Sinclair, Tribune Close to Merger Deal

[CLETVFan 363]

What do you think would happen to some of the local non-news programming on stations like WJW? Could they stay in place or go off-the-air?

[GoldenShine9 1509]

Could WKYC, WEWS, and WOIO benefit from the Sinclair takeover and even try to poach staff from WJW?

 

It's possible. Sinclair doesn't usually make huge layoffs right away - since many of their employees seem to rush for the exit gates on their own. At least there are three other voices in the market (Tegna, Scripps and Raycom).

[Weeters 1806]

Meanwhile down I-64, Sinclair has a decision to make: spin-off WTKR/WGNT or WTVZ?

 

That's like someone who owns a hot dog cart having to decide between keeping the cart or buying a combination Taco Bell and KFC. I know which one I'd want.

 

Tom Skilling

 

Not going to be a popular opinion but I can't imagine Tom NOT retiring in the next 5 years regardless of whether or not Sinclair bought Tribune. He's been in the game for a long time and is really overdue for it. I wouldn't worry about him...

[24994J 5269]

Not going to be a popular opinion but I can't imagine Tom NOT retiring in the next 5 years regardless of whether or not Sinclair bought Tribune. He's been in the game for a long time and is really overdue for it. I wouldn't worry about him...

By my count, that's about what's left on his 10-year deal, anyway.

[Georgie56 3059]

I hope Sinclair keeps the creative services. Tribune operated a nice creative services department for its stations.

[CircleSeven 1944]

A Chicago Tribune editoral on the sale of WGN.

 

Haha, Feder shot down their editorial, comparing the Trib sale to a recent beverage business-related merger.

 

[MEDIA=twitter]861713608383901698[/MEDIA]

[tyrannical bastard 3444]

I'd like to see a battle royale between Tom "Freakin'" Skilling and James "Respect the Polygon" Spann...with special guest Dick "Woolybear" Goddard!

 

It has all of the makings of a Ring of Honor PPV special!!!

[mre29 1340]

I hope Sinclair keeps the creative services. Tribune operated a nice creative services department for its stations.

 

The stations' websites are nice.

[Mrtraveler01 737]

The stations' websites are nice.

 

Only reason they are is because they acquired the web team from Fishers in Seattle. When it was based in Baltimore, their websites looked like garbage.

[Mrtraveler01 737]

A Chicago Tribune editoral on the sale of WGN.

 

The same could be said for WGN radio and TV, and their vital roles in local life. Their history is compelling, but it's the future mission of each that's now in play. Their broadcast work reflects and promotes the unique identity of Chicago as a world-class city. We presume Sinclair understands that fact.

The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board has never heard of Sinclair before have they?

 

[Mrtraveler01 737]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/heres-what-happened-the-last-time-sinclair-bought-a-big-city-station/2017/05/08/92433126-33f7-11e7-b4ee-434b6d506b37_story.html

 

The Washington Post ran an article about what happened with WJLA after Sinclair took it over to serve as an omen to what may happen to the Tribune stations.

[Chicago's Very Own 104]

I hope Sinclair keeps the creative services. Tribune operated a nice creative services department for its stations.

WGN has probably the best on-screen graphics for any station in Chicago (in my opinion, all that needs changing is that the on-screen 'WGN' logo needs to be bigger). Way better than standard Sinclair graphics, it's gonna be a big downgrade.

 

Speaking of creativeness in the news, I always thought the

wasn't as good as

, but even the current one beats the hell out of t

that Sinclair uses for every station of theirs. I know I'm just nitpicking now, but it's kind of annoying to think about. I guess that's what happens when there's a new cheap company in charge.

 

Almost forgot, anyone have any idea of what will end up happening to 720 WGN, their radio station? Will Sinclair just go mega-cheap with it and put nothing into it, or try to turn it into conservative talk radio? Because I think pretty much every personality on there would have to be fired for them to make that change. I enjoy WGN Radio as well, so it'll suck to see what this could do to that.

[Georgie56 3059]

WGN has probably the best on-screen graphics for any station in Chicago (in my opinion, all that needs changing is that the on-screen 'WGN' logo needs to be bigger). Way better than standard Sinclair graphics, it's gonna be a big downgrade.

 

Speaking of creativeness in the news, I always thought the

wasn't as good as

, but even the current one beats the hell out of t

that Sinclair uses for every station of theirs. I know I'm just nitpicking now, but it's kind of annoying to think about. I guess that's what happens when there's a new cheap company in charge.

 

Almost forgot, anyone have any idea of what will end up happening to 720 WGN, their radio station? Will Sinclair just go mega-cheap with it and put nothing into it, or try to turn it into conservative talk radio? Because I think pretty much every personality on there would have to be fired for them to make that change. I enjoy WGN Radio as well, so it'll suck to see what this could do to that.

 

Yep, WGN9's on air look outside of newscasts feels like watching a cable network than a local channel. And all of that was made in house!

[Mrtraveler01 737]

WGN has probably the best on-screen graphics for any station in Chicago (in my opinion, all that needs changing is that the on-screen 'WGN' logo needs to be bigger). Way better than standard Sinclair graphics, it's gonna be a big downgrade.

 

Speaking of creativeness in the news, I always thought the

wasn't as good as

, but even the current one beats the hell out of t

that Sinclair uses for every station of theirs. I know I'm just nitpicking now, but it's kind of annoying to think about. I guess that's what happens when there's a new cheap company in charge.

 

Almost forgot, anyone have any idea of what will end up happening to 720 WGN, their radio station? Will Sinclair just go mega-cheap with it and put nothing into it, or try to turn it into conservative talk radio? Because I think pretty much every personality on there would have to be fired for them to make that change. I enjoy WGN Radio as well, so it'll suck to see what this could do to that.

 

Sinclair would be pretty stupid not to keep Tribune's graphics team the same way it kept Fisher's web team. Let's not forget how beautifully done the packages for KTLA and KCPQ were as well. Heck even the WTTV/WREG/WTKR package is a good example of how you can make a graphics package for multiple markets without making it so plain and generic.

 

As far as 720 WGN is concerned, remember that Sinclair also owns KOMO AM/FM in Seattle and so far they haven't done too much damage to it as of yet (Anyone in Seattle have any better insight into this than I would?)

[24994J 5269]

As far as 720 WGN is concerned, remember that Sinclair also owns KOMO AM/FM in Seattle and so far they haven't done too much damage to it as of yet (Anyone in Seattle have any better insight into this than I would?)

WGN Radio has always leaned on the conservative side, but hefty salaries and talent involvement in managerial decisions might cause some problems. They're also not the ratings juggernaut they used to be, so that might also room some on-air personnel.

[tyrannical bastard 3444]

To Chicagoans, the sale of Tribune and WGN ranks right up there when Marshall Field's sold out to Macy's. No matter how hard they tried to woo them back, the people still resisted.

Roger Ebert even compared the cut-up pieces of his Field's charge card as "...little tears the color of money."

[GoldenShine9 1509]

To Chicagoans, the sale of Tribune and WGN ranks right up there when Marshall Field's sold out to Macy's. No matter how hard they tried to woo them back, the people still resisted.

Roger Ebert even compared the cut-up pieces of his Field's charge card as "...little tears the color of money."

 

If the resistance is that strong, they could drop to 5th place.

[Georgie56 3059]

Have any stations talked about the sale on air yet? WGN just did.

[Chief-O 28]

Have any stations talked about the sale on air yet? WGN just did.

 

Not watching WLUK, but they did mention it on their Twitter. (Edit: And Facebook)

I can't help but think that Milwaukee will be a bit of an interesting situation. In researching things, I did notice that WCGV's spectrum was sold....I could certainly see them shutting down the station altogether, moving the MyTV affiliation to a subchannel, and taking over WITI. That scenario would also make WITI a corporate sister to fellow Fox affils WLUK and WMSN; this could make a bit of a regional network/braintrust, with plenty of content being shared between them (WLUK already airs a number of WITI stories already as it is).

[news89 467]

Have any stations talked about the sale on air yet? WGN just did.

WJW did all on the evening newscasts.

[Jase 818]

If the resistance is that strong, they could drop to 5th place.

 

A lot of things (like losing/giving up the broadcast rights to the Cubs, Sox, Bulls and Blackhawks for example) would have to happen for them to fall to 5th overall. While this news isn't the greatest, it's way to early to suggest they are on a death spiral.

[Breaking News 802]

Could WKYC, WEWS, and WOIO benefit from the Sinclair takeover and even try to poach staff from WJW?

If Gabe Spiegel survives working at WJW/FOX 8 under Sinclair where he worked at Sinclair owned WSYX. I see him going over to WKYC or WOIO

[Georgie56 3059]

Another anti-Sinclair editorial, this time from the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

[Mrtraveler01 737]

Another anti-Sinclair editorial, this time from the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

 

Check out the comment section, Jamie Allman (host of The Allman Report) is trolling it. Real classy operation Sinclair is running here.

[Rusty Muck 4164]

WGN Radio has always leaned on the conservative side, but hefty salaries and talent involvement in managerial decisions might cause some problems. They're also not the ratings juggernaut they used to be, so that might also room some on-air personnel.

Randy Michaels and the late Kevin Metheny tried to turn WGN into a hard-ish conservative talk station in the mold of WLW. It was an unmitigated disaster... those moves turned off the vast majority of the audience without bringing any new audience in to replace it (which is what worked at WLW circa 1985). Plus the market already has more that it's fair share of conservative talk in WLS and WIND, both of which draw absolutely pathetic ratings.

 

WGN has an interesting problem. They are practically the only remaining 24/7 all-local talk station east of the Mississippi (WLW does originate a few networked shows and runs taped replays throughout the weekend, but doesn't carry any syndicated shows per se). Now-former PD Jimmy DeCastro tried to modernize WGN's sound while also rehiring several popular long-time hosts dismissed by Michaels/Metheny, to varying degrees of success.

 

WGN is trying to maintain a full-service format... and stuck on the AM dial as the lone radio property east of the Mississippi for Sinclair. Their future would have been murky to begin with, regardless of the owners.