Formerly |
|
---|---|
Company type | Subsidiary |
Industry | Broadcast syndication |
Predecessors | |
Founded | January 17, 2006 in Los Angeles, California, US |
Headquarters | Santa Monica, California , US |
Key people | Wendy McMahon (President and CEO) |
Parent | CBS Studios |
Website | Official website |
CBS Media Ventures, Inc. (formerly CBS Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Television Distribution) is the television broadcast syndication arm of CBS Studios, a division of the CBS Entertainment Group, in turn a division of Paramount Global, [1] founded on January 17, 2006 by CBS Corporation from a merger of CBS Paramount Domestic Television and KingWorld.
On launch, the division was led by King World CEO Roger King, who had his own production company merged into the division, until his death on December 8, 2007. It was formerly the main distribution arm of Paramount Media Networks (now handled by Paramount Global Content Distribution), the CBS and The CW television networks, which are currently handled by parent company CBS Studios. The division also consists of CBS's home entertainment arm, CBS Home Entertainment.
The division has distribution rights to acquired television series, mini-series and films from the following libraries:
Paramount Pictures distributes content owned by Paramount and Miramax on broadcast television, with some films licensed to Trifecta Entertainment & Media.
As CBS Television Distribution, the division formerly distributed the films from the libraries from Republic Pictures and Carolco Pictures. Until 2021, it was responsible for international television distribution rights to a few episodic serial programs which aired on HBO by Rysher Entertainment through its Paramount Global Content Licensing division; it has since being handled by Paramount Global Distribution Group (both of these are currently known as Paramount Global Content Distribution). It also acted as an advertising sales representative for Debmar-Mercury, which is now owned by Lionsgate. [2]
This is the sixth distribution name for CBS: CBS Television Film Sales (1952–58) was the first, [3] CBS Films, Inc. (1958–68) was the second, [4] CBS Enterprises (1968–70) was the third, [5] Eyemark Entertainment (1995–99) was the fourth and CBS Paramount Domestic Television (2006–07) was the fifth. The first 3 CBS distribution monikers were also used for a separate media company-turned-conglomerate connected to CBS which evolved to what is now historically known as the first/original incarnation of Viacom Inc..
The current moniker for the overseas distribution arm CBS Media Ventures since 2009 is CBS Studios International, now Paramount Global Content Distribution.
On January 17, 2006, CBS Paramount Domestic Television became an interim syndication arm.
The previous distribution arm of CBS, CBS Paramount Domestic Television, merged with King World Productions to form CBS Television Distribution on September 26, 2006. [6] On January 16, 2007, the studio launched a separate home video division, CBS Home Entertainment, for release of in-house-made shows on home video which would be distributed through the second incarnation of Viacom via Paramount Home Entertainment (which continues till date). [7]
On February 25, 2007, CBS Television Distribution sold shows produced by Showtime to its parent subsidiary for self-syndication and broadcast. [8] Later that year on August 18, CBS Television Distribution acquired a 50% stake in online talent search service Big Shot from Madison Road Entertainment and Maverick Television. [9] On November 20, 2007, CBS Television Distribution began carrying first-run episodes of Everybody Hates Chris on its-owned stations and those of Fox in 2009, [10] with CBS signing a deal with Nickelodeon on March 2, 2008 to bring reruns of Everybody Hates Chris to air for cable broadcast on its Nick at Nite channel. [11]
On October 6, 2012, John Nogawski left his role as president of CBS Television Distribution [12] with programming president Aaron Meyerson following in his footsteps a week later. [13] On October 22, 2013, former executive of Telepictures Productions, Hilary Estey McLoughlin, joined CBS Television Distribution as head of creative affairs. [14] On March 2, 2015, CBS Television Distribution renewed Judge Judy through to the end of the 2019–20 television season. [15]
With a growing international syndication business, CBS sought to split the group. On July 9, 2016, CBS hired former executive vice president and general sales manager for 20th Television's syndication arm and MyNetworkTV, Paul Franklin, as head of CBS Television Distribution with Nuñez returning to just being president of CBS Studios International. [16]
On October 30, 2018, Armando Nuñez was named chief content licensing officer for CBS Corporation, replacing Scott Koondel who stepped down for a production deal with the CBS network, and president and chief executive officer for CBS Global Distribution Group, replacing outgoing executive Paul Franklin, which he added to his presidency at CBS Studios International. [17]
On April 3, 2019, Debmar-Mercury signed an advertising sales deal with CBS Television Distribution as a replacement for 20th Century Fox Television (now 20th Television) which was acquired by The Walt Disney Company. [2] CBS Television Distribution Media Sales is now responsible for the advertising sales for the Lionsgate/Revolution Studios television libraries, Family Feud , and The Wendy Williams Show . [16] In June 2019, CBS Television Distribution announced that it would launch Dabl, a lifestyle broadcasting network on September 9, 2019. [18]
On January 11, 2021, CBS Television Distribution was renamed CBS Media Ventures as part of an ongoing rebranding of all CBS properties; the new name was announced as reflecting businesses beyond syndication, including ad sales and digital content production. [19] In November 2024, CBS Media Ventures was sued by Sony Pictures Television, alleging that the company was engaging in preferential treatment of CBS-owned programming that prevented it from meeting its obligations to maximize the value of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! on the syndication market. The company cited the bundling of lower-rated CBS shows with Wheel and Jeopardy! (such as The Drew Barrymore Show and Hot Bench ), prioritizing the clearance of its wholly-owned shows (such as Entertainment Tonight) on the highest-rated stations in markets at the expense of the game shows, and laying off their dedicated marketing teams during layoffs associated with the CBS/Viacom merger. Sony argued that the cutbacks had "kneecapped its ability to meet its contractual obligations". [20]
Paramount Media Networks is an American mass media division of Paramount Global that oversees the operations of its television channels and online brands. The division was originally founded as MTV Networks in 1984, named after the MTV cable network. It would be known under this name until 2011; when it would be thereafter known as Viacom Media Networks until 2019; and ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks until 2022.
CBS Studios, Inc. is an American television production company which is a subsidiary of the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, by CBS Corporation as CBS Paramount (Network) Television, as a renaming of the original incarnation of the Paramount Television studio.
King World Productions, Inc. was a production company and syndicator of television programming in the United States founded by Charles King (1912–72) that was active from 1964 to 2007.
Big Ticket Television, Inc. is an American production company. Big Ticket is a subsidiary of CBS Studios, a division of Paramount Global. It is best known for producing the syndicated mainstay Judge Judy from 1996 to 2021.
The second incarnation of CBS Corporation was an American multinational media company with interests primarily in commercial broadcasting, publishing, and television production. It was formed on December 31, 2005, as the legal successor of the original Viacom, following the spin-off of the second incarnation of Viacom; both CBS Corporation and the second Viacom were controlled by National Amusements, a theater company owned by billionaire Sumner Redstone.
Worldvision Enterprises, Inc. was an American television program and home video distributor established in 1954 as ABC Film Syndication, the domestic and overseas program distribution arm of the ABC Television Network. They primarily licensed programs from independent producers, rather than producing their own content.
Rysher Entertainment, Inc. was an American film and television production company and distributor. It was founded in 1991. In 1993, Rysher was acquired by Cox Enterprises, and was subsequently closed in 1999. That same year, Viacom entered an agreement with Cox Enterprises for distribution rights to the Rysher library, which currently lie with Viacom's successor Paramount Global, specifically its subsidiaries Paramount Pictures and CBS Media Ventures. Ownership of the company's assets changed hands multiple times over the 2000s before finally being acquired by Vine Alternative Investments in 2011.
NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, formerly known as NBCUniversal Television Distribution, Universal Domestic Television, Studios USA Television Distribution and MCA TV is the television syndication division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, in the United States. Its predecessors include NBC Enterprises, Universal Television Distribution, Multimedia Entertainment, PolyGram Television, and Sky Vision. At some point in its history, it was also known as "NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution" and "NBC Universal Television and New Media Distribution.” This unit is possibly the parent for the similarly named "NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution" unit.
Paramount Television Studios, formerly the second iteration of Paramount Television, was the television arm of American film studio Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global, founded on March 4, 2013, by its predecessor, Viacom, following an emerging vigorous business with the technological expansion of television via streaming services. Paramount also recognized that television could give them little to fall back on when films fail, except for studio stage rentals.
Paramount Global Content Distribution is the international television distribution arm of American media conglomerate, Paramount Global, originally established in 1962 as the international distribution division of Desilu Productions. With the sale of Desilu to Gulf+Western, then-owners of film studio Paramount Pictures, in 1968, the division evolved into Paramount's first foray into the international television industry in the 1970s.
Spelling Television Inc. was an American television production company that went through several name changes. It was originally called Aaron Spelling Productions, then Spelling Entertainment Inc. and eventually part of Spelling Entertainment Group. The company produced popular shows such as The Love Boat, Dynasty, Beverly Hills, 90210, 7th Heaven, Melrose Place and Charmed. The company was founded by television producer Aaron Spelling on October 25, 1965. The company is currently an in-name-only unit of CBS Studios. A related company, Spelling-Goldberg Productions, co-existed during a portion of the same time period and produced other well-known shows such as Family, Charlie's Angels, Starsky & Hutch, and Fantasy Island but these series are not part of the modern day library now owned by Paramount Global. Another related company, The Douglas S. Cramer Company co-existed during a portion of the same time period, produced shows like Wonder Woman, Joe and Sons, and Bridget Loves Bernie and television films like Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage Runaway.
Viacom Productions was a television production arm of Viacom International. Viacom Enterprises was also a movie production, and a sports production. The division was active from 1971 until 2004, when the company was folded into Paramount Television 10 years following Viacom's acquisition of Paramount Pictures, and led Perry Simon to move itself to Paramount for a production deal.
CBS Productions was a production arm of the CBS television network, now a part of Paramount Global, formed in 1952 to produce shows in-house, instead of relying solely on outside productions. One of its first productions was Studio One, a drama anthology series.
Paramount Domestic Television (PDT) was the television distribution arm of American television production company Paramount Television, once the television arm of Paramount Pictures. It was formed in 1982 originally as Paramount Domestic Television and Video Programming, the successor to Paramount Television Domestic Distribution, Paramount Television Sales, and Desilu Sales.
CBS Films Inc. was an American film production and distribution company founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of CBS Corporation and was considered a mini-major studio up until 2019.
The original phase of Viacom Inc. was an American mass media and entertainment conglomerate based in New York City. It began as CBS Television Film Sales, the broadcast syndication division of the CBS television network in 1952; it was renamed CBS Films in 1958, renamed CBS Enterprises in 1968, renamed Viacom in 1970, and spun off into its own company in 1971. Viacom was a distributor of CBS television series throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and also distributed syndicated television programs. The company went under Sumner Redstone's control in 1987 through his cinema chain company National Amusements.
Paramount Network, formerly but still known in France as the Paramount Channel, is an international television channel brand owned and operated by the Paramount International Networks division of Paramount Global that showcase its selected television productions and the film catalogue of its filming division, Paramount Pictures. First launched in Spain on 30 March 2012, the brand has since been or was operated in territories across Europe, East Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Paramount Global is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate controlled by National Amusements and headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Times Square, Midtown Manhattan. The company was formed on December 4, 2019, as ViacomCBS through the merger of the second incarnations of CBS Corporation and Viacom. The company took its current name on February 16, 2022.
The first incarnation of Paramount Television was operated as the television production division of the American film studio Paramount Pictures, until it changed its name to CBS Paramount Television on January 17, 2006.