Not so fast! http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/chicago-media-blog/15228041/not-so-fast-wgn-denies-deal-to-simulcast-cubs%E2%80%99-opener Not so fast: WGN denies deal to simulcast Cubs' opener Posted in Chicago Media blog by Robert Feder on Apr 3, 2012 at 6:30pm Like everything else involved in the Tribune Co. dispute with DirecTV, today's story turns out to have another surprising twist.
Hours after a top executive of Weigel Broadcasting announced a deal to simulcast Thursday's home opener from Wrigley Field between the Cubs and the Washington Nationals on WCIU-Channel 26, bosses of Tribune-owned WGN-Channel 9 say it ain't so. After waiting all day for a comment from Marty Wilke, vice president and general manager of WGN, I was sent the following statement from a station spokesperson shortly after 6pm: "We recognize the importance of Opening Day to Chicago Cub fans, including those who are DirecTV subscribers. We've been exploring ways to offer DirecTV subscribers an opportunity to see the game, from viewing parties to ticket give-aways to discount coupons for over-the-air TV antennas. WGN-TV has no agreement with any other local station to broadcast the home opener and reports that we do are inaccurate." Neal Sabin, president of content and networks for Weigel, who was quoted as the source of the original story about the agreement, said he regretted releasing the information before an agreement had been finalized. The reversal was reminiscent of reports last Saturday that a agreement had been reached between Tribune Co. and DirecTV, only to be followed hours later by news that there was no agreement after all. ----- Original Message ----- From: Mark Jeffries To: tvornottv@googlegroups.com Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2012 4:58 PM Subject: [TV orNotTV] Cubs Home Opener on 2 Chi Stations Thurs. as WGN Still Off DirecTV Tribune Co.-owned TV stations and WGN America disappeared off of DirecTV Sunday morning as the two sides could not come to terms over retransmission fees, so Chicago true indie WCIU (which already televises Cubs, White Sox and Bulls games not on WGN, Comcast SportsNet Chicago or nationally broadcast) will simulcast the Cubs home opener Thursday (although the chronic smartasses who post comments on Rob Feder's Time Out Chicago blog point out that DirecTV subscribers could pull out the rabbit ears and connect a digital converter, if necessary, to watch the game--there's also one of those "baseball sucks" posters who have to prove their superiority on the Internet): http://timeoutchicago.com/arts-culture/chicago-media-blog/15225546/the-u-comes-to-bat-for-wgn-on-cubs-opening-day -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to tvornottv@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to tvornottv-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2012.0.1913 / Virus Database: 2114/4913 - Release Date: 04/03/12 -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to tvornottv@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to tvornottv-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
