Fox Gives Tribune Termination Notice for Seattle Affiliate

The long rumored move of Tribune Media’s KCPQ Seattle to Fox Television Stations is heating up. Tribune says Fox has sent it “a notice of termination of the Seattle affiliation agreement” that is effective January 17.

Tribune Media said, in a statement, that the two “have been conducting ongoing discussions regarding Tribune's Fox affiliation in Seattle. Throughout the course of this dialogue, which is ongoing, a variety of alternatives have been discussed and there is no resolution at this time.”

The New York Post reported that Tribune will receive the MyNetworkTV affiliation in Chicago, currently held by Fox’s WPWR, in exchange for KCPQ.

“We are continuing to engage in discussions with Fox and moreover have prepared for all operational and economic possibilities for our Seattle Fox station,” Tribune said.

Tribune, which picks up the CBS affiliation in Indianapolis from LIN Media Jan. 1, said it is “confident that our remaining 13 Fox affiliates will remain unaffected based on regulatory and contractual constraints.”

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.