Tribune Broadcasting

Tribune Broadcasting today announced a multi-year agreement with Carson Entertainment Group to broadcast Johnny Carson on Antenna TV, Tribune Broadcasting’s classic TV multicast network, beginning Jan. 1, 2016. Antenna TV […]

Michael Page joins from Gannett Digital Ventures to drive Tribune Broadcasting stations’ digital revenue growth.

Tribune Broadcasting will deliver online video reports from 30 of its TV stations to users of Watchup, a startup whose service delivers personalized newscasts to Internet-video devices. Tribune Media last fall led a $2.75 million round of funding in Watchup. Watchup users now can access local news segments from stations including KTLA Los Angeles, WGN Chicago and WPIX New York.

Its TV station local news websites double unique visitors to 90 million. In addition, Tribune’s local broadcast sites steadily grew total unique visitors from quarter to quarter throughout 2014, according to Google Analytics.

The TV station group will use Rentrak’s ratings services at all its stations in 33 markets.

The new agreement covers the company’s WGNO New Orleans and WQAD Davenport, Iowa, and Dreamcatcher Broadcasting’s WNEP Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

The addition of CBS on WTTV Indianapolis gives Tribune Broadcasting a rare one-two punch in the central Indiana market. WTTV and sister station WXIN, a Fox affiliate, can now deliver more sports to viewers than any other local broadcaster, by a wide margin. Those offerings could be used to raise revenue directly — especially if Tribune decides to sell ad packages across both stations — but also as a springboard to boost ratings and sell advertising across all its programs.

She cites “the seemingly endless wheel of travel” as the reason for her resignation after just seven months in the job.

“Tribune Broadcasting has been a member of TVB for 15 years and we are thrilled to have the 19 stations we acquired from Local TV become TVB’s newest members,” said Larry Wert, president, Tribune Broadcasting. “The research, resources and other services that TVB offers are extremely helpful.”

William Ammerman will have responsibility for programmatic direct, private exchanges and yield optimization on the station group’s mobile, desktop and video platforms.

Tribune remains owner of Seattle’s Fox affiliate after Tribune agrees “to pay additional programming fees to Fox for the primetime and sports content provided by the network.” The new extension of KCPQ’s affiliation runs through July 2018.

The station group’s new news chief, Katherine Green, has a mandate to improve and expand local news. With expansion underway in a number of markets, she says her goal now is “to create the profound consumer experience. What would I love for the Tribune stations? I would love for them to begin connecting in ways we haven’t done before to really move forward and advance information. I don’t want people to think news is dead. I want people to think news is alive and it’s shifting and it’s becoming an exhilarating experience.”

Matrix will provide all of Tribune’s stations with enhanced sales management functionality from media specific CRM through sales analytics and reporting; providing real-time advertising revenue insight.

In moving its Indianapolis affiliation from LIN to Tribune, CBS is sending the message that “if the incumbent doesn’t meet the value that we perceive it to be, we will certainly test the marketplace,” says CBS’s Ray Hopkins.

The station group may not renew Maury, Jerry Springer and Steve Wilkos beyond 2015-16, when its current contract with syndicator NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution ends, according to multiple sources. Tribune airs the shows in many markets, including six of the top 10.

With the upcoming departure of the latenight syndicated talk show, at least five Tribune Broadcasting stations will fill the 11 p.m. slot with local news, and more may follow. It’s also an opportunity to experiment with formats in the hopes of winning over younger viewers, says new Tribune news chief Katherine Green.

The former CNN executive will oversee news operations at the group’s 42 stations.

Tribune Broadcasting today announced the appointment of Angela Betasso to SVP, sales. Betasso will be responsible for the strategic management and leadership of all top line sales for Tribune Broadcasting’s […]

Devin Johnson will lead the broadcast group’s product development, social media, content, technology and digital sales strategy.

He will oversee the creative services departments at all of Tribune’s 42 owned or operated stations. Hites will report to Tribune President of Broadcast Media Larry Wert and will stay involved in the marketing operations at Tribune’s Los Angeles CW affiliate KTLA.

After this week’s annual programming marketplace in Miami Beach, the fates of a number of shows are still up in the air. “We’ll know in mid February” was a common refrain. But deals were certainly being done, by syndicators both large and small.

As WGN America relaunches as a destination for original content, Tribune Broadcasting will begin a marketing push to promote the cable network’s first original, scripted series, Salem, to millions of Super Bowl fans with promos during the pre-game show on its 13 Fox affiliates.

Tribune gives the head of its Los Angeles CW affiliate additional responsibility for its San Diego Fox outlet.

To reap all it can from political advertisers this year, Tribune’s WPHL appoints Kristin Long to handle the category. Replacing her as GSM is Dave Yost.

Tribune Co. today named Lynda King chief operating officer of its broadcasting division. King formerly headed up operations for Local TV Holdings, which was acquired by Chicago-based Tribune Co. last month in a $2.73 billion deal.

The CBS Television Distribution show, hosted by rapper and former radio personality MC Serch, which today begins a four-week test on eight Tribune stations, including WPIX New York and KTLA Los Angeles, is meant to fit into the Tribune stations’ conflict-talk lineup.

Tribune TV stations in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas and Indianapolis were included in the multi-year distribution deal with Time Warner Cable that also includes Local TV Holdings stations and WGN America.

The commission on Friday gave the green light to the $1.5 billion Gannett buy of Belo’s 20 stations (minus KMOV St. Louis, which it is spinning off) as well as the $2.7 billion purchase by Tribune Co. of Local TV LLC’s 16 stations. Gannett says it expects to close its deal next week.

The former research exec at WMAQ Chicago will head all research activities for the Tribune Broadcasting group, based in Chicago.

One month after its auspicious debut as a nationally syndicated late-night talker, The Arsenio Hall Show is showing signs of trouble in the ratings and behind the scenes. For Tribune Broadcasting, which is a partner in producing the show, the stakes couldn’t be higher.

The management overhaul of Tribune Broadcasting continued Friday with the departure of Steve Charlier as senior vice president of local media. told colleagues he was leaving to launch a multiplatform media company.

Joe Young will retire from the Tribune CW affil in Dallas effective Oct. 11. “It’s been a great ride,” he says. “I’m extremely proud of everything we’ve accomplished at KDAF and grateful for being given the opportunity to lead such a wonderful team here in Dallas.”

Longtime Fox marketing exec Brian Dollenmayer has reunited with Matt Cherniss and Peter Liguori in his new role as EVP of marketing and promotions for Tribune Broadcasting. Dollenmayer will oversee all marketing and promotion for WGN America and work closely on marketing matters for Tribune’s 23 TV stations and its diginets Antenna TV and This TV.

For TV broadcasters, newspapers and radio stations, a truly cross-platform CMS that can easily cross over legacy lines and integrate disparate systems and workflows is the grail. A future in which media companies become multimedia organizations may be closer than some think. “Those barriers are coming down,” says WorldNow’s Craig Smith. “The industry needs to break down those barriers.” Part three of a three-part special report. Read the full report here.

Local newspapers and broadcasters today are seeking content management systems that are faster and more complex than ever before. And while vendors are constantly developing new products to keep up with evolving demands, the industry is facing contraction. “There are just too many players, and nobody is really big enough to have any control,” says Internet Broadcasting’s Elmer Baldwin. “There are some that just aren’t going to survive.” Part two of a three-part special report. Read part one here

Content management systems serving the local media industry have taken a quantum leap forward, and choosing the right CMS has become more complicated than ever. Media companies have some difficult choices: select a system from a vendor, build one in-house or use an open-source system. Ron Stitt, VP of digital media at Fox Television Stations: “The pace of development is still constantly accelerating, and the landscape is incredibly complex when you factor in not just the front end but also the underlying platforms, devices, operating systems, display formats, distribution schemes and advertising/tracking requirements.” Part one of a three-part special report. Read the full report here.

Free Press and Put People First PA allege that Tribune’s proposed transfer of the three Local TV stations to a “shell corporation” are designed to let Tribune operate stations in markets where it also owns daily newspapers.

After 30 years in broadcasting, Larry Wert has just been assigned his toughest task yet: squeezing more profit out of Tribune Co.’s vastly expanded galaxy of local TV stations.