A Tribute to Tribune Broadcasting (1924-2019)

After 95 years of broadcast service to the Chicago market and all over America, Tribune Broadcasting went into the history books on September 19, 2019 after being bought out by Irving, Texas-based Nexstar Media Group. Nexstar also sold some of the former Tribune stations to different owners, including WPIX in New York City, which was sold to the E.W. Scripps Company, though Nexstar eventually entered into a local marketing agreement with Mission Broadcasting, which now owns the station's license.
So with that said, I came up with a tribute to this historic broadcasting enterprise by adding photos of some (but not all) of the stations they owned over the years as well as the many faces that have graced the Tribune airwaves during the company's existence.
I also felt would be appropriate to use in this tribute a song that was used famously by it's flagship television station, WGN-TV, for their station ID's during the late 1970's and the early 80's. That song is, you guessed it, "The Last Farewell" by Roger Whittaker.

[@KJWT]

I Grew up, watching KTVI. good ass times.

[@michaeldamienbailey5010]

When i think of tribune, i think doug paul who was the announcer for most of their stations. GOODBYE TRIBUNE. Rip doug paul

[@mattjackson2172]

Don't forget Bob Tracey and Jim Cutler.

[@MJBYouTubeNetwork]

WPIX Channel 11 where I live once upon a time had a fantastic merger: INTV - The Association Of Independent Television Stations WB - Warner Bros. And of course, Tribune Broadcasting Inc. Now that was one amazing merger I loved! I'm even glad I was alive when the WB/Tribune Broadcasting era lasted!

[@ScoopNemeth]

What began as a string of independents (WGN, KWGN, WPIX, KTLA) branched out to owning network affiliates (WJW FOX 8, WNEP ABC 16, WTTV CBS 4, WHO NBC 13, and so on and so on). Let's not forget those independents that became the WB in 1995, and now the CW in 2006. What a great life for Tribune Broadcasting

[@tribuneone9541]

Whenever I heard the word "Tribune" I always thought of WGN and WPIX.

[@ScoopNemeth]

The WGN 70s station ID theme - Last Farewell by Roger Whitaker - perfect and fitting song for the demise of WGN's parent company

[@mattjackson2172]

Don't forget the flagship station of The CW, WPIX, New York.

[@KJWT]

including kplr and ktvi.

[@mattjackson2172]

R. I. P. The WB (1995-2006).

[@only1moore]

Surprised they included WREG Memphis in the video.

[@LisaandBradlee]

WDKY, KGBT, WJZY, Rewind TV, & The CW were involved

[@mattjackson2172]

LIKED!

[@eascec8374]

Grew Up With WGN Chicago. Tribune Always Gives A Great Life.

[@johnnyballenatl]

Now it's time for a tribute video to Meredith Corporation; as of today (12/1), its TV stations are officially Gray's and their magazine division is now property of IAC.

[@davidriley1702]

1:58 RIP Pat Harper

[@ScoopNemeth]

95 years of Tribune Broadcasting, WOW! That company has indeed had a great life!

[@mattjackson2172]

Do we grow up with The WB?

[@dcthornton]

I grew up with KTLA Channel 5. Tribune will be missed.

[@Naminski1a]

KTLA 5, The CW.

[@mattjackson2172]

@@Naminski1a We also grew up with The WB.

[@brutusholland6416]

This also makes KDAF here in Dallas the company's flagship station......

[@rudyiraheta80]

actually tribune was kdfi

[@revinhatol]

(2021) WHO Channel 13, proud to be a part of Meredith.

[@rudyiraheta80]

in 2022

[@mattjackson2172]

@@rudyiraheta80 WHO is currently owned by Nexstar Media Group.

[@thestlweather]

Late to the party, but I joined one of Tribune’s stations right after the Sinclair deal fell through (hallelujah!) and got to work with digital teams all across the country. Picked up my drone license and I’m working on transitioning over to being a digital reporter now that we’re Nexstar. Even though I worked for Tribune for under a year, I’ll forever be proud to be part of the Tribune Nation.

[@SABMashupMuseum]

So sad to see a company with a rich history meet its demise. Of course, the Tribune name lives on in the publishing business.

[@SABMashupMuseum]

​@AzulArmyX When I said the Tribune name would live on, I was referring to the newspaper print and online media publishing company. Only the broadcasting unit, which was spun off from the former in 2013, was bought out by Nexstar.

[@SABMashupMuseum]

@AzulArmyX That's okay, no worries.

[@MrCradd1]

We love you Tribune and CW 39

[@rudyiraheta80]

houston o florida

[@revinhatol]

@@rudyiraheta80 Both.

[@rudyiraheta80]

@@revinhatol wscv & whft

[@codigosmontoya6181]

SALUDOS CON MUCHA FE.. DE.. CODIGOS MONTOYA.. CON UNA GRAN IDEA. PARA LAS PERSONAS CE NO PUEDEN A BLAR..

[@DeAngeloStevens]

WGN will forever be Tribune Broadcasting like Soul Train, Geraldo

[@mattjackson2172]

...as well as WPIX and KTLA.

[@michaelerickson6431]

RIP tribune

[@chrisseasandnascaremporioum]

Thank you Tribune for also owning my station WNEP ABC 16 Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazleton

[@chrisseasandnascaremporioum]

Now Tegna owns it

[@stevieboy247]

@@chrisseasandnascaremporioum They actually operated WNEP under a shared services agreement with Dreamcatcher Broadcasting prior to the outright sale to Tegna.

[@matthewcampbell7985]

Now a sister station of my abc affiliate wfaa.

[@Musicradio77Network]

Now that Scripps owns WPIX-TV (channel 11), Tribune has been a great run after 95 years starting with the Chicago Tribune, and Tribune Broadcasting, and now they own Scripps. Thanks to the Scripps Howard byline in the Kartes Video Communications logo from the Peanuts VHS tapes back in the 1980’s.

[@mattjackson2172]

The Tribune Company and Warner Bros. jointly owned The WB.

[@rudyiraheta80]

mtn what channel is wnet

[@kmart3697]

Well a WPIX now resale again to mission brocasting partnership with nexstar

[@erikpridemore3174]

This is in loving memoriam of John Tillman, Frasier Thomas, Harry Caray, Hal Fishman, Pat Harper, Stan Chambers, Phil Rizzuto, Bob Bell, and John Drury. And the active survivors who are still around, Jessica Holmes, Sam Rubin, Kaity Tong, Jack Cafferty, Sal Marchiano, Mr. "G", and Tom Skilling. And we are so happy to see Tribune Media Company meet its demise, as Nexstar Media Group acquired the Corporation. Thank you for posting!

[@ericsamuelson5656]

You forgot to mention in memory of Marty McNeally, Jerry Girard, Larry McCormick, and announcer Doug Paul

[@erikpridemore3174]

Well thank you VERY much Eric Samuelson for reminding me, as I've didn't mentioned the ones who passed away in the past including WGN's Marty McNeeley which I did correctly spelled for you, and KTLA's Stu Nahan as well and all the others who have gone to a better place.

[@mattjackson2172]

@@erikpridemore3174 Don't forget the other active survivors who are still around, Jim Watkins, Mary Murphy, Tamsen Fadel, John Muller, Scott Stanford, Announcer Jim Cutler, Announcer Bob Tracey, Announcer Greg O'Neil, Announcer Paul Turner, Announcer Beau Weaver, Joe Donlon, Tony Rizzo and John Telich.

[@johnnyballenatl]

@@erikpridemore3174 Klaus Landsberg; he started up KTLA as experimental station W6XYZ.

[@erikpridemore3174]

@@mattjackson2172 thank you, and Charlie Van Dyke is still active and does his voice over work.

[@CraigS1996Entertainment]

Tribune Broadcasting was flagship founder of the The WB Television Network when it was first launched in 1995 primarily thanks to the ownerships of WPIX New York, WPHL 17 in Philly & KTLA 5 Los Angeles and also after they bought WLVI-TV in Boston, MA. After Tribune bought Renaissance in 1996, some FOX stations such as WPMT Fox 43 & WXIN 59 joined the company while also sharing some late night programming from The WB in off-Hours. It's a shame to Tribune go, as more of the awful media consolidation continues to plague the U.S.

[@erickirk6966]

Besides the media consolidations we've witnessed in the last decade or 2, and I'd anticipate a few more coming soon. Another thing would be local stations losing shreds of their identities, being forced to have almost identical looking graphics packages and set designs, exclusive music packages, or in the case of Sinclair, stations being required to air Boris Epstien commentaries and the "Extremely Dangerous To Our Democracy" pieces, TEGNA stations being such jumbled messes, etc. While Tribune was in business, they allowed WPIX, KTLA, and WGN to have their own separate identities (as in Tribune didn't meddle for the most part) while the standardization practice was slowly creeping up at their other stations. ABC O&Os, Cox, and Hubbard stations seem to be the only groups left to allow their stations to have their own identities.

[@mattjackson2172]

@@erickirk6966 I have a Columbia TriStar Television Stations petition on Change.org, Will you sign it?

[@jfs1988]

KSWB 5/69, San Diego's WB. KTLA 5, Where LA Lives.

[@rudyiraheta80]

ktty 69 is actually fox

[@mattjackson2172]

WPIX, The WB11, New York’s Movie Station.

[@simonmejia4391]

@@mattjackson2172WGN Chicago, the world's greatest news station.

[@matthewcampbell7985]

I'm remember when kdaf change owners first was Renaissance and then went to tribune and also I'm remember went my late father brought spectrum cable service to receive channel 33's sister station in Chicago WGN. I miss tribune always for the WB affiliation on both 33 and WGN America. And always for 2 newscasts.

[@rudyiraheta80]

kdaf wasn't tribune it was kdfi & ktxa kdfi is now owned by rnn formerly rjn

[@matthewcampbell7985]

No and no fox sold channel 33 to Renaissance and them went to tribune.

[@rudyiraheta80]

@@matthewcampbell7985 kdaf was gulf owned to be taft, taft sold kdaf to tvx, to be paramount pictures tv stations group, by the start of the century, united television's kbmy, traded it's upn ownerships in washington dc, houston, & dallas. making upn 44, a paramount o&o. in 04, kdaf swapped ownerships with wlvi & wsvn. giving fox to wsvn, sunbeam to wlvi, & gannett to kdaf. to be more specific on kdaf's programming. it's both upn dual with wb. means star trek, wayans, parent hood, malcom & eddie, small ville, etc. on kdaf currently kdaf is a my network, dual with the cw. originally my network was temporary on ktxa & kfwd dual. since upn's & wb's contract with kdaf & kdfi didn't expired til 9/16/06.

[@matthewcampbell7985]

No kdaf sold to Renaissance and them went to tribune

[@rudyiraheta80]

@@matthewcampbell7985 kdaf is not renaissance kdaf was former upn & wb dual now my network & cw dual