WGN-TV Historical Timeline: 1997
1997
March 25 Tribune Co. completes its acquisition of Renaissance Communications, closing its largest transaction ever ($1.1 billion) and adding 6 major-market TV stations.
August 31 WGN-TV airs "The All-Time Great Parent Test," which addresses twelve questions on child development.
August Tribune Entertainment is responsible for nationally-syndicated shows "Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict," and "Night Man."
September Peter Walker, WGN-TV vice president/general manager, presents grants to two Chicago area charities. $130,000 to The Spanish Coalition for Jobs. Money was raised through a fundraising partnership between the Coalition, the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation and WGN-TV Children's Charities. $10,000 was granted to Latino Youth, Inc.
September 7 "The Bozo Super Sunday Show" debuts a new format featuring "educational and informational" segments.
October WGN-TV began its 8th season of the Extra Effort Award, a community outreach program. Once a week throughout the school year, WGN anchor Allison Payne presents the award to outstanding Chicago-area high school students and profiles them on the air. Walgreens, the corporate sponsor, gives each winner a $1,000 scholarship to the college of his or her choice.
December 8 Bob Bell, the actor who played Bozo the Clown for 24 years on WGN-TV, passes away. He was 75 years old.
Copyright © 2008, WGN-TV
|
|
|
|
E-mail story
Print