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Tribune to Sell WCWN-TV, Albany
CHICAGO, June 19,
2006 -- Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB) today announced the sale of WCWN-TV (channel 45) in Albany to Freedom Communications, Inc. for
$17 million. The transaction will close upon regulatory approval.
"This transaction, like our recently announced sale of WATL-TV in Atlanta, supports our company’s plan to divest non-core assets as part of the stock repurchase strategy announced last month," said Dennis FitzSimons, Tribune chairman and chief executive officer.
On May 30, Tribune announced it will acquire up to 75 million shares of the company’s common stock, sell at least $500 million in assets, and reduce operating expenses by $200 million over the next two years.
"As a new CW affiliate, WCWN will be part of an Albany duopoly under Freedom Communications’ ownership, and will have great potential for growth," said John Reardon, Tribune Broadcasting president. "Diane Howard and her staff have done an excellent job and we’re proud of their dedication and professionalism."
WCWN will be Freedom’s second station in the Albany market, where it currently operates WRGB-TV, the local CBS affiliate.
Tribune acquired WCWN in 1999 from WMHT Educational Telecommunications to support the distribution of the growing WB Network. At the time, Albany was the largest television market without a WB affiliate. Upon acquisition, Tribune changed the call letters of the former PBS station WMHQ to WEWB, reflecting its new affiliation with The WB. The call letters WCWN were adopted last month in preparation for the station’s launch as a CW Network affiliate this fall.
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TRIBUNE (NYSE:TRB)
is one of the country’s top media companies, operating
businesses in publishing and broadcasting. It reaches more
than 80 percent of U.S. households and is the only media
organization with newspapers, television stations and websites
in the nation’s top three markets. In publishing, Tribune
operates 11 leading daily newspapers including the Los Angeles
Times, Chicago Tribune and Newsday, plus a wide range of
targeted publications. The company’s broadcasting group
operates 26 television stations, Superstation WGN on national
cable, Chicago’s WGN-AM and the Chicago Cubs baseball
team. Popular news and information websites complement Tribune’s
print and broadcast properties and extend the company’s
nationwide audience. |
