A Proud History: CBS Television Distribution

 So a minor detour from sitcoms, today we shall discuss the syndication arm of CBS Corporation. CBS Television Distribution was established in 2007 as a result of the consolidation of CBS' syndication arms. However, the unit has roots that go as far back as 1953. So lets dissect the library and the history. Initially, CBS launched a distribution arm under the trading name of CBS Television Film Sales. That's quite a mouthful, only to shorten it to CBS Films in 1958. CBS Films was responsible for the handling of any CBS programming.

Unfortunately in 1970 the syndication arm was forced to spin-off, this is due to a new law implicated by the FCC. This forbid any network from owning any of its programming, the law was known as the Financial Interest and Syndication Rules (fin-syn) which was later repealed. The CBS Films division was re-christened as Viacom Enterprises, the name is a combination of Video, Audio and Communications.

Under Viacom CBS' sitcoms and dramas were distributed including but not limited to: I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, Petticoat Junction and All in the Family. Viacom was the sole distributor for these sitcoms and programs until the '90s. Columbia Pictures Television would later acquire All in the Family in 1991, and after the acquisition of Paramount Pictures by Viacom the syndication branch was dissolved and folded into Paramount Domestic Television in 1995. Around the same time the fin-syn laws were appealed. Viacom also launched a production unit which produced shows including Diagnosis Murder and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. The company was starting to decline in the 2000s and by 2004 it would be absorbed into Paramount Network Television.

Paramount Domestic Television began its life as the syndication arm of Desilu Studios, known as Desilu Sales. Paramount acquired the Desilu Studios from Lucille Ball in 1967 and renamed it as Paramount Television. Desilu was known for the Star Trek franchise as well as the series Mission Impossible, which CBS holds the rights to as of this day. Desilu Sales was renamed Paramount Television Sales, Inc. and later would be rebranded as Paramount Domestic Television in 1982. As PDT the company was well known for its syndicated series Entertainment Tonight, as well as repeats of popular Desilu/Paramount programming including Star Trek. The success was strong enough for Paramount to produce new shows and continue already existing shows that were axed by their networks including Webster, as well as Star Trek: the Next Generation. As Paramount Network Television the company produced many successful programs including Cheers, Wings, Becker and Nash Bridges (acquired through Rysher)

 
Paramount Domestic Television would later continue to build its library upon Viacom's acquisitions of various libraries including Worldvision Enterprises, Rysher Entertainment, Republic Pictures and Spelling Entertainment. One of the syndication arm's most popular program was that of Judge Judy, which was inherited via Worldvision (which was originally ABC Films and the sole distributor of Hanna-Barbera content until 1986) and Big Ticket Entertainment. Paramount Domestic would handle programming from Viacom Enterprises, Worldvision and other libraries it had acquired. This did not include CBS' library as another distributor was involved there.

Another proud name in CBS' syndication legacy is KingWorld Productions, founded by Charles King in 1964. The syndicate was responsible for the distribution and sale of Hal Roach's Our Gang series, which was renamed The Little Rascals. KingWorld however began to build its syndication library when it launched its Camelot Entertainment Sales barter syndication unit, and acquired the distribution rights to daytime game shows including Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. The company is also known for it's affiliation with Harpo Productions as it helped launch The Oprah Winfrey Show. In its later years the syndicate launched KingWorld Direct (an "As Seen on TV" service) and more successful talk shows including Dr. Phil, and even invested in news magazine shows such as Inside Edition and American Journal. The company was later purchased by CBS Enterprises in 2000, and after the consolidation of CBS' Eyemark Entertainment unit would serve as the network's syndicate.

Eyemark Entertainment was founded in 1996 when CBS acquired Westinghouse Broadcasting and integrating it into CBS Enterprises. It was formerly known as Group W Productions from 1961-1996, and distributed a variety of programming including the well known series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. After CBS' merger of KingWorld and Eyemark the company was merged once again with Viacom. However, Paramount Domestic Television and KingWorld would continue to operate separately.

This merger unfortunately hindered Viacom's stocks and therefore National Amusements, the owner of the conglomerate announced it would divide the company. On December 31, 2005 Viacom was split into two new companies, CBS Corporation which consisted of CBS, KingWorld and Paramount Television. Viacom was launched as a separate company, and controlled Paramount Pictures and MTV Networks. CBS announced early in 2006 that they'd take control of the Paramount Television library, also licensing the Paramount name from Viacom. The company was re-branded as CBS Paramount Television and was divided into two units: CBS Paramount Network Television (which was a merger of CBS Productions and Paramount Network Television) and CBS Paramount Domestic Television. This merger happened two years after Viacom merged both CBS Broadcast International and Paramount International Television into CBS Paramount International Television.

Now under the control of CBS, the distributor was responsible for programming from both Paramount and Viacom's television libraries. The merger would not take effect on screen until Memorial Day 2006. Unfortunately, this was an interim replacement as CBS was restructuring the company and unveiled a new unit on September 26, 2006. CBS Television Distribution was the re-branding of CBS' distribution arms. It combined KingWorld Productions, CBS Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Home Entertainment (although this division was reactivated a year later). The merger would not take effect until Fall 2007 when its on-screen identity appeared on Entertainment Tonight. Beginning in 2007 CBS would start phasing out any old logos on home media or streaming releases of any CBS programming. Substituting them with CPNT and later on CBSTD.

 By May 2009, CBS announced it had given up its license to the Paramount name. As a result it re-branded CBS Paramount Network Television to CBS Television Studios. As well as its international arm as CBS Studios International. CBSSI is also responsible for distributing programming internationally that CBS does not own domestically, including The King of Queens and Sex in the City. However, this would not be the end of Paramount Television as Viacom had announced in 2013 that they would relaunch the division. Unfortunately, any previous Paramount programming will still lie with CBS through CBS Studios or CBS Studios Productions, LLC. (for any Viacom Productions programming)

From CBS to Viacom to Worldvision to KingWorld to Paramount, the Desilu Studios has come a long way. CBS Television Distribution has a proud history and a strong library, and will most likely continue to build onto it in the future years. Who knows what they'll acquire next?