Time Life Television

Last updated

Time Life Television
FormerlyPeter M. Robeck & Co. (1958–1969) [1]
Company type Broadcast
Syndication
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1958;66 years ago (1958) [2]
FounderPeter M. Robeck
Defunct1981;43 years ago (1981)
Successors Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
Area served
International
Products
Owner Time Inc. (1969–1981)
Parent Time Life Films (Time Life, Inc.)
Divisions Home Box Office, Inc.

Time Life Television was a division of Time Life Films and was the television production and distribution arm of Time Inc. With CBS, they led a partnership to export their shows overseas.

Contents

Broadcasting

Time Life also owned several radio and TV stations in the United States beginning in the 1950s through to 1983.

By 1970, Time decided to sell its broadcasting operations and to concentrate in cable development.

Time-Life's television stations were sold to McGraw-Hill in early 1972 following FCC approval. [3] Those stations included the following:

Except for KERO-TV, each of these television stations also had AM and FM radio operations; when most of its television stations were sold to McGraw-Hill in 1972, FCC regulations at the time required Time-Life to sell its radio stations to different parties. KERO's then-owners sold off its radio station in 1955, years before Time-Life acquired KERO-TV.

Time Life joined Sterling Manhattan Cable, owned by Charles Dolan and launched Home Box Office in November 1972, which eventually became the largest premium television service in the United States. But due to an early financial loss, Dolan eventually sold his stake of HBO to Time Inc. Time merged with Warner Communications, Inc. in 1989 to form Time Warner, but the Time-Life Television assets were sold to Columbia Pictures Television in 1981, [11] while HBO currently holds of its library.

International operations

Time Life was also a financial backer for commercial TV broadcasting outside the United States, mostly in Middle and South America. With a joint venture between CBS and Goar Mestre they backed Proartel  [ es ] in Argentina, PROVENTEL in Venezuela (now VTV) and Panamericana Televisión in Peru. In Brazil, they backed Rede Globo, owned by the Marinho family.

Time Life's investments in the United States, Middle and South America in the 1950s and 1960s were largely unsuccessful, due to the stations' owners unhappy with their agreements. The only exception was TV Globo in Brazil, owned by the Marinho family, which was financially backed by Time Life until 1970.

Television syndication and co-production

Time Life Television was most notable as the U.S. distributor of television programming produced by the BBC, including Doctor Who and Monty Python's Flying Circus , taken from Peter M. Robeck & Company. Time-Life's deal with the BBC expired on April 30, 1981. The U.S. rights to Monty Python's Flying Circus would be transferred to Devillier Donegan Enterprises (in a deal that followed the Monty Python troupe gaining ownership of the series months before), while the rest of BBC's output would be spun off to Lionheart Television, a distributor that would later be absorbed by BBC Worldwide.

Non-BBC-related programming distributed or produced by Time Life Television, including most of the Talent Associates library, would later be transferred to HBO; these programs today would be owned by HBO Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution, both units of Warner Bros. Discovery.

In 1973, Time-Life Television co-produced The Ascent of Man with the BBC. In 1980, this collaboration was repeated with The Shock of the New . Later in the 1980s, the two co-produced a number of Shakespeare productions.

In 1978, the company produced an adapted and expanded version of the popular People magazine on CBS for a few months. [12] [13] [14] Later that year, it partnered with Telepictures Corporation to distribute its programming to the Middle East. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metromedia</span> Defunct American media company

Metromedia was an American media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and controlled Orion Pictures from 1988 to 1997. Metromedia was established in 1956 after the DuMont Television Network ceased operations and its owned-and-operated stations were spun off into a separate company. Metromedia sold its television stations to News Corporation in 1985, and spun off its radio stations into a separate company in 1986. Metromedia then acquired ownership stakes in various film studios, including controlling ownership in Orion. In 1997, Metromedia closed down and sold its media assets to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KMOX</span> Radio station in St. Louis, Missouri

KMOX is a commercial radio station in St. Louis, Missouri. Owned by Audacy, Inc., it is a 50,000 watt Class A clear-channel station with a non-directional signal. The KMOX studios and offices are on Olive Street at Tucker Boulevard in the Park Pacific Building in St. Louis. KMOX refers to itself as "NewsRadio 1120 - The Voice of St. Louis". It is considered the first U.S. station to program all talk shows around the clock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KING-TV</span> NBC affiliate in Seattle

KING-TV is a television station in Seattle, Washington, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside Everett-licensed independent station KONG. Both stations share studios at the Home Plate Center in the SoDo district of Seattle, while KING-TV's transmitter is located in the city's Queen Anne neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KMOV</span> CBS affiliate in St. Louis

KMOV is a television station in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power station KDTL-LD. The two stations share studios on Progress Parkway in suburban Maryland Heights; KMOV's transmitter is located in Lemay, Missouri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KMGH-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Denver

KMGH-TV is a television station in Denver, Colorado, United States, affiliated with ABC. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Sterling-licensed independent station KCDO-TV, channel 3. Both stations share studios on East Speer Boulevard in Denver's Speer neighborhood, while KMGH-TV's transmitter is located atop Lookout Mountain, near Golden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WUSA (TV)</span> CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C.

WUSA is a television station in Washington, D.C., affiliated with CBS. It is the flagship property of Tegna Inc., which is based in suburban McLean, Virginia. WUSA's studios and transmitter are at Broadcast House on Wisconsin Avenue in northwest Washington's Tenleytown neighborhood. Among CBS affiliates not owned and operated by the network, WUSA is the third-largest by market size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westinghouse Broadcasting</span> Former broadcast company, merged with CBS

The Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, also known as Group W, was the broadcasting division of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It owned several radio and television stations across the United States and distributed television shows for syndication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KGTV</span> ABC affiliate in San Diego

KGTV is a television station in San Diego, California, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios are located on Air Way in the Riverview-Webster section of San Diego, and its transmitter is located on Mount Soledad in La Jolla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KGB (AM)</span> Radio station in San Diego, California

KGB is a commercial AM radio station licensed to San Diego, California. It is owned by iHeartMedia and airs a sports radio format. Most of the evening and weekend programming comes from Fox Sports Radio, along with San Diego Gulls hockey, San Diego State University football and basketball, and Los Angeles Lakers basketball. Local sports shows are heard weekday mornings and afternoons.

WIYY is a commercial radio station in Baltimore, Maryland. It is owned by Hearst Communications and broadcasts a mainstream rock radio format. WIYY shares studios and offices with sister stations WBAL and WBAL-TV on Television Hill in the Woodberry section of Baltimore. WIYY's transmitter utilizes WBAL-TV's 'candlestick' antenna on the shared Television Hill candelabra tower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTNH</span> ABC affiliate in New Haven, Connecticut

WTNH is a television station licensed to New Haven, Connecticut, United States, serving the Hartford–New Haven market as an affiliate of ABC. It is owned by Nexstar Media Group alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WCTX, also licensed to New Haven. WTNH and WCTX share studios on Elm Street in downtown New Haven; per a channel sharing agreement, the two stations transmit using WTNH's spectrum from a tower in Hamden, Connecticut.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRTV</span> ABC affiliate in Indianapolis

WRTV is a television station in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios are located on Meridian Street north of downtown Indianapolis, and its transmitter is located on the city's northwest side near Meridian Hills, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Cities/ABC</span> Predecessor to Walt Disney Television

Capital Cities/ABC Inc. was an American media company. It was founded in 1985 when Capital Cities Communications purchased the much larger American Broadcasting Company. It was eventually acquired by The Walt Disney Company and re-branded itself as Disney–ABC Television Group in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WRDW-TV</span> CBS affiliate in Augusta, Georgia

WRDW-TV is a television station in Augusta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with CBS and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power, Class A NBC affiliate WAGT-CD. Both stations share studios at The Village at Riverwatch development in Augusta, while WRDW-TV's transmitter is located in Beech Island, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WPCH-TV</span> CW affiliate in Atlanta

WPCH-TV, branded on-air as Peachtree TV, is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with The CW. It is owned by locally based Gray Television alongside CBS affiliate and company flagship WANF, and low-power, Class A Telemundo affiliate WKTB-CD. WPCH-TV and WANF share studios on 14th Street Northwest in Atlanta's Home Park neighborhood; WPCH-TV's transmitter is located in the Woodland Hills section of northeastern Atlanta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KERO-TV</span> ABC affiliate in Bakersfield, California

KERO-TV is a television station in Bakersfield, California, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. The station's studios are located on 21st Street in Downtown Bakersfield, and its transmitter is located atop Breckenridge Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBNB-TV</span> Defunct television station in the U.S. Virgin Islands

WBNB-TV was a television station in Charlotte Amalie, on the island of Saint Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. The station operated from 1961 until 1989 and was a primary affiliate of CBS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WBNG-TV</span> CBS/CW affiliate in Binghamton, New York

WBNG-TV is a television station in Binghamton, New York, United States, affiliated with CBS and The CW Plus. The station is owned by Gray Television, and maintains studios on Columbia Drive in Johnson City and a transmitter on Ingraham Hill Road in the town of Binghamton.

The Times Mirror Company was an American newspaper and print media publisher from 1884 until 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home Box Office, Inc.</span> American mass media company owned by Warner Bros. Discovery

Home Box Office, Inc. (HBO) is an American multinational media and entertainment company operating as a unit of Warner Bros. Discovery.

References

  1. ↑ "Time Inc. sets up new film division" (PDF). Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 29 September 1969. p. 32. Retrieved 19 May 2023– via World Radio History.
  2. ↑ "United States 1963-1969". Broadcasting. Broadcasting Publications, Inc. 29 September 1969. p. 32. Retrieved 19 May 2023– via World Radio History.
  3. ↑ "McGraw-Hill's $69 million purchase of five Time-Life TV stations is approved by FCC." Broadcasting, March 13, 1972, pg. 192.
  4. ↑ "Six stations being sold for nearly $15 million." Broadcasting - Telecasting , March 8, 1954, pp. 27-28.
  5. ↑ "Time Inc. gets Bitner properties, pays $15,750,000 for 3 TVs, 3 AMs." Broadcasting – Telecasting , December 24, 1956, pg. 7. [ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ "Time Inc. buy gets green light." Broadcasting – Telecasting, April 22, 1957, pg. 56. [ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Station-Albums/Time-Life-Broadcast-32,000-Hours-a-Year.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  8. ↑ "Transcontinent sale: last of its kind?" Broadcasting, February 24, 1964, pp. 27–28. [ permanent dead link ] [ permanent dead link ]
  9. ↑ "KOGO-AM-FM-TV to Time-Life." [ permanent dead link ]Broadcasting, December 4, 1961, pg. 5.
  10. ↑ "FCC okays $13 million in sales." [ permanent dead link ]Broadcasting, March 26, 1962, pg. 140.
  11. ↑ "New York Times" Time's Film Unit Sold to Columbia nytimes.com, Retrieved on August 14, 2013
  12. ↑ Makisan, George (16 March 1978). "Phyllis being groomed for new 'People' series". New York Daily News . p. 433.
  13. ↑ Shepard, Richard F. (3 May 1978). "CBS‐TV Adds 8, Drops". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  14. ↑ Shepard, Richard F. (9 November 1978). "2 CBS‐TV Shows Are Off". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  15. ↑ "Telepictures bursts out of the starting gate" (PDF). Broadcasting . 19 February 1979. p. 56. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.