Tribune Entertainment

Tribune Entertainment was a television production and syndication company owned and operated by Tribune Broadcasting. The company was started in the mid-1980s. Many programs offered from Tribune Entertainment have been broadcast on the company's television stations.

Throughout the company's existence, Tribune Entertainment mainly produced first-run syndicated programs (including Geraldo, At the Movies and Earth: Final Conflict), along with some specials (such as the Hollywood Christmas Parade and Soul Train Music Awards).

History

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.^[1] 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.^[2] 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?.^[3] On March 1, 1991, Tribune had its Geraldo show as the first US program in the USSR under the recent Glasnost policy.^[4]

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.^[5] 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.^[6] In July 1995, Tribune sold 22 episodes of "Road", their canceled country music show, to the Nashville Network for broadcast starting in January 1996.^[7]

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.^[8]

On December 18, 2007, Tribune Entertainment announced it would exit the program distribution business.^[9] In 2008, it sold its Tribune Studios for $125 million to Hudson Capital, LLC.^[10]

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.^[11]

Tribune Studios

On March 19, 2013, Tribune appointed Warner Bros. executive Matt Cherniss as president/general manager of a newly-formed^[13][14] 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).^[12]

Tribune Studios's first original drama, since its formation,^[13][14] for its sister company WGN America was Manhattan which aired from 2014 to 2015 for 2 seasons.^[15][16]

Acquisition by Sinclair

On May 8, 2017, Sinclair Broadcast Group officially announced its intent to acquire Tribune Media. The transaction will be a cash-and-stock deal valuing the company at $3.9 billion.^[17]

Filmography

This is a listing of programs which were either produced or distributed by Tribune Entertainment & then later on, Tribune Studios:

This film, television or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it with reliably sourced additions.

Tribune Entertainment

Animated series

• Ghostbusters (1986) co-produced with Filmation and co-distributed with Group W Productions

Daytime shows

• Beyond with James van Praagh (2002–2003)
• The Charles Perez Show (1994–1996)
• Geraldo/The Geraldo Rivera Show (1987–1998) co-distributed with Paramount Television (1987–1989) and King World Productions (distribution: 1996^[18]–1998)
• The Joan Rivers Show (1989–1994)
• Can We Shop?! (1994) mixed talk and shopping show hosted by Joan Rivers coproduced with QVC and Regal Communications^[19]

First-run syndicated shows

• The 5th Wheel (2001-2004) ad sales only from 2001-2002, produced and distributed by Universal Worldwide Television (now NBCUniversal Television Distribution)
• Adventure Inc. (2002–2003) co-produced with Fireworks Entertainment^[20]
• American Idol Rewind (2006–2008) distributor, co-produced by 19 Entertainment and produced by FremantleMedia North America)
• Animal Rescue (2006–present) producer, distributed by Telco Productions
• The Apollo Comedy Hour (1992–1995) distributed by Tribune Entertainment and produced by Apollo Theatre Productions
• At the Movies (1982–1990; no relation to the later At the Movies series although both series shared original hosts Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert^[1]) replacement hosts: Rex Reed (1986–90), Bill Harris (1986-88), Dixie Whatley (1988-1990)^[21]
• Blind Date (1999-2006) ad sales only from 1999-2002, produced and distributed by Universal Worldwide Television (now NBCUniversal Television Distribution)
• BeastMaster (1999–2002)
• Bzzz! (1996–1997)
• Dog Tales (2007–present) produced, distributed by Telco Productions
• Earth: Final Conflict (1997–2002)
• Family Feud (2001–2007) distributor, produced by Pearson Television (now FremantleMedia North America)
• Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda (2000–2005) co-produced with Fireworks Entertainment^[20]
• Malibu, CA (1998-2000) co-produced with NBC Enterprises
• Missing (2003–present) producer, distributed by Telco Productions
• Monsters (1988–1991) distributor
• Mutant X (2001–2004) co-produced with Fireworks Entertainment^[20]
• Night Man (1997–1999)
• The Road (1994–1995) country-and-more music television show produced with High Five Productions, 22 episodes^[7][22]
• Soul Train (distributor, 1985–2008) produced by Don Cornelius Productions
• Tales from the Darkside (1983–1988) distributor & co-producer
• T. and T. (1988–1990)

Late night talk/variety shows

• The Dennis Miller Show (1992^[23])

Made-for-TV movies/Mini-series

• Emma: Queen of the South Seas, starring Barbara Carrera (1988)
• Final Shot: The Hank Gathers Story (1992) starring Nell Carter and George Kennedy^[24]
• The Vernon Johns Story, starring James Earl Jones (1994) produced by Laurel Entertainment
• Voyage of Terror: The Achille Lauro Affair (1990) starring Burt Lancaster

News/information series

• Independent Network News/USA Tonight (1980–1990)
• Now it Can Be Told (1991–1992)
• U.S. Farm Report (1975–2008) produced by Farm Journal Media

Specials

• Hollywood Christmas Parade (1985–1998)
• Innocence Lost: The Erosion of American Childhood (1987) on WGN and hosted by Geraldo Rivera^[25]
• The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults (1986)
• Soul Train Christmas Starfest (1998–2006)
• Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards (1995–2006)
• Soul Train Music Awards (1987–2007)

Tribune Studios

Daytime shows

• The Bill Cunningham Show (2011–2016), produced with ITV Studios America
• The Robert Irvine Show (2016–present), produced with Robert Irvine Productions and Irwin Entertainment

Late night talk/variety shows

• The Arsenio Hall Show (2013–2014), produced with Arsenio Hall Communications, Eye Productions Inc. and Octagon Entertainment Productions. Distributed by CBS Television Distribution

Dramas

• Manhattan (2014–2015) WGN America, produced with Skydance Television and Lionsgate Television^[15]
• Outsiders (2016–2017) WGN America, produced with Sony Pictures Television^[26]
• Underground (March 9, 2016–2017) WGN America, produced with Get Lifted Film Company, Safehouse Pictures, Sony Pictures Television, Weed Road Pictures^[27]

References