CBS Paramount Television (formerly Desilu Productions, Paramount Television, among other companies) is an American television production/distribution company that was formed on January 17, 2006 by CBS Corporation merging Paramount Television and CBS Productions. It is the television production arm of the CBS network (CBS Productions previously assumed such functions), and, alongside Warner Bros. Television, it is also the television production arm of The CW Television Network (in which CBS has a 50% ownership stake).
Background and timeline
Paramount Pictures' early television ventures
- 1939: Established experimental television stations in Los Angeles (W6XYZ) as Television Productions Inc. and Chicago (W9XBK) with Balaban and Katz.
- 1943: Began commercial broadcasting over WBKB in Chicago (now WBBM).
- 1947: Began commercial broadcasting over KTLA in Los Angeles.
- 1949: The first major studio to establish program syndication as Paramount Television Network (much of which originated from KTLA).
- 1964: Paramount branched out of broadcasting with the sale of KTLA to Golden West Broadcasters.
Desilu Productions/Paramount Television
CBS
- 1952: CBS formed CBS Productions.
- 1953: CBS formed CBS Films as the distributor of off-network and first-run syndicated programming to local TV stations in the United States and abroad.
- 1971: CBS Films was spun-off as Video & Audio Communications (or Viacom).
- 1995: November 28, Westinghouse Electric acquires CBS.
- 1999: Viacom merged with its creator CBS.
Viacom
- 1974: Viacom Productions, a television company, was formed by Viacom.
- 1995: Viacom Enterprises was absorbed into Paramount Domestic Television. The name Paramount Network Television (PNT) was also used for the first time ever (Viacom Productions would also become a division of PNT).
- 2004: Viacom Productions was folded into Paramount Television by ceasing its television operations.
Aaron Spelling
- 1967: Thomas/Spelling Productions formed by Aaron Spelling and Danny Thomas.
- 1969: Aaron Spelling Productions was established.
- 1972: Spelling-Goldberg Productions formed by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg.
- 1988: Aaron Spelling Productions acquires Laurel Entertainment, Inc.
- 1989: Aaron Spelling Productions is renamed as Spelling Entertainment, Inc.
- 1992: Spelling Entertainment becomes Spelling Television, Inc.
- 1994: Blockbuster buys 20% of Spelling, Inc.
- 1995: Spelling Entertainment Group is formed.
- 1996: Spelling-Goldberg Productions ceases.
- 1999: Viacom acquired 80% of Spelling Entertainment Group (Such as Spelling Television) and Rysher Entertainment's TV holdings.
Worldvision Enterprises
- 1962: ABC formed ABC Films as the domestic syndicator of independent programming supplied for the network. Worldvision Enterprises (WVE) was also established, initially as the network's international distribution branch to other countries.
- 1973: Worldvision name adapted by ABC's original domestic syndication arm, formed in 1962.
- 1979: Worldvision acquired by Taft Entertainment Company (TECO)
- 1990: Worldvision acquired by Spelling from Great American Broadcasting (successor to Taft beginning in 1987).
King World
- 1964: King World Productions (KWP) founded by Charles King.
- 2000: In January, CBS acquires King World and forms CBS Enterprises, Inc., after which Eyemark Entertainment folds into King World.
- 2000: After Viacom's merger with CBS, Paramount TV acquired CBS Enterprises, which included King World at that time.
- 2007: As part of the corporate restructuring, King World is folded into the CBS Television Distribution arm.
Group W
CBS Paramount Television
The company
Today, CBS Paramount Television--the only CBS-owned company that uses Paramount name and logo in the company's name and logo (Paramount Pictures is currently owned by the post-2006 Viacom that was spun-off from CBS, which which was once known as the old Viacom)--has 2 divisions: CBS Paramount Network Television (the production arm) and CBS Television Distribution (the distribution arm).
The studio has an output deal with Australia's Channel Ten, which means that Ten usually gets first airing rights to the studio's productions.
Until recently—in the U.S.—King World distributed its product independently from CBS Paramount, while internationally CBS Paramount International Television handled distribution and sales. As of September 27, 2007 the CBS Television Distribution logo appears after shows that had been distributed by King World.
Criticism
The company has been criticized by many for being unwilling to secure music rights for DVD, something that its predecessor, Paramount Home Video, was usually willing to do, and for also plastering the original Paramount Television logos on all the DVD sets of their shows, again something that PHV was usually willing to do.
Libraries
Among CBS Paramount Television's holdings are libraries from the following:
- Television rights to Paramount Pictures films, including:
- Some of Paramount's silent films from 1923-28, and most sound films from 1950 onward
- Many of the silent films (especially those before 1923) are in the public domain, and may be distributed by companies which distribute public domain features on TV. Yet another portion of the silent films are lost. Some silents are currently aired on TCM.
- This library does not include most of Paramount's pre-1950 theatrical sound features, which are owned by EMKA, Ltd., a name-only division of NBC Universal's Universal Studios. These are instead distributed by NBC Universal Television Distribution.
- Shows produced by Paramount Television, including:
- Bing Crosby Productions (selected series that were distributed by Viacom)
- some of the Rysher Entertainment programs
- Viacom including:
- Spelling Entertainment Group: which includes
- King World Productions
- In-house productions such as Inside Edition and Mr. Food
- The Eyemark Entertainment library
- Television distribution rights to CBS' own library of theatrical films such as My Fair Lady, which CBS owns the copyright to
- CBS-produced films released in the 1980s
- Note: The King World library was distributed separately until 2007
Around the same time of CBSPT's formation, Viacom completed its acquisition of DreamWorks SKG, so CBS Paramount Television now distributes DreamWorks' library of films (such as Shrek and Gladiator) originally in co-operation with Tribune Entertainment, while being solely responsible for DreamWorks' TV series (such as Spin City, which PDT was already distributing anyway having done so since the show's reruns debuted in syndication in 2000, and Father of the Pride).
Past names
- Paramount Television (1967–2006)
- Desilu Productions (1951–1967)
- CBS Productions (1952–2006)
See also
External links
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