WGN News Expands Over-the-Top

"Alexa, what is the latest news from Chicago?" That is the question WGN-TV wants to answer.

Tribune's WGN-TV Chicago is now providing content for over-the-top services including Amazon Fire, Amazon Echo (news briefs courtesy of Alexa), Apple TV and Android TV.

The local content--national content is limited by exclusivity rules--includes news and lifestyle segments, VOD content and news segments including weather, movie reviews and recipes.

“WGN-TV was the first local television station in Chicago to have a website, and the first Chicago station to live stream via our WGN-TV app," said station President Paul Rennie. "We want to be where our viewers are, and now, with the addition of WGN-TV to services like Roku, Amazon and Google, Chicago’s Very Own will be there,” said Paul Rennie, President/GM WGN-TV & WGN Radio. “And via Alexa, we’ll be updating local news throughout the day.”

Sinclair, which is trying to buy the Tribune stations, has emphasized its continued commitment to expanded news as it tries to get the deal approved by the Justice Department and FCC regulators.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.