WGN-TV

===Locally produced programs===
WGN-TV currently produces the following programs, some of which were previously rebroadcast on CLTV:
* ''Adelante, Chicago'' ([[American English|English]]: ''Onward, Chicago'') is a bi-weekly public affairs program (airing Saturdays every two weeks at 6:30&nbsp;a.m.) that debuted on February 19, 2000, and was originally hosted by former WGN-TV assignment reporter Eddie Arruza.<ref>{{cite news |title=WXRT Plans to Rock on During Super Bowl |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-01-26-0001260022-story.html |author=Jim Kirk |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=January 26, 2000 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref> Currently hosted by Lourdes Duarte (who also co-anchors the 4&nbsp;p.m. hour of the ''WGN Evening News''), it features topical discussions, interviews and feature segments focusing on Chicago's Hispanic community and culture.
* ''BackStory with Larry Potash'' is a half-hour historical series that premiered on October 18, 2018. Hosted by ''WGN Morning News'' anchor/assignment reporter Larry Potash and airing Saturdays at 10:30&nbsp;p.m., the program looks at interesting stories pertaining to history, culture, religion and science within and outside of Chicago.<ref>{{cite web |title=WGN's Larry Potash to host 'Backstory' history series |url=https://www.robertfeder.com/2018/10/18/wgns-larry-potash-host-backstory-history-series/ |author=Robert Feder |website=RobertFeder.com |date=October 18, 2018 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |title=WGN-TV To Air "Backstory with Larry Potash" Sunday Nights Beginning October 28 |url=http://www.tribunemedia.com/wgn-tv-to-air-backstory-with-larry-potash-sunday-nights-beginning-october-28/ |website=Tribune Media |date=October 17, 2018 |access-date=March 20, 2019 |archive-date=March 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321201005/http://www.tribunemedia.com/wgn-tv-to-air-backstory-with-larry-potash-sunday-nights-beginning-october-28/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''Living Healthy Chicago'' is a weekly health-focused program (airing Saturdays at 10&nbsp;a.m.) that premiered in September 2011. Hosted by Jane Monzures, it features expert medical advice and health tips from local health professionals.
* ''People to People'' is a bi-weekly public affairs program (airing most Saturdays at 6:30&nbsp;a.m.) that debuted in 1973, with local civil rights leader Edwin C. "Bill" Berry as its original host.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Civil Rights Giant is Remembered |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-05-20-8702070405-story.html |author=Manuel Galvan |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=May 20, 1987 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref> Currently hosted by Micah Materre (who also serves as weeknight co-anchor of the ''WGN Evening News'' and the 9 and 10&nbsp;p.m. newscasts), the program community events and topical discussions focusing on the African-American community.
* ''WGN-TV Political Report'', which airs Sundays at 9&nbsp;a.m. and premiered on January 12, 2020, is a weekly [[Sunday morning talk shows|political talk show]] in which hosts Paul Lisnek (who serves as WGN-TV's political analyst and hosted a similar daily evening program, ''Politics Tonight'', from 2007 until CLTV's closure in December 2019) and Tahman Bradley (who serves as the station's weekend evening anchor and political reporter) provide analysis on Chicago-area and national political issues.<ref name="cn-wgnmorenews">{{cite web |title=With CLTV now gone, WGN adds more news. |url=https://changingnewscasts.wordpress.com/2020/01/11/cltv-gone-wgn-adds-news/ |author=Roly Ortega |website=Changing Newscasts |date=January 11, 2020 |access-date=January 12, 2020}}</ref>

Channel 9 became known for its heavy schedule of local programs during the period from the 1950s through the 1980s, including some influential programs:
* ''[[The Bozo Show]]'', a long-running children's program that aired under various titles and formats—including as ''Bozo'' (1960–1961), ''Bozo's Circus'' (1961–1980) and ''The Bozo Super Sunday Show'' (1994–2001) as well as the short-lived prime time spin-off ''Big Top'' (1965–1967)—from June 20, 1960, until July 14, 2001. The program was WGN-TV's most successful local program in terms of both ratings and cultural impact, and became the most well-known iteration of the ''[[Bozo the Clown|Bozo]]'' franchise partly as a result of the exposure it received after WGN became a national superstation in 1978. ''Bozo'' originated as a live, half-hour midday broadcast (expanding to a full hour in September 1961) featuring comedy sketches, circus acts, cartoon shorts and in-studio games.<ref>{{cite news |title=So Long, Bozo: WGN Pulls Plug on 40-Year Tradition |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-03-24-0103300410-story.html |author=Allan Johnson |author2=Monica Davey |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=March 24, 2001 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Clowning around ends with taping of final Bozo show |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-bozo-story.html |author=Steve Johnson |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=June 13, 2001 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Kids' Shows No Longer Send in the Clown |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-03-28-0103280020-story.html |author=Steve Johnson |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=March 28, 2001 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref> The titular clown was portrayed by [[Bob Bell (actor)|Bob Bell]] until 1984 and by [[Joey D'Auria]] thereafter, and featured additional characters such as Ringmaster Ned ([[Ned Locke]], 1961–1976), Sandy the Tramp ([[Don Sandburg]], 1961–1969), Oliver O. Oliver ([[Ray Rayner]], 1961–1971), Cooky the Cook ([[Roy Brown (clown)|Roy Brown]], 1968–1994), Wizzo the Wizard ([[Marshall Brodien]], 1968–1994) and the circus manager ([[Frazier Thomas]], 1976–1985). At the peak of its popularity, ticket reservations for the show's studio audience surpassed a ten-year backlog. (WGN-TV management would discontinue the wait list in 1990, and began awarding tickets through a contest-style giveaway.) In response to [[Chicago Public Schools]] rule changes that disallowed students from going home for lunch, the program was moved to weekday mornings and switched to a pre-taped format in August 1980; to accommodate the launch of the ''WGN Morning News'', ''Bozo'' was relegated to Sunday mornings in September 1994, remaining there until it was controversially discontinued by station management in 2001. For the final four years of its run, ''The Bozo Super Sunday Show'' was restructured to incorporate segments compliant with FCC [[Children's Television Act|educational programming requirements]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Bozo takes final bow in Chicago |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/television/2001-06-11-bozo-show.htm |newspaper=USA Today Company |date=June 11, 2001 |access-date=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Is This Idea a Real Bozo? |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-02-07-9402070043-story.html |author=Bob Greene |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=February 7, 1994 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=WGN Catches Flak for Shifting 'Bozo' So Kids Can Watch |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-02-08-9402080024-story.html |author=Jennifer Mangan |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=February 8, 1994 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref>
* ''Charlando'' ({{translation}} ''Chatting''), a Spanish-language talk show focusing on Chicago's Hispanic and Latino community (originally airing on Saturday mornings until 1992, when it was moved to Sundays) that aired from 1964 to 1999. Peter Nuno hosted the program for its entire 35-year run before retiring from WGN-TV in December 1999.<ref>{{cite news |title=TV Alternative—Fluent Spanish is Not Required |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-07-31-8801190393-story.html |author=Judy Hevrdejs |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=July 31, 1988 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref name="trib-wgnchurchtie">{{cite news |title=WGN-Church Tie Was Boon to Both |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-01-10-9201030526-story.html |author=Michael Hirsley |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=January 10, 1992 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Channel 2 Newscast May Take on a Political Air |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-12-08-9912080329-story.html |author=Jim Kirk |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=December 8, 1999 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref>
* ''[[Creature Features]]'', a local version of the horror film franchise which aired Saturday nights from September 19, 1970, until May 19, 1976, showcasing classic horror and science fiction films released between the 1930s and the 1950s (many of which were [[Universal Studios]] releases). The films were presented by a disembodied voice known only as "The Creature" (voiced, at respective times, by WGN news anchors Carl Greyson and Marty McNeeley). After the WGN version ended, the title (unpluralized as "Creature Feature") was used by WFLD for its weekend horror movie presentations until their replacement by the ''[[Son of Svengoolie]]'' showcase in 1979.
* ''[[Family Classics]]'', a showcase of family-oriented feature films that originally ran from September 14, 1962, to [[Christmas|December 25]], 2000 and was co-created by Frazier Thomas and [[Fred Silverman]] (then a programming executive at WGN-TV).<ref>{{cite web |title=WGN 9 Chicago "Family Classics" Movie Timeline |url=https://wgntv.com/family-classics/ |website=WGN-TV |date=January 27, 2017 |publisher=Tribune Broadcasting |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref> As host, Thomas also was responsible for selecting the program's featured film titles and edited them to remove certain scenes he deemed unfit for family viewing; [[Roy Leonard]] took over hosting duties following Thomas's death in April 1985 from complications tied to a [[stroke]], and remained in that role until ''Family Classics'' ended its initial run. (After airing weekly throughout the fall-to-spring television season—first on Friday nights until 1986, and then on Sunday afternoons thereafter—for most of its run, the program began airing sporadically during the [[holiday season]] from November 1993 until the conclusion of the program's original run.) ''Family Classics'' was revived as an occasional series on December 8, 2017, with longtime entertainment reporter [[Dean Richards (reporter)|Dean Richards]] as host.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chicago's Merry Own: 'Family Classics' returns to WGN-TV for special holiday showing of 'Scrooge' hosted by Dean Richards |url=http://wgntv.com/2017/11/10/wgn-tv-becomes-chicagos-merry-own-for-the-holidays-family-classics-returns-for-special-holiday-showing-of-scrooge-hosted-by-dean-richards/ |website=WGN-TV |publisher=Tribune Broadcasting |date=November 11, 2017 |access-date=March 20, 2019 |archive-date=January 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118101927/http://wgntv.com/2017/11/10/wgn-tv-becomes-chicagos-merry-own-for-the-holidays-family-classics-returns-for-special-holiday-showing-of-scrooge-hosted-by-dean-richards/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''[[Garfield Goose and Friends]]'', a children's program that aired on WGN-TV from September 1955 to October 1976 (originating on WBKB/WBBM-TV and then WBKB/WLS-TV under the unpluralized title ''Garfield Goose and Friend'' from 1952 to 1955). Considered the longest-running puppet show on television, the series was hosted by Frazier Thomas as the "[[prime minister]]" to the titular clacking goose puppet (puppeteered by Roy Brown) who designated himself as "King of the United States". The WGN-TV run of the program featured a mix of puppet characters developed by Brown before and after the show's move to Channel 9 such as Romberg Rabbit, Macintosh Mouse, Christmas "Chris" Goose (Garfield's nephew) and sleepy [[bloodhound]] Beauregard Burnside III (a character named after two [[American Civil War|Civil War]] generals). In addition to skits, the show also featured animated shorts (such as ''[[Clutch Cargo]]'' and ''[[Space Angel]]'') that were introduced by the camera zooming into the "Little Theater Screen", as well as educational feature segments.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Children's 'Prime Minister' |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1985-05-19/news/8501310862_1_remember-magic-show-generation |author=Patricia Best |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=May 19, 1985 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref>
* ''Issues Unlimited'', a Sunday morning public affairs program moderated by ''Chicago Bulletin'' editor and columnist Hurley Green Sr. from 1971 to 1987; the program featured a panel of local media representatives interviewing local and national newsmakers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Death of Hurley Green Sr, Elder Black Journalist—Tribute by Hurley Green III, and National Black Wall Street Leader |url=http://www.chicagonow.com/and-the-ordinary-people-said/2012/10/death-of-hurley-green-sr-elder-black-journalist-tribute-by-hurley-green-iii-and-national-black-wall-street-leader/ |author=Mark S. Allen |website=ChicagoNow |date=October 30, 2012 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref>
* ''Ray Rayner and His Friends'' (originally ''Breakfast with [[Bugs Bunny]]'' from 1962 to 1964), a long-running children's program hosted by Ray Rayner from 1962 to 1980. The program featured animated shorts (including [[Looney Tunes]] and [[Merrie Melodies]] cartoons), arts and crafts segments, animals (such as Chelveston the Duck, named after the [[RAF Chelveston|military base]] where Rayner was stationed during [[World War II]]), science segments conducted with J. Bruce Mitchell of the [[Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)|Museum of Science and Industry]] and a viewer mail segment in which Rayner appeared alongside a talking orange dog puppet, [[Cuddly Dudley]] (voiced by Roy Brown), which was originally created by the ''Chicago Tribune'' as a promotional item.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ray Rayner |url=http://chicagotelevision.com/rayner.htm |website=Chicago Television |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Rayner's Pecking Pal In Duck Heaven |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1991-11-08/news/9104100490_1_duck-heaven-pekin-duck-animal-kingdom |author=Harlene Ellin |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=November 8, 1991 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref>

In addition, Channel 9 broadcasts several local events including the [[Chicago Thanksgiving Parade]] (which has aired since 2007, under an agreement with the Chicago Festival Association in which the WGN national feed—which continues to carry the parade despite WGN America's December 2014 programming separation from WGN-TV—was given national simulcast rights),<ref>{{cite news |title=Chicago's Thanksgiving Day Parade 80 years young |url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/792373/chicagos-thanksgiving-day-parade-80-years-young |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |date=November 26, 2013 |access-date=September 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017035638/http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/71/792373/chicagos-thanksgiving-day-parade-80-years-young |archive-date=October 17, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade (which aired from 1949 to 2002), the [[Chicago Auto Show]] (from 1952 to 1992 and again since 1999)<ref name="tribune-lotteryauto">{{cite news |title=New Channels for Auto Show, Lottery Telecast |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1992-11-13-9204130011-story.html |author=Pat Widder |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=November 13, 1992 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Well Spoken |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-02-12-9902120104-story.html |author=Katherine Sopranos |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=February 12, 1999 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref> and the Philadelphia-based [[Mummers Parade]] (by arrangement with sister station WPHL-TV). Local events that WGN-TV aired in previous years have included the [[Bud Billiken Parade]] (from 1978 to 2011, with WCIU-TV obtaining primary rights to the broadcast beginning in 2012, before shifting exclusively to WLS-TV—which had been a partial rightsholder for the parade since 1984—in 2014).<ref>{{cite web |title=The 2012 Bud Billiken Parade To Air Live On WLS-TV & WCIU-TV |url=http://www.chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/2679-the-2012-bud-billiken-parade-to-air-live-on-wls-tv-a-wciu-tv |website=Chicagoland Radio and Media |date=August 8, 2012 |access-date=March 20, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The 2013 Bud Billiken Parade To Air Live On WLS-TV |url=http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/5848-the-2013-bud-billiken-parade-to-air-live-on-wls-tv |website=Chicagoland Radio and Media |date=August 9, 2013 |access-date=September 3, 2015}}</ref>

The station's Bradley Place studios, in addition to housing a large number of its own programs, have also served as the production facilities for nationally syndicated programs, including ''[[The Phil Donahue Show|Donahue]]'' (which shifted production from the [[Dayton, Ohio]] studios of WLWD [now [[WDTN]]] to the WGN-TV facilities in Chicago in 1974, where production of the daytime talk show remained before moving to WBBM-TV's [[Streeterville]] studios in January 1982),<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Monitor: Donahue switch. |periodical=Broadcasting |page=35 |date=October 1, 1981}}</ref> ''[[U.S. Farm Report]]'' (which originated from the Bradley Place facility from the agriculture program's national syndication debut in 1975 until production moved to [[South Bend, Indiana]] after ''Farm Journal''{{'}}s production unit assumed distribution rights from the defunct Tribune Entertainment in 2008), and ''[[At the Movies (1982 TV program)|At the Movies]]'' (which was produced from the facility from 1982 until 1990, three years after [[Gene Siskel]] and [[Roger Ebert]] left the program amid a 1986 contract dispute with Tribune Entertainment to develop ''[[At the Movies (1986 TV program)|Siskel & Ebert & the Movies]]'' with [[Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution|Buena Vista Television]], which was produced out of WBBM-TV's studios and later WLS-TV's North State Street studios).

Channel 9 formerly served as the [[Muscular Dystrophy Association]] (MDA)'s "[[MDA Labor Day Telethon#Love Network|Love Network]]" station for Chicago, carrying the charity's [[MDA Labor Day Telethon|annual telethon]] on [[Labor Day]] and the preceding Sunday night each September from 1973 to 2012 (in its original 21½-hour format that existed until 2010, the six-hour evening format used in 2011 and the three-hour prime-time-only format used in 2012). For most of its run on the station (except in 1994, due to the [[1994 Major League Baseball strike|Major League Baseball strike]] that year), WGN-TV would preempt portions of the telethon on Labor Day to carry Chicago Cubs or White Sox games held during the afternoon of the holiday. Through its national distribution, beginning with the 1979 event, donations to the WGN-produced local segments of the telethon were also pledged by viewers in other parts of the United States and Canada. The broadcast moved from syndication to ABC in September 2013 (by then reduced to a two-hour special), airing thereafter by association on WLS-TV until the final telecast of the retitled ''MDA Show of Strength'' in August 2014.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 17, 2013 |title='MDA' Telethon Heads to Primetime on ABC |periodical=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://variety.com/2013/tv/news/mda-telethon-heads-to-primetime-on-abc-1200497737/}}</ref>