• by Wayne Friedman , February 5, 2008

Looking for new leadership with Tribune Co.'s sometimes struggling TV stations, the company's new management named Fox executive Ed Wilson president of Tribune Broadcasting.

Wilson will oversee all 23 Tribune television stations, as well as Superstation WGN, Tribune Entertainment and WGN Radio. Since 2004, Wilson had been president of the Fox Television Network. Previously, he was a senior TV executive at NBC and CBS in their syndication divisions. Wilson started up NBC's syndication division, NBC Enterprises, in 2000.

Earlier, Wilson ran his own syndication company, MaXaM Entertainment, in partnership with A.H. Belo Corp. The company was sold to CBS in January 1996.

Tribune stations have seen some rough-and-tumble times in the last few years--moving from being WB affiliates to start up CW affiliates in January 2006. CW, as a network, has struggled in its second season of operation.

Tribune's TV divisions witnessed profits dropping in its most recent nine months reporting period--down nearly 3% to $243 million, with revenue off 1.6% to $840 million.

Analysts have said Tribune needs to capitalize on what it knows best--local news and information--especially as it extends to all new digital media platforms.

Tribune Entertainment, its small syndication division, recently abandoned its efforts to continue to distribute programming to stations. Now, it will concentrate on its efforts to sell national syndication advertising time for outside TV producers/distributors.

Last year, Tribune Co was taken private in a $8.2 billion deal led by real-estate billionaire Sam Zell, who is Tribune's chairman and chief executive. Zell them hired Randy Michaels as Tribune's chief executive officer of broadcasting and interactive.