Tribune Entertainment

Tribune Entertainment

Tribune Entertainment was founded in 1980. The first programs that Tribune distributed for syndication were the agricultural news program U.S. Farm Report, which debuted in 1975; and Independent Network News, a syndicated news program designed for Independent stations that was produced by Tribune's New York City station WPIX and debuted in 1980.

In 1982, Tribune picked-up newspaper film critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel under the show name of At the Movies before losing the hosts four year later to Buena Vista Television. In 1985, another long-running program that Tribune had distributed was the syndicated musical Soul Train, just 9 years after it moved to WGN-TV, from syndication, which debuted in 1971. In 1989, Tribune signed comedienne Joan Rivers to host the daytime syndicated talk program, The Joan Rivers Show, five years before doing Can We Shop?. On March 1, 1991, Tribune had its Geraldo show as the first US program in the USSR under the recent Glasnost policy.

In January 1994, Tribune Entertainment started a country music initiative across broadcast television, concert touring, direct marketing, home video distribution, pay-per-view and radio syndication. Under the initiative programming would start in the fall 1994 with a weekly syndicated country music television and companion radio program then home video releases and pay-per-view events in 1995. With Nashville Country Club Inc., Tribune announced as a part of this initiative to operate "Road" performance clubs and restaurants with the first to open in 1995. In July 1995, Tribune sold 22 episodes of "Road", their canceled country music show, to the The Nashville Network for broadcast starting in January 1996.

In July 2003, the company purchased syndication rights to 34 DreamWorks feature films to use on Tribune stations starting in August 2006. The films would be also sold to other stations via barter or sale while supervising marketing for the films.

On December 18, 2007, Tribune Entertainment announced it would exit the program distribution business. In 2008, it sold its Tribune Studios for $125 million to Hudson Capital, LLC.

In 2010, Tribune announced that it would be considering a re-entry into the syndication market with two new talk shows: one a tabloid-style show hosted by Bubba the Love Sponge, and another, "Big Willie" (since renamed The Bill Cunningham Show). Both programs filmed pilot programs and Bill Cunningham's show aired during a week long test on Tribune stations.

Tribune Studios

On March 19, 2013, Tribune appointed Warner Bros. executive Matt Cherniss as president/general manager of a revived production division called Tribune Studios (not to be confused with the physical Sunset Bronson Studios, which formerly held the Tribune Studios name and continues to house the facilities of Tribune's KTLA). Tribune Studios will produce programs primarily for the company's 23 television stations and WGN America, some of which will receive national distribution. The initial programs produced by the company starting with the 2012-13 season will include The Bill Cunningham Show (originated through Tribune Broadcasting, now produced by ITV Studios America), The Arsenio Hall Show and The Test (the latter two programs were co-productions with CBS).

Tribune Studios' first original drama, since its revival, for its sister company WGN America was Manhattan which aired from 2014 to 2015 for 2 seasons.

Filmography

This is a listing of programs which were either produced or distributed by Tribune Entertainment/Studios:

Animated series

Daytime shows

First-run syndicated shows

Late night talk/variety shows

Made-for-TV movies/Mini-series

News/information series

Specials

Daytime shows

Late night talk/variety shows

Dramas