Tribune TV stations downplay affiliation with CW network

The CW television network launched its new fall prime-time season with some of its highest ratings Monday night, but not before its TV station partner, Tribune, took steps to downplay its association with the youth-oriented network. Chicago-based Tribune, which also owns the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, has begun redesigning some of its websites, including that of KTLA-TV Channel 5 in Los Angeles, by dropping the CW network brand and instead focusing on its local identity. The moves underscore the uneasy alliance between Tribune, which is under pressure to boost revenue amid a slowdown in advertising, and the CW, which failed last season to attract a large audience. The CW's pursuit of young viewers clashes with Tribune's focus on its newscasts, which generate most of its TV stations' revenue and appeal to older viewers. Tribune switched affiliation from CW to Fox Broadcasting Co. at its San Diego station this year, leaving 13 of 23 Tribune stations still airing CW programs.