Tribune and CW at an impasse over OTT ambitions

[tyrannical bastard 3488]

I know it has no bearing on national reach....but could FOX ever decide to spin off WPWR over to Tribune? This way they wipe their hands clean of having to run a competing network.

[channel2 874]

They tried to trade it to them for KCPQ in 2014, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. Though there seems to be less bad blood between Fox and CBS/WB than there was in 2006.

[tyrannical bastard 3488]

Another purpose of dumping it would be to reduce the expense of running another station in the 3rd largest market...WFLD is their primary outlet so anything exclusive to WPWR is minimal...

[Jase 823]

They tried to trade it to them for KCPQ in 2014, so it's not out of the realm of possibility. Though there seems to be less bad blood between Fox and CBS/WB than there was in 2006.

 

I think once the KCPQ/Fox affilation agreement ends in 2 years, the Tribune may be willing, for the right price, in selling KCPQ to Fox rather than doing any type of trade. I can't see them wanting to own/run three stations (WGN, CLTV and WPWR) plus get back in bed with the CW. But you never know....

 

I also think the biggest unknown in this whole situation is Fox's plans for WPWR. Do they make an effort to make WPWR better now that its profile has risen by becoming a CW affiliate or do they continue to let it wallow in obscurity, if you will.

[ABC 7 Denver 1562]

No more Arrow getting in the way of Cubs games.

 

Let's go Cubbies!

[nomadcowatbk 144]

If KTLA and WPIX dumped CW, would they have enough sports to make it like WGN does?

[mardek1995 200]

If KTLA and WPIX dumped CW, would they have enough sports to make it like WGN does?

Maybe. For one thing, they could broadcast baseball and basketball games of teams in their respective markets, and maybe KTLA, WPIX, and WGN could become the preaseason broadcasters of the LA Rams, NYC Jets (or Giants), and the Chicago Bears, respectively.

[channel2 874]

All the MLB/NBA/NHL franchises in the New York market are locked up with or tied to RSNs. Same with LA/Anaheim (especially with the Dodgers' ridiculous deal with the recently-deceased Time Warner Cable that they seem to have no way out of). WPIX and KTLA have no shot at any of that stuff.

 

And preseason NFL games won't be enough. NFL fans consider them nothing but tide-over material until the real season starts anyway.

[mardek1995 200]

All the MLB/NBA/NHL franchises in the New York market are locked up with or tied to RSNs. Same with LA/Anaheim (especially with the Dodgers' ridiculous deal with the recently-deceased Time Warner Cable that they seem to have no way out of). WPIX and KTLA have no shot at any of that stuff.

 

And preseason NFL games won't be enough. NFL fans consider them nothing but tide-over material until the real season starts anyway.

I meant to clarify this, but I wasn't talking about within a few months, but more like within a few years from now. For now at least (maybe even longer depending on how the MLB/NBA/NHL broadcast deals go for the RSNs, which is likely to stay with them), they have no shot at any of that for reasons you just mentioned.

 

WPWR would just shift MyNet to 10pm while running CW in the 8-10 slot.

In other words, WPWR's MyNet affiliation will become a secondary one

[nomadcowatbk 144]

All the MLB/NBA/NHL franchises in the New York market are locked up with or tied to RSNs. Same with LA/Anaheim (especially with the Dodgers' ridiculous deal with the recently-deceased Time Warner Cable that they seem to have no way out of). WPIX and KTLA have no shot at any of that stuff.

 

And preseason NFL games won't be enough. NFL fans consider them nothing but tide-over material until the real season starts anyway.

 

that's only 3 or 4 games mainly on the weekends, but even preseason NFL games get higher ratings than many NHL, MLB, and NBA playoff games, and sometimes even the Stanley Cub and World Series, people would still watch the Cowboys and Lions even if they were playing meaningless exhibition games

[A3N 996]

I meant to clarify this, but I wasn't talking about within a few months, but more like within a few years from now. For now at least (maybe even longer depending on how the MLB/NBA/NHL broadcast deals go for the RSNs, which is likely to stay with them), they have no shot at any of that for reasons you just mentioned.

 

In other words, WPWR's MyNet affiliation will become a secondary one

The Angels tv deal with Fox Sports West is tied up for the next 20 years. Dodgers are tied up to TWC Sportsnet LA for the next 23 years or so. I doubt either deal, will allow for free OTA games, unless the teams are willing to take less money from FOX and TWC/Charter, respectively.

[ED2 144]

Just doing a search for "CW WGN" on Twitter brings this up; WGN is the biggest provider of the CW in Canada since the Chicago signal is cleared for them rather than WGN America (the rest is from border stations, smaller Trib superstations like WPIX and KTLA and whatever deals WBTV and CBS Studios makes with the domestic networks/streaming providers for CW programming). If it goes to KCOP and WWOR if Fox got them, they have to cross their fingers Sunbeam doesn't hoard it in Boston (and the WHDH mess) and CBS grabs it for WSBK as KCOP isn't superstation-cleared (WWOR is, but to a much lesser extent). Instantly, CBS and WB now need to figure out how to get the network further distributed up north or their programming out of the dregs that is the OMNI stations and Shomi; the Canadian upfronts are up in the next couple weeks and they just got more interesting than usual.

 

In Western Canada, we get a bunch of CW affiliates (KTLA, WPIX, KSTW) along with WGN. My concern is not losing CW on cable, but WGN itself.

[24994J 5280]

Not just WGN, but all the renewed Tribune CW stations will need to find an hour of daytime programming in the fall. Buried at the bottom of this article, the godawful Bill Cunningham show has been canceled.

 

http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/8203-news-notes-tribune-publishing-dan-mcneil-doug-banks-don-schuble-wgn-am-wls-fm-wcgo-am-melissa-forman-more

[The Frog 395]

Despite the quality, it pulled in the numbers:

Although never a TV ratings hit in his hometown – averaging 0.4 rating point and 1% audience share at 3 p.m. on Channel 12.2 in household ratings– "Bill Cunningham" was very successful nationally. His show was No. 1 or No. 2 in the target demographic (ages 18-49) in his time period in many markets, including New York, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, St. Louis, Washington D.C. and New Orleans.

http://wvxu.org/post/cunningham-quits-daytime-tv#stream/0

 

The question, what will CW put in the daytime slot? Will they return the time to the affiliates, or will Tribune force them to run some other dreck?

[CircleSeven 1945]

Despite the quality, it pulled in the numbers: http://wvxu.org/post/cunningham-quits-daytime-tv#stream/0

 

The question, what will CW put in the daytime slot? Will they return the time to the affiliates, or will Tribune force them to run some other dreck?

 

The network's best option is to kill that hour and give it to the affils at this point.

[T.L. Hughes 760]

I know that The CW had Fox's MyNetworkTV O&Os as a contingency if it couldn't reach a deal with Tribune, but how come WPWR got the affiliation anyway, after Tribune decided to negotiate WGN out of its contract? WCIU might have been a better choice as a replacement affiliate, although if it did receive the affiliation (assuming they were even approached at all), Weigel would have had to get permission to tape delay the prime time lineup to accommodate the WLS-produced 7:00 p.m. newscast as Tribune was able to do when it decided to shift KWGN and KPLR's prime time newscasts in 2008.

 

If WPWR does decided to timeshift MNT later in the evening on 50.1, it would displace WKTC in Columbia, South Carolina as the largest dual CW/MyNetworkTV affiliate by market size to carry both networks on their primary channel, which is weird, considering Chicago has enough stations to support separate affiliates of both.

 

OAN, how significant an impact could dropping The CW have on WGN's prime time viewership on weeknights when it isn't scheduled to carry sports? Today, independent stations don't air movies in prime time during the work week as WGN did before (and in the few years after) it joined The WB, and I doubt if they'll be able to try that again.

[mrschimpf 2065]

WCIU has so much programming inventory that it would need to be displaced by the CW, along with the WLS 7pm newscast. Most of that programming is contractually obligated to a certain timeslot and can't take a shove over to the U Too. The Saturday morning death star that is Litton's five hours would also need to be split out somehow. The only commitments WPWR is stuck with is MyNet, and that network has absolutely no power within the halls of FTS or 21CF in any way, nor does the poor soul who books the Weekend Marketplace infomercial slot where Litton is heading. The CW's reverse comp agreement would probably be overwhelming for Weigel in the #3 market; much more manageable for South Bend, but trebled in Chicago. In any case unless it somehow got paid to be on WJYS, MyNet isn't airing in primetime in Chicago at all after September 1st, no matter the station.

[newsteam13 368]

One question, If KWGN dumps the CW, where will the CW go in Denver? Which Denver station will pick up that network?

[Nelson R. 561]

WCIU has so much programming inventory that it would need to be displaced by the CW, along with the WLS 7pm newscast. Most of that programming is contractually obligated to a certain timeslot and can't take a shove over to the U Too. The Saturday morning death star that is Litton's five hours would also need to be split out somehow. The only commitments WPWR is stuck with is MyNet, and that network has absolutely no power within the halls of FTS or 21CF in any way, nor does the poor soul who books the Weekend Marketplace infomercial slot where Litton is heading. The CW's reverse comp agreement would probably be overwhelming for Weigel in the #3 market; much more manageable for South Bend, but trebled in Chicago. In any case unless it somehow got paid to be on WJYS, MyNet isn't airing in primetime in Chicago at all after September 1st, no matter the station.

 

MyNet programming will probably be pushed back to 9-11pm Central on WPWR, after the CW programming. Theoretically they could air the MyNet programming on the weekends, say from 6-11pm Saturday and Sunday. But they will probably air it after the CW programming on weeknights.

[24994J 5280]

While their program slate might be lackluster, WCIU prides itself on its independence, and the non-affiliated Weigel stations are held in decent regard. I'd imagine the CW would've wanted full branding changes and some sort of greater influence, and Weigel might've turned that down...if they were even in the discussion, in the first place.

[mardek1995 200]

While their program slate might be lackluster, WCIU prides itself on its independence, and the non-affiliated Weigel stations are held in decent regard. I'd imagine the CW would've wanted full branding changes and some sort of greater influence, and Weigel might've turned that down...if they were even in the discussion, in the first place.

Which I dont think they would've even been in a discussion about it being a CW affiliate because Weigel would've still turned it down

[Weeters 1812]

One question, If KWGN dumps the CW, where will the CW go in Denver? Which Denver station will pick up that network?

Didn't you create a thread to speculate about that exact question?

 

Yes. Yes you did. Keep the speculation there, please.

[NEOMatrix 1295]

One question, If KWGN dumps the CW, where will the CW go in Denver? Which Denver station will pick up that network?

KWGN, like its other CW sisters (sans WGN), are with the netlet for another 5 years.

[Jase 823]

I know that The CW had Fox's MyNetworkTV O&Os as a contingency if it couldn't reach a deal with Tribune, but how come WPWR got the affiliation anyway, after Tribune decided to negotiate WGN out of its contract?

 

I think the answer is simple. A lot of Time Warner shows (TMZ, TMZ Live, SOW, The Real and soon Extra) air on WPWR, so there is already a working relationship, if you will, between Time Warner and Fox. With that said, it would seem like a logical choice to go with WPWR as the new CW affiliate.

[CircleSeven 1945]

I think the answer is simple. A lot of Time Warner shows (TMZ, TMZ Live, SOW, The Real and soon Extra) air on WPWR, so there is already a working relationship, if you will, between Time Warner and Fox. With that said, it would seem like a logical choice to go with WPWR as the new CW affiliate.

 

Wait. What is SOW?