American syndication company owned by Tribune Publishing
Tribune Content Agency
Formerly Chicago Tribune Syndicate (1918–1933) Chicago Tribune-Daily News Syndicate, Inc. Tribune-New York (Daily) News Syndicate Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate Tribune Company Syndicate Tribune Media Services Company type Syndication Industry Media Founded 1918; 106 years ago (1918 ) Founder
Joseph Medill Patterson Headquarters , Area served
United States
Parent
Tribune Publishing Website
tribunecontentagency .com
Tribune Content Agency (TCA ) is a
syndication company owned by
Tribune Publishing . TCA had previously been known as the Chicago Tribune Syndicate , the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate (CTNYNS ), Tribune Company Syndicate , and Tribune Media Services . TCA is headquartered in
Chicago , and had offices in various American cities (Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Queensbury, New York; Arlington, Texas; Santa Monica, California), the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong.
History
Chicago Tribune Syndicate (1918–2000)
Sidney Smith 's early comic strip
The Gumps had a key role in the rise of
syndication when
Robert R. McCormick and
Joseph Medill Patterson , who had both been publishing the
Chicago Tribune since 1914, planned to launch a tabloid in New York, as comics historian
Coulton Waugh explained:
So originated on June 16, 1919, the Illustrated Daily News , a title which, as too English, was almost at once clipped to
(New York) Daily News . It was a picture paper, and it was a perfect setting for the newly developed art of the comic strip. The first issue shows but a single strip, The Gumps . It was the almost instant popularity of this famous strip that directly brought national syndication into being. Midwestern and other papers began writing to the Chicago Tribune , which also published The Gumps , requesting to be allowed to use the new comic, and the result was that the heads of the two papers collaborated and founded the . . . syndicate, which soon was distributing Tribune-News features to every nook and cranny of the country.
[1]
Patterson founded the Chicago Tribune Syndicate in 1918, managed by Arthur Crawford.
[2]
In 1933, Patterson (who was then based in New York and running the Daily News ),
[2] launched the Chicago Tribune-Daily News Syndicate, Inc. (also known as the Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate and the Tribune-New York (Daily) News Syndicate ).
[3]
[4]
An April 1933 article in
Fortune described the "Big Four" American syndicates as
United Feature Syndicate ,
King Features Syndicate , the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, and the
Bell-McClure Syndicate .
[5]
Mollie Slott kept the syndicate running in its mid-century glory days.
In 1968, the syndicate offered about 150 features to approximately 1400 client newspapers.
[6]
Tribune Media Services (2000–2013)
Tribune Publishing acquired the
Times Mirror Company in 2000, with the
Los Angeles Times Syndicate being merged into Tribune Media Services .
[7]
[8]
In 2006
The McClatchy Company inherited a partnership with the
Tribune Company , in the
news service Knight Ridder-Tribune Information Services, when it acquired
Knight Ridder ;
[9] the new service was called the McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT). In 2014, Tribune bought out McClatchy's share of the company, taking full ownership of MCT
[10] and moving its headquarters to Chicago.
[11]
Tribune Content Agency (2013-present)
On June 25, 2013, the newspaper syndication News & Features division of Tribune Media Services became the Tribune Content Agency .
[12]
On June 12, 2014, Tribune Media Services was merged into
Gracenote .
[13] After the 2014 split of Tribune Company assets between
Tribune Media and
Tribune Publishing , Gracenote went to Tribune Media (who would sell it to
Nielsen Holdings in 2016) while Tribune Content Agency content remained with Tribune Publishing.
On September 22, 2014, the McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT) was renamed the Tribune News Service (TNS).
Products and services
TCA distributes
media products, such as
news ,
columns ,
comic strips ,
Jumble and
crosswords , printed insert books,
video , and other information services to publications across the United States, Canada, and other countries in English and Spanish
[14] for both
print and
web syndication .
Tribune Premium Content is a subscription service for newspapers and other media channels. The content provided includes comics, puzzles, games, editorial cartoons, as well as feature content packages. Tribune Premium Content also syndicates content from other sources, such as
The Atlantic ,
Rolling Stone ,
Kiplinger , Harvard Health and
Mayo Clinic .
[15]
TCA's news service, Tribune News Service , offers breaking news, lifestyle and entertainment stories, sports and business articles, commentary, photos, graphics and illustrations.
[16]
Tribune SmartContent is an information service filtered to provide targeted content. Full-text news feeds deliver articles from 600 sources from around the world.
[17]
TCA also offered products and services for niche markets via TCA Specialty Products.
[18]
TCA has, worldwide, 600-plus contributors and serves more than 1,200 clients, services and resellers.
[19]
Management
Wayne Lown, General Manager
Rick DeChantal, Sales Director
Pia Ingberg, Director, European Operations
Mustafa Sharaan, Director of International Business Development
Jack Barry, VP/Operations (and Acquisitions Editor)
Zach Finken, Associate Editor
Matt Maldre, Marketing Manager
Comic strips
Strips as of 2023
Discontinued strips
The Adventures of Smilin' Jack by
Zack Mosley (1933–1973)
Aggie Mack / Aggie by
Hal Rasmusson and Roy L. Fox (1946–1972)
Beyond Mars by
Jack Williamson &
Lee Elias (February 17, 1952 – May 13, 1955)
Bobby Make-Believe by
Frank King (1915–1919)
Brenda Starr, Reporter originally by
Dale Messick (1940–2011)
Ching Chow originally by
Sidney Smith and
Stanley Link (1927–1990)
Closer Than We Think by
Arthur Radebaugh (January 12, 1958 – January 6, 1963) — Sunday panel
[20]
Compu-toon by
Charles Boyce (1994–1997; moved to
Universal Uclick )
Conrad by
Bill Schorr (1982–1986)
Deathless Deer by
Alicia Patterson and
Neysa McMein (1942–1943)
[21]
[22]
Dondi by
Gus Edson and
Irwin Hasen (1955–1986)
Friday Foster by Jim Lawrence and later
Jorge Longarón (1970–1974)
The Gumps by
Sidney Smith (1917–1959)
Harold Teen by
Carl Ed (1919–1959)
Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet by Peter Zale (5 June 2000 – 25 December 2005)
Housebroken (2002–2010)
In the Bleachers by
Steve Moore (1985–1995; moved to
Universal Press Syndicate )
[23]
Kennesaw by
Reamer Keller (1953–1955)
Li'l Abner by
Al Capp (1964–1977) — moved over from
United Feature Syndicate
[24]
Little Joe originally by Ed Leffingwell (October 1, 1933–1972)
[25]
Little Lulu (June 5, 1950 – May 1969) by Woody Kimbrell (1950–1964), Roger Armstrong (1964–1966), and Ed Nofziger (1966–1969)
Little Orphan Annie by
Harold Gray and others (1924–2010)
Lola by Todd Clark (1999–2005; moved to
United Feature Syndicate )
[26]
Lolly (later changed to Lolly and Pepper ) by Pete Hansen (1955–1983)
[27]
Loose Parts , originally by
Dave Blazek and John Gilpin (December 2000–September 24, 2014; moved to
The Washington Post Writers Group ) — acquired from the
Los Angeles Times Syndicate
[8]
Louie by
Harry Hanan (1947–1976)
[28]
Mary Perkins, On Stage by
Leonard Starr (February 1957 – September 9, 1979)
Moon Mullins by
Frank Willard &
Ferd Johnson (1923–1991)
Mother Goose and Grimm by
Mike Peters (1984–2002; moved to
King Features Syndicate )
[29]
Motley's Crew by
Ben Templeton and
Tom Forman (1976–2000)
Mount Pleasant by Rick McKee and Kent Sligh (2021-2023)
My Son John by
Bill Hoest (April 4 1960 – c. April 1962)
[30]
The Neighbors by
George Clark (1939–1971)
Old Doc Yak by
Sidney Smith (February 5, 1912 – June 22, 1919, December 7, 1930 – February 25, 1934) — second iteration as a weekly
topper strip for The Gumps
The Pink Panther by Eric and Bill Teitelbaum (2004-2009)
Raising Hector by Peter Ramirez
[31] (2006-2010)
Rick O'Shay by
Stan Lynde (April 27, 1958 – March 8, 1981)
Shoe by
Jeff MacNelly and then others (1977–2008; moved to
King Features Syndicate )
[32]
Smitty by
Walter Berndt (1922–1973)
Smokey Stover by
Bill Holman (1935–1973)
Spy vs. Spy by
Duck Edwing and Dave Manak (2002–2014)
Sylvia (1981–2012)
Tales of the Green Beret by
Robin Moore &
Joe Kubert (September 20, 1965 – 1968)
The Teenie Weenies by
William Donahey (June 14, 1914 – October 26, 1924; September 24, 1933 – December 2, 1934; May 18, 1941 – February 15, 1970)
Terry and the Pirates (1934–1973) by
Milton Caniff (1934–1946) and
George Wunder (1946–1973)
Texas Slim by
Ferd Johnson (1925–1958)
[33]
Tiny Tim by
Stanley Link (July 23, 1933 – March 2, 1958)
Whiteboy (later changed to Whiteboy in Skull Valley and then simply Skull Valley ) by
Garrett Price (Oct. 8, 1933–Aug. 16, 1936)
[34]
Winnie Winkle (1920–1996) by
Martin Branner (1920–1962), Max Van Bibber (1962–1980), and
Frank Bolle (1980–1996)
The World's Greatest Superheroes by numerous creators (1978–1985)
Editorial cartoons
Columns and articles
Advice
Ask Amy by
Amy Dickinson
God Squad, The by Marc Gellman
Harvard Health Letters
Interpersonal Edge by Daneen Skube
Mayo Clinic Q & A
Medicine Cabinet, The: Ask the Harvard Experts
My Answer from the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
My Pet World by Cathy M. Rosenthal
Real Estate Matters by Ilyce R. Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin
Right Thing, The by
Jeffrey L. Seglin
Business & Personal Finance
Careers Now by Kathleen Furore
Credit Card Chart, The
Global Viewpoint Network by
Nathan Gardels
Interpersonal Edge by Daneen Skube
Jill on Money by Jill Schlesinger
Kids & Money by Steve Rosen
Kiplinger Consumer News Service
Kiplinger's Money Power
Markets & Mutual Funds
Money Market Package
Savings Game, The by Elliot Raphaelson
Success featuring Kiplinger,
Inc. Magazine and
Fast Company
Terry Savage
Your Money by Kiplinger
Entertainment
Card games
Daily Bridge Club by Frank Stewart
Goren Bridge by Bob Jones
Poker by Tony Dunst and Bryan Devonshire
Humor
Pop culture
Sports
Latest Line by J. McCarthy
Food
Health
Environmental Nutrition
Harvard Health Letters
How to Keep Well by Irving S. Cutter (1935–?)
Mayo Clinic Q & A
Medicine Cabinet, The: Ask the Harvard Experts
Premium Health News Service by Various Contributors
Home
Lifestyle
24/7 Wall St.
Ana Veciana-Suarez
Drive, The
Fresh Toast, The
Linda C. Black Horoscopes by Nancy Black
My Pet World by Cathy M. Rosenthal
Tuesdays with Mitch by
Mitch Albom
Your Daily Astrology by Magi Helena
Magazines
Opinion
Travel
Celebrity Travel by Jae-Ha Kim
Ed Perkins on Travel by Ed Perkins
Rick Steves’ Europe by
Rick Steves
Taking the Kids by Eileen Ogintz
World News
Discontinued columns and columnists
Nancy Dorris: cooking (1930s)
W. A. Evans, M.D.: health column (1919–1933)
Little Old New York , by
Ed Sullivan (1935–1940s)
Danton Walker, column on
Broadway theatre (1939–1940s)
Clare Boothe Luce : national political convention coverage) (1940s)
Beauty Answers by
Antoinette Donnelly (1919–c. 1946)
Doris Blake : Love Problems , Heart Chats , and Heart to Heart Talks (1921–1946)
Mainly About Manhattan by John Chapman (1933–1946)
Parent-Child by Gladys Bevans (1927—c. 1946)
Rush & Malloy by George Rush and Joanna Molloy (?–2009)
Inside the Video Games (?–2009)
Samantha Power (?–2009)
Paul A. Samuelson (?–2010)
Test Drive by Jim Mateja (?–2010)
Joe Galloway (?–2010)
Eric Heiden (2009-2011)
Kathy Kristof (?–2011)
Swift Justice by Nancy Grace (2010-2011)
Michael Showalter (?–2011)
Naturally Savvy (?–2011)
Jen Lancaster (2011)
Social Studies by Julia Allison (2010-2011)
Garrison Keillor (?–2012)
Robyn Blumner (?–2013)
Alexander Heffner (?–2013)
Ta-Nehisi Coates (?–2013)
Retire Smart (?–2014)
Joel Brinkley (2014)
Travel Troubleshooter by Christopher Elliott (?–2014)
Andy Rooney (?–2014)
Brazen Careerist by
Penelope Trunk (2006–2014)
William Pfaff (?–2015)
a Google a Day (2011-2015)
Jean Knows Cars by Jean Jennings (2015–2016)
Steve Dale (?–2016)
Kristyn Schiavone (2011-2016)
So Social by Scott Kleinberg (?–2016)
Apps of the Week (?–2016)
Diane Farr (?–2016)
Your Other 8 Hours by Robert Pagliarini (?–2016)
Virtual Tourist (?–2016)
Cultivating Life (?–2016)
Ian Bremmer (?–2017)
Frank Rich (?–2017)
Global Events in Context by David Keys (?–2017)
Liz Smith (?–2017)
Mario Batali (2011–2017)
Kids Doctor by Sue Hubbard, M.D. (?–2018)
Anya Kamenetz (?–2018)
One for the Table (?–2018)
Paul Greenberg (?–2018)
The Smart Collector by Danielle Arnet (?–2019)
Global Economic Viewpoint by Nathan Gardels (?–2019)
Henry Kissinger (?–2020)
Paul Kennedy (?–2020)
Simple Style by Aramide Esubi (?–2020)
Wolfgang Puck's Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck (?–2020)
Carl Hiassen (?–2021)
Scopin the Soaps by Toby Goldstein (?–2021)
John Kass (?–2021)
Mary Schmich (?–2021)
Rex Huppke (?–2022)
Politics Today by Jules Witcover (?–2022)
Leonard Pitts Jr. (?–2022)
Daily Racing Form’s Consensus (?-2023)
Games and puzzles
Crosswords
Daily Commuter Puzzle, The by Stella Zawistowski
Jumble Crosswords by
David L. Hoyt
Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle by Joyce Nichols Lewis and Rich Norris
Quote-Acrostic
TV Crossword, The by Ricky Cruz
Jumble games
Logic puzzles
Visual puzzles
Word puzzles
ArrowWords
Boggle BrainBusters by
David L. Hoyt and
Jeff Knurek
Code-Cracker
SCRABBLEgrams
Word Salsa by Tony Tallarico
Word Wheel
Premium editions
Brainbusters: The Ultimate Puzzle Book
Envelope’s Oscar Preview, The
Family Health Guide from Harvard Health Publications
Guide to Entertaining: Be the Best Holiday Host This Year
Guide to Fitness from Harvard Health Publications
Guide to Investment from Morningstar
Guide to Retirement from Morningstar
Guide to Summer Entertaining
International Travel Guide
Life Skills: How to do almost anything
Mayo Clinic Guide to Healthy Eating
Pet Power
Travel Guide U.S.A.
See also
References
^
Waugh, Coulton. The Comics , 1947.
^
a
b Watson, Elmo Scott.
"The Era of Consolidation, 1890-1920" (Chapter VII) , in A History Of Newspaper Syndicates In The United States, 1865-1935 (Western Newspaper Union, 1936),
archived at Stripper's Guide
^
"Tribune Company History" . Funding Universe. Retrieved 2015-05-29 .
^ "International Directory of Company Histories". 63 . St. James Press. 2004.
^
Jeet Heer , "Crane's Great Gamble", in Roy Crane, Buz Sawyer: 1, The War in the Pacific . Seattle, Wash.: Fantagraphics Books, 2011.
ISBN
9781606993620
^ Maley, Don (30 November 1968).
"Super Roads to Riches are Paved with Comics" . Editor & Publisher . Retrieved 15 November 2023 .
^ Barringer, Felicity; Holson, Laura M. (2000-03-14).
"MULTIMEDIA DEAL: THE DEAL; Tribune Company Agrees to Buy Times Mirror" . The New York Times .
ISSN
0362-4331 . Retrieved 2016-02-21 .
^
a
b Degg, D. D. (June 1, 2022).
"Loose Parts Changes Syndicates (Again)" . The Daily Cartoonist .
^ Seelye, Katharine Q.; Andrew Ross Sorkin (2006-03-12).
"Knight Ridder Newspaper Chain Agrees to Sale" (Fee) .
The New York Times .
^ Publishing, Tribune (May 8, 2014).
"Tribune Publishing Family Of Companies Takes Full Ownership Of MCT Information Services" . www.prnewswire.com . Retrieved 9 October 2018 .
^ Beaujon, Andrew (May 8, 2014).
"Tribune buys out McClatchy's stake in MCT newswire" . Poynter. Retrieved June 2, 2017 .
^
"Tribune Media Services News & Features Becomes Tribune Content Agency" . Tribune Content Agency . 25 June 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2018 .
^
"Tribune to merge Media Services into Gracenote operations | Social TV | News" . Rapidtvnews.com. 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2015-05-29 .
^
"en Español - Tribune Content Agency" . Tribune Content Agency . Retrieved 9 October 2018 .
^
"Tribune Premium Content" . Tribune Content Agency .
^
"Tribune News Service" . Tribune Content Agency .
^
"Tribune SmartContent" . Tribune Content Agency .
^
"Content on Demand for Special Sections and Niche Publications" . TMS Specialty Products. Retrieved 2015-05-29 .
^
"FAQ: What is MCT" . Mctdirect.com. Retrieved 2015-05-29 .
^ Holtz, Allan.
"Obscurity of the Day: Closer Than We Think," Stripper's Guide (Sunday, May 21, 2006).
^
Trina Robbins and
Catherine Yronwode , Women and the Comics . Eclipse Books, Canada, 1985.
ISBN
9780913035023 . (pp. 41-2)
^ Markstein, Don.
"Deathless Deer" . Don Markstein's Toonopedia . Retrieved 22 April 2020 .
^
"Steve Moore (In the Bleachers): by GoComics," GoComics (March 13, 2015).
^ Harvey, R.C.
"REVIEWS: Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary," The Comics Journal (MAR 14, 2013).
^
Little Joe at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia ,
Archived from the original on September 3, 2015.
^ E&P Staff
"‘Lola’ Comic Moves to United Today," Editor & Publisher (May 9, 2005).
^ Roy Paul Nelson, Cartooning . Chicago : Contemporary Books, 1975.
ISBN
0809282127 (p. 44)
^ Stephen D. Becker, Comic Art in America. New York : Simon and Schuster, 1959 (p. 271)
^ Astor, Dave.
"Mike Peters Moves To King," Editor & Publisher (November 27, 2002).
^ Holtz, Allan.
"Obscurity of the Day: My Son John," Stripper's Guide (February 19, 2018).
^
Ramirez entry , Lambiek's Comiclopedia . Accessed Dec. 10, 2018.
^ Press release.
"King Features to Syndicate Shoe Comic Strip: Distribution of Popular Feature Begins September 1, 2008," Business Wire (August 2008).
^
Texas Slim at
Don Markstein's Toonopedia .
Archived from the original on December 26 2018.
^ Markstein, Don.
"Whiteboy," Toonpedia. Accessed Oct. 26, 2018.
^
"Nick Anderson joins TCA Editorial Cartoon Service" . Facebook . Tribune Content Agency. Dec 29, 2020.
External links
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Spanfeller Media Group Other assets