CircleSeven 1944 Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 Reuters posted today that the Tribune Company has hired several banks firms to explorer its options on the status on is newspaper portfolio, which including the option to sell those daily newspapers. The papers include, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. This was expected because the new President of Tribune, Peter Liguori (as the article states) have more experience on the broadcasting side, then less experience in the print media. I don't want to see Chicago Tribune broken apart from the other Tribune Media Cluster. I don't care for the other dailies, they can sell them quick. LA Times can go too, but make sure they don't give it to Rupert Murdoch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 I know we can speculate forever, but I wonder what Tribune's portfolio will look like in 5 or 6 years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mre29 1340 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 I know we can speculate forever, but I wonder what Tribune's portfolio will look like in 5 or 6 years... For TV? I'm going to predict WPIX, KTLA, WGN, and a few others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 For TV? I'm going to predict WPIX, KTLA, WGN, and a few others. Just top 20 market stations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 Reuters is posting this morning is Tribune wants one company to acquire all the papers in one bundle. Among the potential buyers is Rupert Murdoch, Wrapports LLC (the owners of the Chicago Sun-Times, yeah good luck with that one), and newspaper giant, Freedom Communications (they just sold some newspapers last year, do 'The Torch' want to go back in debt again?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24994J 5269 Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 So...the lesser of three evils, then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 This completely blows Rupert Murdoch out the running. http://www.nbcnews.com/business/murdoch-spin-wsj-rest-publishing-unit-1C8775300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 996 Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 This completely blows Rupert Murdoch out the running. http://www.nbcnews.com/business/murdoch-spin-wsj-rest-publishing-unit-1C8775300 How so? It has been known for months that Murdoch was going to separate the company into two separate entities. In the article, it mentions that he will still control both companies. If he still is interested, I see no reason why this would prevent him from going after the Tribune Newspapers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
News 9 Viewer 100 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 For TV? I'm going to predict WPIX, KTLA, WGN, and a few others. I'd add WPHL (home of a primetime version of Action News from the station that pioneered the format and Phillies baseball), KWGN (a superstation), and WGNO (the only Big Three affiliate it owns). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I'd add WPHL (home of a primetime version of Action News from the station that pioneered the format and Phillies baseball), KWGN (a superstation), and WGNO (the only Big Four affiliate it owns). KWGN? A superstation??? Hardly. Right now, it's being run via LMA by Local TV's KDVR. Of course it could very well be telling that the former KWGN studio is uninhabited, has not been repurposed (it still has a former incarnation of the KWGN logo on the door) and is not for sale. Either, and I see it could be decided by the actions at PIX, the LMA will be dropped and a news department reestablished or KWGN is sold (in the best case senario making a CBS O&O duopoly). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 How so? It has been known for months that Murdoch was going to separate the company into two separate entities. In the article, it mentions that he will still control both companies. If he still is interested, I see no reason why this would prevent him from going after the Tribune Newspapers. Yikes! Wow I jumped the gun. I should have read more carefully. :bang: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
News 9 Viewer 100 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 KWGN? A superstation??? Hardly. Right now, it's being run via LMA by Local TV's KDVR. Of course it could very well be telling that the former KWGN studio is uninhabited, has not been repurposed (it still has a former incarnation of the KWGN logo on the door) and is not for sale. Either, and I see it could be decided by the actions at PIX, the LMA will be dropped and a news department reestablished or KWGN is sold (in the best case senario making a CBS O&O duopoly). Believe it or not, it is part of the superstations package from Dish (I know because I have Dish), so in that sense it still is (though being a superstation doesn't mean nearly as much as it used to since WTBS became WPCH, and KWGN is by far the least well known of the remaining superstations). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mre29 1340 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I think the superstation concept was more relevant back in the '80s, when there were significantly fewer cable channels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
News 9 Viewer 100 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 I think the superstation concept was more relevant back in the '80s, when there were significantly fewer cable channels. Not only more relevant, but more viable. If an independent station were to attain the status of superstation today, the resulting buzz about the station would be ephemeral if there was any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted March 9, 2013 Share Posted March 9, 2013 Believe it or not, it is part of the superstations package from Dish (I know because I have Dish), so in that sense it still is (though being a superstation doesn't mean nearly as much as it used to since WTBS became WPCH, and KWGN is by far the least well known of the remaining superstations). Tell me how KWGN is a 'superstation'? I thought superstation meant national coverage. I haven't seen that with KWGN, only WGN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
News 9 Viewer 100 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Tell me how KWGN is a 'superstation'? I thought superstation meant national coverage. I haven't seen that with KWGN, only WGN. The superstation package I mentioned (which KWGN is part of) is available nationally. WGN has wider availability because in addition to being part of this package, it is carried by numerous cable systems throughout the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 The superstation package I mentioned (which KWGN is part of) is available nationally. WGN has wider availability because in addition to being part of this package, it is carried by numerous cable systems throughout the country. So lowly old KWGN, in DMA 17, is available nationally? Then why the heck did Tribune establish a LMA with Local TV? If this station really has this much public sway, I don't understand why the news department wasn't beefed up. I mean, they have a little building in the DTC. It's not like they could get to stories very quickly, nor did they really have the man power to do anything extraordinary. Since this is the case. Tribune should drop the LMA, and build a new and robust news gathering facility and team (Do you read me anybody in Tribune management?). Screw PIX, WGN and KWGN are the stations for Tribune to build! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
News 9 Viewer 100 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 So lowly old KWGN' date=' in DMA 17, is available nationally? Then [b']why the heck did Tribune establish a LMA with Local TV?[/b] If this station really has this much public sway, I don't understand why the news department wasn't beefed up. I mean, they have a little building in the DTC. It's not like they could get to stories very quickly, nor did they really have the man power to do anything extraordinary. Since this is the case. Tribune should drop the LMA, and build a new and robust news gathering facility and team (Do you read me anybody in Tribune management?). Screw PIX, WGN and KWGN are the stations for Tribune to build! I'm guessing they established the LMA for the same reason they're trying to sell their newspapers. They're trying to cut costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRob 919 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Apparently the Kochs are interested in the whole company. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/206808/report-koch-brothers-interested-in-buying-tribune-papers/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A3N 996 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Apparently the Kochs are interested in the whole company. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/206808/report-koch-brothers-interested-in-buying-tribune-papers/ The newspapers are better off being bought by Newscorp, it's the lesser of two evils. For one, the article mentions that the Koch brothers would finance a bid made by Doug Manchester and I can tell you he and his group have single-handedly ruined the San Diego Union Tribune. It is not because of the so-called "Right-Wing bias" its because under his watch, this newspaper has been allowed to be biased towards issues that affect our community. A newspaper is not supposed to publicly advocate for a football stadium (to be paid for by the taxpayers of course), but that is what Manchester and his group at UT-San Diego have done. Not to mention the countless other issues political/downtown development wise that Manchester has inserted his opinion/feelings into via the Newspaper. Also, Manchester bought a smaller newspaper in Norther San Diego County (North County Times) and now he owns the two largest newspapers in the county. BTW, Manchester owns several hotels and property in Downtown San Diego, which is why he and his company were openly advocating for a new Chargers stadium downtown, since it would greatly benefit him. Newspapers need to be a voice for the people and watchdogs that keep our government in line, not a source of right-wing or left-wing bias. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CircleSeven 1944 Posted March 15, 2013 Author Share Posted March 15, 2013 The Chicago Sun-Times is posting that Lee Mitchell of investment firm Thoma Bravo, LLC is also interested of the Tribune papers. He use to work for Field Enterprises, the former parent of the department store and television flagship, WFLD 32. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4164 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I have a feeling that, as soon as the newspaper division is unloaded, Tribune will acquire the LocalTV outfit outright. Or they buy the non-Fox stations (the old NYT group + WTVR), while Fox reacquires the former O&Os. The latter might be more palatable to the News Corp. folks if Tribune's newspaper division is rendered unattainable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
channel2 869 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 A lot of the non-Fox stations aren't in very desirable markets. The only ones that are even in top 50 markets are KFOR, KAUT, WREG, WTKR, and WGNT. Why would Tribune want the others? Are they just looking to expand their broadcast holdings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABC 7 Denver 1552 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 I have a feeling that, as soon as the newspaper division is unloaded, Tribune will acquire the LocalTV outfit outright. Or they buy the non-Fox stations (the old NYT group + WTVR), while Fox reacquires the former O&Os. The latter might be more palatable to the News Corp. folks if Tribune's newspaper division is rendered unattainable. Interesting supposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Muck 4164 Posted March 18, 2013 Share Posted March 18, 2013 A lot of the non-Fox stations aren't in very desirable markets. The only ones that are even in top 50 markets are KFOR, KAUT, WREG, WTKR, and WGNT. Why would Tribune want the others? Are they just looking to expand their broadcast holdings? I'd presume that Tribune would only keep those stations, and spin off the rest. Probably add their NOLA station in whatever spin-off package comes forth. Would be VERY interesting to see how the KPLR and KWGN situations are resolved (wasn't the old KTVI building sold off with their move?). Local TV and Tribune kinda had a weird relationship to begin with, dating to Randy Michaels' involvement in both at the same time. It would also be safe to presume that Fox would be willing to protect their affiliations no matter what (even in spite of lengthy affiliation agreements for all of them). Remember that they re-acquired charter O&O WFXT in 1995 when 1) subsequent mismanagement by the Boston Celtics left the station's affiliation in severe jeopardy, and 2) News Corp. unloaded the Boston Herald the year before. I just hope to God that Sinclair and/or Nexstar doesn't get their hands on any of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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