacy, Inc.
	KOSI 101.1	1993–2002	Owned by Bonneville International
Bridgeport, CT	WICC 600	1967–1989	Owned by Cumulus Media
Chicago, IL	WGN 720	1924–2019	Owned by Nexstar Media Group
	WFMT 98.7	1968–1970	Owned by Window to the World Communications
	WGWG-LP 87.7	^[a]	WRME-LD, owned by Venture Technologies Group^[b]
Duluth, MN–Superior, WI	KDAL 610	1960–1981	Owned by Midwest Communications
New York, NY	WPIX-FM/WQCD 101.9	1963–1997	WFAN-FM, owned by Audacy, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI	WMIL-FM 106.1-HD3	2009–2018^[c]	Owned by iHeartMedia

1. WGWG-LP is owned by Venture Technologies Group, and was operated by Tribune under a local marketing agreement. Tribune was supposed to hold the LMA until 2015, the FCC's deadline for converting low-power television stations to digital broadcasting, however due to low ratings, Weigel Broadcasting announced on December 30, 2014, that they would take over the station's LMA from Tribune and would change formats.^[72] The LMA with Tribune ended on February 23, 2015, when Weigel took over the station and changed the format to oldies. The callsign was also changed to WRME-LP.^[73][74] Although licensed as a television station on channel 6, it is also operated as a radio station.^[75]
2. Operated through a local marketing agreement by Weigel Broadcasting.
3. Owned by iHeart and operated by Tribune.^[76]

Other assets

Cable networks

• WGN America
• Chicagoland Television
• Food Network (30 percent interest)

Digital multicast networks

• This TV (50 percent interest)
• Antenna TV

References

1. Complaint for Damages Tribune v. Sinclair.
2. "Alterations and Corrections", Radio Service Bulletin, August 1, 1924, page 6.
3. "'World's Greatest'--1911-1976". Chicago Tribune. June 8, 1997. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
4. "Actions of the FCC" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. September 23, 1946. p. 73. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
5. "WGN-TV; 100,000 Saw Inaugural, 'Tribune' Estimates" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. April 12, 1948. p. 35. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
6. Larry Wolters (April 5, 1948). "WGN-TV Makes Debut Tonight with Big Show". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via TwoTonBaker.com.
7. Robert Feder (August 8, 2012). . Time Out Chicago. Time Out Media Group. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
8. "WPIX inaugural, TV station to have glittering debut." Broadcasting - Telecasting, June 14, 1948, pg. 27.
9. "Col. Robert McCormick Dies; WGN-AM-TV Among Holdings" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. April 4, 1955. p. 78. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
10. "McCormick Will Names Five To Head 'Tribune,' Stations" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. April 11, 1955. p. 102. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
11. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. June 20, 1955. p. 111. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
12. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. July 18, 1955. p. 108. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
13. "For the Record" (PDF). Broadcasting-Telecasting. December 16, 1974. p. 48. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
14. "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 22, 1960. p. 54. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
15. "WGN Inc. buying VHF in Denver" (PDF). Broadcasting. September 6, 1965. p. 57. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
16. "KWGN(TV) starts with a bang" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 14, 1966. Retrieved March 3, 2020 – via American Radio History.
17. "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 1, 1983. p. 52. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
18. "$510 million's the mark to beat now" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 20, 1985. p. 37. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
    "$510 million's the mark to beat now" (PDF). Broadcasting. May 20, 1985. p. 38. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
19. "Changing hands" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 18, 1991. p. 73. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
20. "Shoring up for the fifth" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. November 8, 1993. p. 43. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
21. Elizabeth Rathbun (September 18, 1995). "Tribune buys Houston U for WB" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. p. 16. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
22. "Tribune's $70.5 million takes San Diego UHF" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. September 4, 1995. p. 7. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
23. "Changing Hands" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. September 28, 1998. p. 54. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
24. "Duopoly: Wheeling starts; dealing to come" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. August 16, 1999. p. 8. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
25. "Duopoly: New rules spark CBS-Viacom talk" (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. August 23, 1999. p. 8. Retrieved March 20, 2019 – via American Radio History.
26. , Broadcasting & Cable, November 21, 1994.
27. , Chicago Sun-Times, November 10, 1999.
28. Tribune Broadcasting Joins with Warner Bros. to Launch Fifth Television Network October 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, TheFreeLibrary.com. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
29. , Los Angeles Daily News, July 2, 1996.
30. Carter, Bill (January 24, 2006). "UPN and WB to Combine, Forming New TV Network". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
31. Zell buys Tribune Co., Cubs to be sold, CNNMoney, April 3, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
32. "Tribune Interactive, Schurz in Web Deal". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
33. Radio Daze: Tribune Gang Sets Out to Reinvent TV, Broadcasting & Cable, April 13, 2008.
34. "Tribune and Local TV to Form Broadcast Management Company" (Press release). Tribune Company. December 20, 2007. Retrieved December 21, 2007.
35. "Tribune Company to Voluntarily Restructure Debt Under Chapter 11" (Press release). Tribune Company. December 8, 2008. Retrieved December 8, 2008. Tribune Company to Voluntarily Restructure Debt Under Chapter 11. Publishing, Interactive and Broadcasting Businesses to Continue Operations. Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field Not Part of Chapter 11 Filing; Monetization Efforts to Continue
36. Albiniak, Paige (August 30, 2010). "Tribune Launching Classic TV Multicast Network". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
37. Malone, Michael (May 14, 2013). "Tribune Replaces Weigel As Partner on This TV". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved May 19, 2013.
38. "Acquisition to make Tribune Co. largest U.S. TV station operator". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
39. "Tribune to Put Local TV's WNEP Scranton, Norfolk Stations Up for Sale". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
40. Flint, Joe (September 25, 2013). "FCC expected to propose dropping UHF discount from TV ownership caps". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
41. FCC OKs Tribune Co.'s agreement to buy Local TV Holdings, Crain's Chicago Business, December 20, 2013.
42. Company Completes Final Steps of Transaction Announced in July December 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Tribune Company, December 27, 2013
43. Steinberg, Brian (February 29, 2016). "Tribune Media to Explore Sale of Company or Assets, Takes $385 Million Write-Down". Variety. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
44. Lieberman, David (February 29, 2016). "Tribune Media Hangs Up "For Sale" Sign With Hiring Of Financial Advisers". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
45. Jessell, Harry (March 4, 2016). "Is This The End Of Tribune Broadcasting?". TVNewsCheck. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
46. Lieberman, David (March 4, 2016). "Tribune Media's Cash Search Shouldn't Affect CW Negotiations, Analysts Say". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 5, 2016.
47. Flint, Joe (May 1, 2017). "Possible Bidding War Emerges for Tribune Media". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
48. Saba, Jennifer (May 1, 2017). "In Fox Bid for Tribune, a Return to Erratic Murdoch Deal Making". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
49. de la Merced, Michael J.; Steel, Emily (April 30, 2017). "21st Century Fox and Blackstone Said to Be Interested in Buying Tribune Media". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
50. "Reports: Fox News owner joins race to buy Tribune Media". Chicago Tribune. May 1, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
51. Baker, Liana; Toonkel, Jessica (May 7, 2017). "Exclusive: Sinclair Broadcast nears deal for Tribune Media". Reuters. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
52. Stedman, Alex (May 7, 2017). "Sinclair Reportedly Near Deal to Buy Tribune Media". Variety. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
53. de la Merced, Michael J. (May 7, 2017). "Sinclair Is Said to Be Near a Deal for Tribune Media". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
54. Flint, Joe (May 7, 2017). "Sinclair Broadcast Near Deal to Buy Tribune Media for About $4 Billion". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
55. Littleton, Cynthia (May 8, 2017). "Sinclair Broadcast Group Sets $3.9 Billion Deal to Acquire Tribune Media". Variety. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
56. "Tribune calls off $3.9 billion Sinclair media deal". MSN. August 9, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
57. "Bidding War for Tribune Media Taking Shape". TV Week. November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
58. Kosman, Josh; Kelly, Keith (November 30, 2018). "Nexstar is leading bidder for TV-station giant Tribune Media". New York Post. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
59. Mullin, Benjamin (December 2, 2018). "Nexstar Reaches Deal to Buy Tribune Media for $4.1 Billion". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
60. Feder, Robert (August 1, 2019). "Justice Department approves Nexstar deal for Tribune Media". RobertFeder.com. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
61. Channick, Robert (August 1, 2019). "Tribune Media - Nexstar merger one step closer after DOJ approval". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
62. "Memorandum Opinion and Order", Federal Communications Commission, September 16, 2019, Retrieved September 16, 2019.
63. Channick, Robert (September 16, 2019). "Tribune Media sale to Nexstar approved by FCC; WGN-Ch. 9 no longer Chicago's very own". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
64. Feder, Robert (September 16, 2019). "FCC approves Tribune Media sale: What's next for WGN?". RobertFeder.com. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
65. "Nexstar Media Group Completes Tribune Media Acquisition Creating The Nation’s Largest Local Television Broadcaster", Nexstar Media Group, September 19, 2019, Retrieved October 3, 2019.
66. Channick, Robert (September 19, 2019). "Nexstar completes purchase of WGN owner Tribune Media". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
67. Littleton, Cynthia (September 19, 2019). "Nexstar Completes Tribune Acquisition, Sean Compton to Head Programming". Variety. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
68. Michael Malone (July 17, 2014). "Sinclair Launches American Sports Network". Broadcasting & Cable, LLC. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
69. Tribune Re-Launching Studio With Matt Cherniss at Helm, Broadcasting & Cable, March 19, 2013.
70. "Tribune, Local TV in sharing deal". The Chicago Tribune. September 17, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2021.
71. "WGN Radio - 720 AM". WGN Radio - 720 AM.
72. Feder, Robert (December 30, 2014). "Weigel Broadcasting to become radio active on 87.7 FM". RobertFeder.com. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
73. Channick, Robert (January 30, 2015). "WGN-AM to simulcast on 87.7 FM for one more month". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
74. Channick, Robert (February 9, 2015). "MeTV launching radio station at 87.7 FM". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
75. Channick, Robert (February 17, 2014). "WGN launching FM sports talk station 'The Game'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
76. Cuprisin, Tim (July 24, 2009). . JSOnline. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2019.