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.

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 typeSyndication
IndustryMedia
Founded1918; 106 years ago (1918)
FounderJoseph Medill Patterson
Headquarters,
Area served
United States
ParentTribune Publishing
Websitetribunecontentagency.com

History

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Chicago Tribune Syndicate (1918–2000)

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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)

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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)

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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

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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

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  • 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

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Strips as of 2023

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Discontinued strips

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Editorial cartoons

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Columns and articles

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Advice

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  • 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

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  • Careers Now by Vicki Salemi
  • 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

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Card games

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  • Daily Bridge Club by Frank Stewart
  • Goren Bridge by Bob Jones
  • Poker by Tony Dunst and Bryan Devonshire

Humor

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Pop culture

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Sports

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  • Latest Line by J. McCarthy

Food

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Health

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  • 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

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Lifestyle

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  • 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

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Opinion

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Travel

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  • 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

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Discontinued columns and columnists

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  • 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

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Crosswords

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  • Daily Commuter Puzzle, The by Stella Zawistowski
  • Jumble Crosswords by David L. Hoyt
  • Los Angeles Times Crossword Puzzle edited by Patti Varol
  • Quote-Acrostic
  • TV Crossword, The by Ricky Cruz

Jumble games

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Logic puzzles

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Visual puzzles

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  • Spot the Difference

Word puzzles

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  • ArrowWords
  • Boggle BrainBusters by David L. Hoyt and Jeff Knurek
  • Code-Cracker
  • SCRABBLEgrams
  • Word Salsa by Tony Tallarico
  • Word Wheel

Premium editions

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  • 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

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References

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  1. ^ Waugh, Coulton. The Comics, 1947.
  2. ^ 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
  3. ^ "Tribune Company History". Funding Universe. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
  4. ^ "International Directory of Company Histories". 63. St. James Press. 2004. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ^ Jeet Heer, "Crane's Great Gamble", in Roy Crane, Buz Sawyer: 1, The War in the Pacific. Seattle, Wash.: Fantagraphics Books, 2011. ISBN 9781606993620
  6. ^ Maley, Don (30 November 1968). "Super Roads to Riches are Paved with Comics". Editor & Publisher. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ a b Degg, D. D. (June 1, 2022). "Loose Parts Changes Syndicates (Again)". The Daily Cartoonist.
  9. ^ Seelye, Katharine Q.; Andrew Ross Sorkin (2006-03-12). "Knight Ridder Newspaper Chain Agrees to Sale" (Fee). The New York Times.
  10. ^ Publishing, Tribune (May 8, 2014). "Tribune Publishing Family Of Companies Takes Full Ownership Of MCT Information Services". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  11. ^ Beaujon, Andrew (May 8, 2014). "Tribune buys out McClatchy's stake in MCT newswire". Poynter. Retrieved June 2, 2017.
  12. ^ "Tribune Media Services News & Features Becomes Tribune Content Agency". Tribune Content Agency. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Tribune to merge Media Services into Gracenote operations | Social TV | News". Rapidtvnews.com. 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
  14. ^ "en Español - Tribune Content Agency". Tribune Content Agency. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  15. ^ "Tribune Premium Content". Tribune Content Agency.
  16. ^ "Tribune News Service". Tribune Content Agency.
  17. ^ "Tribune SmartContent". Tribune Content Agency.
  18. ^ "Content on Demand for Special Sections and Niche Publications". TMS Specialty Products. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
  19. ^ "FAQ: What is MCT". Mctdirect.com. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
  20. ^ Holtz, Allan. "Obscurity of the Day: Closer Than We Think," Stripper's Guide (Sunday, May 21, 2006).
  21. ^ Trina Robbins and Catherine Yronwode, Women and the Comics. Eclipse Books, Canada, 1985. ISBN 9780913035023. (pp. 41-2)
  22. ^ Markstein, Don. "Deathless Deer". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  23. ^ "Steve Moore (In the Bleachers): by GoComics," GoComics (March 13, 2015).
  24. ^ Harvey, R.C. "REVIEWS: Al Capp: A Life to the Contrary," The Comics Journal (MAR 14, 2013).
  25. ^ Little Joe at Don Markstein's Toonopedia, Archived from the original on September 3, 2015.
  26. ^ E&P Staff "‘Lola’ Comic Moves to United Today," Editor & Publisher (May 9, 2005).
  27. ^ Roy Paul Nelson, Cartooning. Chicago : Contemporary Books, 1975. ISBN 0809282127 (p. 44)
  28. ^ Stephen D. Becker, Comic Art in America. New York : Simon and Schuster, 1959 (p. 271)
  29. ^ Astor, Dave. "Mike Peters Moves To King," Editor & Publisher (November 27, 2002).
  30. ^ Holtz, Allan. "Obscurity of the Day: My Son John," Stripper's Guide (February 19, 2018).
  31. ^ Ramirez entry, Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Accessed Dec. 10, 2018.
  32. ^ Press release. "King Features to Syndicate Shoe Comic Strip: Distribution of Popular Feature Begins September 1, 2008," Business Wire (August 2008).
  33. ^ Texas Slim at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on December 26 2018.
  34. ^ Markstein, Don. "Whiteboy," Toonpedia. Accessed Oct. 26, 2018.
  35. ^ "Nick Anderson joins TCA Editorial Cartoon Service". Facebook. Tribune Content Agency. Dec 29, 2020.
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