Tribune Studios

Tribune Studios. It is the in-house television production division of Tribune Media, established to develop and produce original programming primarily for broadcast syndication and the company's owned-and-operated television stations. The studio has been instrumental in creating a slate of first-run series, specials, and digital content, leveraging the distribution power of the Tribune Broadcasting station group. Its productions have spanned genres including court shows, talk shows, and reality television, contributing significantly to the daytime and fringe programming landscape.

History

The division was formally launched in 1998 under the leadership of Dick Robertson, former president of Warner Bros. Television Distribution, to capitalize on the vertical integration opportunities within Tribune Company. An early flagship production was the court show Judge Judy, which entered syndication in 1996 and became a monumental success, though the studio itself was established as its popularity soared. Throughout the 2000s, it expanded its portfolio with series like the talk show The Bill Cunningham Show and the reality television program The Steve Wilkos Show. Following Tribune Company's emergence from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2012, the studio continued operations under the restructured Tribune Media. In 2019, after the acquisition of Tribune Media by Nexstar Media Group, the future of the studio's production activities was integrated into the larger entity's strategy.

Productions

The studio's output has predominantly consisted of first-run syndicated programming designed for daytime and access time slots. Its most notable and long-running production is the court show Judge Judy, starring Judith Sheindlin, which became one of the highest-rated and most profitable shows in syndication history. Other successful series include the talk show The Bill Cunningham Show and the confrontational talk show The Steve Wilkos Show, a spin-off from The Jerry Springer Show. The studio also produced the court show Judge Mathis, featuring former Michigan 36th District Court judge Greg Mathis, and the dating show Love Connection reboot hosted by Andy Cohen. These programs were primarily distributed through the Tribune Broadcasting network and other station groups.

Facilities

The studio's production operations were not centralized in a single dedicated production complex but were instead housed within various facilities utilized by Tribune Broadcasting's owned-and-operated stations. Key production often took place at WPIX in New York City, particularly for shows like The Bill Cunningham Show, and at WGN-TV in Chicago, which served as a production hub for several programs. The iconic Judge Judy was taped at the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City. This decentralized model allowed the studio to leverage existing infrastructure and talent pools across major media markets under the Tribune Media umbrella.

Operations and management

As a division of Tribune Media, the studio operated under the oversight of the company's corporate leadership, including executives like Peter Liguori and Larry Wert. Its business model was closely tied to the distribution strength of the Tribune Broadcasting station group, one of the largest in the United States, which provided a guaranteed platform for its syndicated content. The studio worked with independent producers and distributors, such as Big Ticket Television and Queen Bee Productions, to co-produce and market its shows. Following the acquisition by Nexstar Media Group, its production operations and assets were absorbed and managed within the new parent company's programming and content strategy.

See also

* Tribune Media * Broadcast syndication * Court show * First-run syndication * Nexstar Media Group * WPIX * WGN-TV

Category:Television production companies of the United States Category:Tribune Media Category:Companies based in Los Angeles Category:1998 establishments in California