Tribune Broadcasting Names Greg Easterly President And General Manager Of WGN-TV In Chicago

CHICAGO, March 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Tribune Broadcasting today announced the appointment of Greg Easterly as President & General Manager of WGN-TV in Chicago.  In addition to his responsibilities at WGN-TV, Easterly will oversee CLTV, Tribune Broadcasting's Chicago-based regional cable news channel. Easterly will begin his new duties on April 14, and report to Larry Wert, President/Broadcast Media.  

Easterly, 52, joins WGN from WJW-TV in Cleveland, one of the strongest FOX affiliates in the country, where he has served as President & General Manager since 2007. During his tenure, the station expanded production of local news and entertainment programming to 71 hours per week, consistently ranking #1 among adults age 25 to 54 in all morning, evening and late news time periods.

He also orchestrated the development and growth of all digital media platforms for the station, including market-leading Fox8.com, which has set the national benchmark for social media integrations. Prior to his elevation to President & GM at WJW, he served as the station's VP/News Director for ten years, guiding it to #1 in all local news day-parts.

"Greg is a proven leader, both at the head of a station and in the newsroom, and he has a keen understanding of the management and operations of a legacy station with market dominance," said Wert. "WGN programs a powerful schedule of news, sports and entertainment for itself and CLTV, with more news than any other Chicago station—I'm confident WGN will continue its growth and success under Greg's expert guidance."

Prior to joining WJW, Easterly held news executive positions at KNXV-TV in Phoenix, KJRH-TV in Tulsa, and KBMT-TV in Beaumont, TX.  Easterly also spent time on-air, as an anchor at KLST-TV in San Angelo, TX.  He began his broadcast career as a college student, working as a camera operator in the newsroom at KTAB-TV in Abilene, TX.

"WGN and WJW have so much in common, from their experienced staffs to their strong local news, especially their unique connection to the local community," said Easterly. "I truly feel like one of the most fortunate broadcasters in the country – to first be a part of a powerhouse legacy station like WJW and work with the great people there, and now to be able to take the next step to WGN, another legacy station with a rich history and a top-ranked news product."

Easterly holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Abilene Christian University in Texas, and in 2002 was awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award for Professional Achievement.

TRIBUNE is one of the country's leading multimedia companies, operating businesses in broadcasting, publishing, and interactive. The company's broadcasting group owns or operates 42 television stations, WGN America on national cable, the national multicast networks Antenna TV and THIS TV, Tribune Studios and Chicago's WGN-AM. In publishing, Tribune's leading daily newspapers include the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, Sun Sentinel (South Florida), Orlando Sentinel, Hartford Courant, The Morning Call and Daily Press. Popular news and information websites complement Tribune's print and broadcast properties and extend the company's nationwide audience.

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SOURCE Tribune Broadcasting