Posted by chicagomedia.org on April 23, 2008 at 09:56:39:
BY ROBERT FEDER Sun-Times Columnist
After three decades as one of Tribune Broadcasting's most underutilized assets, Superstation WGN is about to get a makeover.
Randy Michaels, Tribune Co. chief executive of interactive and broadcasting, announced in a conference call with bankers last week that the superstation will be "relaunched" next month.
No details were disclosed, but the trade publication Variety speculated that one of the changes could involve dropping "WGN" from its name "in a branding effort aimed at making it more of a national service."
Insiders at Tribune Co.-owned WGN-Channel 9 say they've heard nothing about a name change for their cable/satellite sibling, which now reaches more than 70 million homes outside of the Chicago area.
The changes are more likely to be cosmetic, they suggested.
Either way, Michaels is certain to raise the profile for the unit, which became the only national superstation last October when Atlanta-based TBS morphed into a regular cable channel.
From its inception in 1978, WGN's superstation spent its first decade carrying the entire local lineup of Channel 9, helping make huge stars of the Cubs, Harry Caray and Bozo the Clown (among others) throughout the Western Hemisphere.
But for the last 20 years, the superstation has had a separate schedule from Channel 9 -- with the exception of the noon and 9 p.m. newscasts, live sports such as Cubs, White Sox and Bulls games, and special events.