WGN-TV

WGN-TV is a major television station licensed to Chicago, Illinois, serving the Chicago metropolitan area. Owned by the Nexstar Media Group, it is the flagship property of the WGN (TV) group and has been a primary affiliate of The CW since 2016. The station's call letters originate from its former sister radio station, WGN (AM), whose motto was "World's Greatest Newspaper," referencing the Chicago Tribune.

History

The station signed on the air on April 5, 1948, as the second television station in Chicago and was originally owned by the Tribune Company. It initially shared primary affiliation with the National Broadcasting Company and maintained a secondary relationship with the DuMont Television Network. In 1956, the station became an independent after losing its NBC affiliation to WMAQ-TV, embarking on a decades-long run that would define it as a pioneering superstation via satellite distribution. The Tribune Company leveraged its ownership to create a national cable channel, WGN America, which launched in 1978. Following corporate changes, the station and its national feed were sold to Tribune Media, and later, in 2019, the local station was acquired by Nexstar Media Group as part of a larger regulatory divestiture.

Programming

As an independent station and later a CW affiliate, WGN-TV has historically built its schedule on a mix of syndicated programming, local productions, and sports. It was renowned for its extensive children's programming block, Bozo's Circus, which became a cultural institution. The station also aired popular syndicated series like Star Trek: The Next Generation and developed original local shows such as the horror movie showcase Creature Features. Its daytime schedule long featured a robust lineup of talk shows and court shows, including The Oprah Winfrey Show in its early years. Since joining The CW, it carries the network's prime-time lineup but continues to produce significant local programming outside of those hours.

WGN-TV news operations

WGN-TV operates one of the most extensive local news departments in the United States, branded as WGN News. It broadcasts over 50 hours of local news each week, with morning, midday, afternoon, evening, and late-night newscasts. The station's news helicopter, known as "Newschopper 9," became famous in the 1970s. Its weather team, utilizing the "WGN Weather Center," is highly regarded, with notable alumni including Tom Skilling. The investigative unit, the WGN Investigates team, has won numerous awards, including several Emmy Awards and Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in journalism.

Technical information

The station's transmitter is located at the Willis Tower in downtown Chicago. WGN-TV broadcasts a high-definition signal on virtual channel 9, using PSIP to map to its former VHF analog channel number. Its digital channel is UHF 19. The station's signal is also carried on most cable and satellite television providers throughout the Midwest. For many years, its signal was distributed nationally via cable television as the superstation WGN America, though that channel was later converted to a conventional cable network with separate programming.

WGN-TV and the Chicago Cubs

The station has a storied history with Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, rooted in the common ownership under the Tribune Company, which purchased the team in 1981. From 1948 until 2019, WGN-TV was the primary television home for the Cubs, broadcasting games across a vast region and nationally via its superstation feed, creating a nationwide fan base known as the "Cubs Nation." This relationship ended when the Tribune Company sold the team to the Ricketts family, and television rights were moved to a new regional sports network, Marquee Sports Network, in 2020.

Category:Television stations in Chicago Category:The CW affiliates Category:Nexstar Media Group