or


[03/31/12 - 07:55 PM]
Tribune Television Stations and WGN America No Longer Available Via DirecTV
Tribune has established a web site, www.tellDirecTV.com, to enable DirecTV subscribers to register their concerns about losing this valuable programming.

[via press release from Tribune]

Tribune Television Stations and WGN America No Longer Available Via DirecTV

Contract Covering 19 TV Markets, WGN America, Will Expire Tonight

CHICAGO, March 31, 2012 -- As of midnight, tonight, Tribune television stations in 19 markets across the country will no longer be available via DirecTV, denying subscribers access to the local news, traffic, weather, sports and entertainment programming provided by those stations. DirecTV subscribers will also be unable to watch WGN America, Tribune's national cable network.

Tribune Broadcasting's contract with DirecTV will expire at midnight, Saturday, March 31. A new agreement has not been reached. By federal law, without an agreement in place, DirecTV cannot carry the signal of Tribune's local television stations. Tribune's local stations in the eastern time zone will be the first to be denied by DirecTV to its subscribers. Stations in other time zones will follow.

"This situation is extremely unfortunate," said Nils Larsen, Tribune Broadcasting president. "We don't want anyone to lose the valuable programming we provide, but we simply cannot get fair compensation from DirecTV and we cannot allow DirecTV to continue taking advantage of us."

DirecTV has never compensated Tribune for the rebroadcast of its television stations and Tribune is asking for an agreement that is similar to those that DirecTV already has in place with hundreds of other broadcasters and program providers.

"As baseball season gets underway, DirecTV's inflexibility means sports fans in some of our local markets such as Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, will be deprived of one of baseball's most cherished events - Opening Day," said Larsen.

In Chicago, Cubs and White Sox baseball games broadcast on WGN-TV will be lost to subscribers, including the home openers of both teams. DirecTV subscribers in Philadelphia will lose access to Phillies baseball on WPHL-TV, including the team's home opener. In Washington, D.C., subscribers who are fans of the Nationals will not be able to see Nationals games on WDCW-TV, including their Opening Day contest with the Chicago Cubs. In New York, DirecTV subscribers will lose access to Mets baseball broadcast via WPIX-TV. Finally, DirecTV subscribers across the country will lose access to HD sports programming such as Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox baseball broadcast by WGN America.

"In addition, local news, weather, traffic and sports coverage will also be lost, as well as the high-quality entertainment programming we offer on our local stations," said Larsen. "This is a terrible outcome for the communities we serve and we regret that DirecTV has put us in this position."

In those markets in which Tribune owns the local Fox affiliate, DirecTV subscribers will lose entertainment programming such as "American Idol," "Glee," "New Girl" and sports programming such as NASCAR and Major League Baseball. In those markets where Tribune owns the local affiliate of The CW Network, DirecTV subscribers will lose programming such as "America's Next Top Model," "Gossip Girl," "Supernatural," "Vampire Diaries," and the series finale of "One Tree Hill." In New Orleans, where Tribune owns the local ABC affiliate, "Modern Family," and NBA basketball games will be unavailable to subscribers.

"There are options for DirecTV subscribers," said Larsen. "They don't have to miss their regular news or favorite shows. Our broadcast stations are available for free in HD with a TV antenna or through an alternative pay-TV provider."

Tribune has established a web site, www.tellDirecTV.com, to enable DirecTV subscribers to register their concerns about losing this valuable programming. "We've seen tremendous traffic to the website and a very high volume of calls, and we know that people will be disappointed and upset," said Larsen. "We're urging DirecTV subscribers to continue to make sure they are heard by calling DirecTV and engaging in social media via Twitter and Facebook."

TRIBUNE is one of the country's leading multimedia companies, operating businesses in broadcasting, publishing, and interactive. The company's broadcasting group owns or operates 23 television stations, WGN America on national cable and Chicago's WGN-AM. In publishing, Tribune's leading daily newspapers include the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, Sun Sentinel (South Florida), Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, The Morning Call and Daily Press. Popular news and information websites complement Tribune's print and broadcast properties and extend the company's nationwide audience.





  [march 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
    


· SHOWATCH
(series past and present)
· DEVWATCH
(series in development)
· MOVIEWATCH
(tv movies and mini-series)





[05/29/25 - 08:30 AM]
Video: AMC and AMC+ Release Official Trailer and Key Art for the Epic Adventure Drama "Nautilus"
The captivating series stars Shazad Latif as the iconic Captain Nemo: an Indian Prince robbed of his birthright and family, a prisoner of the East India Mercantile Company and a man bent on revenge against the forces that have taken everything from him.

[05/29/25 - 08:02 AM]
Peacock Reveals the Sizzling Hot Cast of "Love Island USA" Season 7
Hosted by TV personality Ariana Madix and narrated by comedian Iain Stirling, the new season streams exclusively on Peacock beginning Tuesday, June 3 with new episodes dropping every day at 6pm PT/9pm ET during premiere week.

[05/29/25 - 08:02 AM]
"Marvel's Spidey and His Amazing Friends" Season Four Premieres June 16 on Disney Jr. and Next Day on Disney+
The series, which originally premiered in August 2021, continues to grow in popularity as the No. 2 streaming series for kids and boys 2-5.

[05/29/25 - 08:00 AM]
Roku Originals Expands "Baking Show" Universe with Original Series Renewals, Spin-Offs, Library Programming, and New Co-Host Andrew Rannells
Roku also announced that actor Andrew Rannells will come on board to co-host "The Great American Baking Show" alongside Casey Wilson.

[05/29/25 - 07:35 AM]
Discovery Channel June Programming Highlights
All new seasons of "Expedition Unknown" and "Mystery of Blind Frog Ranch" will be joined by the U.S. debut of "Marooned with Ed Stafford."

[05/29/25 - 07:16 AM]
Video: "The Thursday Murder Club" - Official Teaser - Netflix
Four irrepressible retirees spend their time solving cold case murders for fun, but their causal sleuthing takes a thrilling turn when they find themselves with a real whodunit on their hands.

[05/29/25 - 06:05 AM]
Prime Video Reveals First-Look Images and Premiere Date for "The Terminal List: Dark Wolf," Starring Taylor Kitsch, Chris Pratt, and Tom Hopper
The series will premiere the first three episodes on Wednesday, August 27 exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

[05/29/25 - 06:00 AM]
Video: Apple TV+ Debuts Trailer for Whimsical New Preschool Series "Not a Box"
Inspired by the beloved, award-winning children's picture book by Antoinette Portis, the series follows bright-eyed bunny Riley, who with just one cardboard box, imagines magical worlds full of new friends and fantastic adventures!

[05/29/25 - 05:00 AM]
Original Broadway Cast of "Hamilton" to Reunite for Anniversary Performance at "The 78th Annual Tony Awards"
This special reunion celebrates the extraordinary legacy of "Hamilton," marking 10 years since it first took Broadway by storm and redefined the cultural landscape.

[05/28/25 - 05:01 PM]
Literary Suspense Comes Alive in Korean Series "Notes from the Last Row", Greenlit for Production
Based on the popular Spanish play "El Chico de la Ășltima fila," this suspenseful drama centers around Heo Mun-oh, a grumpy literature professor and failed writer who becomes enamored by the talent of Lee Kang, a mysterious student who always sits in the back row of his class.

[05/28/25 - 02:04 PM]
ABC News' "Nightline" Ranks No. 1 in Total Viewers vs. CBS' "After Midnight" and NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers"
"Nightline" posted double-digit gains week to week across the board: Total Viewers, Adults 25-54 and Adults 18-49, drawing its largest overall audience in 12 weeks.

[05/28/25 - 01:29 PM]
Mets-Dodgers Produces FOX's Most-Watched Baseball Telecast This Season
Through seven telecasts, FOX Saturday baseball coverage is up +10% over last year.

[05/28/25 - 01:01 PM]
Peacock Unveils Cunning, Cutthroat and Chaotic New Cast of "House of Villains" Season Three, Premiering Early 2026
Production begins this week as the villains return to the iconic house from seasons one and two.

[05/28/25 - 12:04 PM]
Garcelle Beauvais Extends Partnership with Lifetime to Executive Produce and Star in Two New Original Movies
On tap are "Taken at a Truck Stop: A Black Girl Missing Movie," an emotionally charged thriller and continuation of the "Black Girl Missing" franchise, and "Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted 2 Love," the highly anticipated sequel to the hit romance that captivated viewers last year.

[05/28/25 - 11:35 AM]
"The American Music Awards" Hosted by Jennifer Lopez Posts Largest Audience Since 2019
The live broadcast delivered 4.73 million viewers, up +34% from its last live broadcast in 2022 (airing November 20, 2022, on ABC).