WGN For Sale?

[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

 

[JeeperOne]

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 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

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 timeI 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 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

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 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

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 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

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 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

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 ;D

 

[JeeperOne]

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

It doesn't

Cheers & 73 ;D

 

[Mario500]

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?

WLNY-TV. Here is a link to an article about CBS purchasing the station.

 

[teevee]

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

CBS has tried for years to lure the news staff from WGN, especially the morning show.

WGN has decent news which FOX might like. It really depends on how much money a virtual VHF is worth. Also now that WPWR may be moved from RF 51 to RF 14, I wonder if the signal would be the same? It would be nice to see Weigel get its hands on a new TV station, but I doubt they have the money for either WGN or WPWR.

FOX could try to by WGN and put it's new Spanish network on there or WPWR and somehow work out a shell company to allow ownership.

And since it's just fun speculation anyway..

Actually cbs could buy all three stations(wgn,wpix and ktla)that are more valuable then discard wlny and kcal nbc a short while ago owned three stations in la two were spanish and were forced to discard one so it is possible for cbs.

 

[TVCOOL]

OK let's have some fun with this thread...

Supposing the Tribune did sell it's TV stations in pieces, who could realistically buy what and would they want to? What do you suppose a going price would be for WGN, WPIX or KTLA?

Let the speculation begin ;D

Sinclair would like to have a TV station in each of the big 3 media markets ,and i see Fox buying WGN-TV (selling 32 to Sinclair) ,Sinclair buying both WPIX 11(NY) & KTLA 5(LA) kissing the CW goodbye and adding local sports to fill airtime.

I can't imagine Sinclair owning stations like KTLA, WGN or KPIX. Their conservative propaganda and news coverage would go over like a lead balloon in most of these markets.

It's WPIX not KPIX. And if the bid for WPIX NY ch.11 ,KTLA LA ch. 5 is a low to medium offer then Sinclair would grab those stations.