Tribune to take over This TV

Tribune Broadcasting announced Monday it was taking over operations of diginet subchannel This TV, acquiring a 50 percent stake in the channel. In addition, Tribune renewed its agreement to continue carry This on its station group, including WPIX in New York and KTLA in Los Angeles. Weigel Broadcasting, which has been a founding partner in the venue with MGM, is out.

Tribune has had deals in place with This since 2009, when it cleared KTLA and WPHL in Philadelphia. This added WPIX in 2010. 

Beginning in the fall, This TV will relocate to WGN-TV digital subchannel 9.3, from WCIU’s 26.5. WCIU was one of the first stations to carry This, launching the channel on November 1, 2008.

The exact date of the move from WCIU to WGN has yet to be determined, and no replacement for This on 26.5 has yet to be determined.

Weigel’s relationship with MGM with classic TV channel MeTV is not affected.

Recently, Weigel has paired with Fox Television Stations to launch Movies!, a new digital channel featuring… what else? Movies. The new channel launches later this month on a digital subchannel of WPWR-TV (50.2), as well as other Fox O&Os.

Meanwhile, This TV becomes the second digital subchannel in Tribune’s arsenal after Antenna TV, MeTV’s main competitor. Recently, Antenna lost the rights of Adam 12, Dragnet and Leave It To Beaver to MeTV. All three are syndicated by MCA TV.