SECOND QUARTER ANDYEAR-TO-DATE RESULTS
Consolidated
Consolidated operating revenues for the second quarter of 2019 were $484.0 million compared to $489.4 million in the second quarter of 2018, representing a decrease of $5.3 million, or 1%. The decrease was primarily driven by declines in political advertising revenues and other revenues, partially offset by an increase in retransmission revenues as well as higher core and digital advertising revenues.
For the six months ended June 30, 2019, consolidated operating revenues were $939.0 million compared to $933.0 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018, representing an increase of $6.0 million, or 1%.
Consolidated operating profit was $73.3 million for the second quarter of 2019 compared to $98.1 million for the second quarter of 2018, representing a decrease of $24.8 million, or 25%. The decrease was primarily due to an increase in programming expense and a decrease in operating revenues, partially offset by lower amortization expense. For the six months ended June 30, 2019, consolidated operating profit decreased $157.4 million, or 55%, to $128.0 million from $285.4 million in the six months ended June 30, 2018, largely due to the absence of a net pretax gain on the sales of spectrum of $133 million recorded in the first quarter of 2018 as well as an increase in programming expense.
Net income attributable to Tribune Media Company was $63.7 million in the second quarter of 2019 compared to $84.4 million in the second quarter of 2018. Diluted earnings per common share for the second quarter of 2019 was $0.71 compared to $0.96 for the second quarter of 2018. Adjusted diluted earnings per share (“Adjusted EPS”) for the second quarter of 2019 was $0.79 compared to $0.99 for the second quarter of 2018.
Net income attributable to Tribune Media Company was $176.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2019 compared to $225.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018. For the six months ended June 30, 2019, diluted earnings per common share was $1.98 compared to $2.55 for the six months ended June 30, 2018. Adjusted EPS for the six months ended June 30, 2019 was $1.38 compared to $1.50 for the six months ended June 30, 2018. Both diluted earnings per common share and Adjusted EPS include a $1 million income tax benefit, or $0.01 per common share, for the six months ended June 30, 2019 and an income tax charge of $3 million, or $0.03 per common share, for the six months ended June 30, 2018.
Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA decreased to $135.4 million in the second quarter of 2019 from $160.8 million in the second quarter of 2018, representing a decrease of $25.4 million, or 16%. The decrease in consolidated Adjusted EBITDA was primarily attributable to higher programming expense at Television and Entertainment driven by higher network affiliate fees mainly due to the renewal of network affiliation agreements in eight markets with FOX Broadcasting Company during the third quarter of 2018. For the six months ended June 30, 2019, consolidated Adjusted EBITDA decreased $32.9 million, or 12%, to $247.9 million as compared to $280.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018.
Income on equity investments, net decreased $6.0 million, or 11%, to $46.5 million in the three months ended June 30, 2019 due to the absence of $10 million of equity income from CareerBuilder as a result of recognizing our share of the gain on the sale of one of its business operations in the second quarter of 2018, partially offset by higher equity income from TV Food Network. The Company recognized equity income from TV Food Network of $47.2 million and $42.7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2018, respectively. Income on equity investment, net increased $0.5 million, or 1%, for the six months ended June 30, 2019.
Cash distributions from equity investments in the second quarter of 2019 were $28.4 million compared to $43.8 million in the second quarter of 2018, a decrease of $15.4 million, or 35%. Cash distributions from equity investments for the six months ended June 30, 2019 were $181.5 million compared to $158.9 million for the six months ended June 30, 2018, an increase of $22.5 million, or 14%. Cash distributions from TV Food Network increased 19%, or $28.6 million, in the six months ended June 30, 2019 due to stronger operating performance as well as timing as cash distributions in 2018 to cover our taxes on our share of partnership income were lower based on the reduction in rates from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted in late 2017. The three and six months ended June 30, 2018 included $6 million of distributions from CareerBuilder, of which $5 million related to the distribution of proceeds from the sale of one of its business operations.
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