CBS Television Studios (CTS) is an American television production 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).
1952: The Columbia Broadcasting System forms an in-house television production unit, CBS Productions (a.k.a. The CBS Television Network), as well as facilities in the newly established CBS Television City in Hollywood. Also formed is CBS Television Film Sales (later known as CBS Films) as the distributor of off-network and first-run syndicated programming to local television stations in the United States and abroad.
1963: CBS Studio Center is established in Studio City, California.
1971: CBS Films is spun off as Viacom International, Inc.
1974: The company is re-established as CBS, Inc.
1978: The production unit gains the secondary/alternate name CBS Entertainment Productions
1994: Westinghouse Electric acquires CBS.
1999: Viacom merges with its creator CBS.
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.
1950: Desilu Productions formed by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball.
1957: Desilu Studios is established in Hollywood and Culver City, after Arnaz/Ball purchased the RKO studio lot.
1962: Desilu Sales Inc. is formed as the company's syndication arm.
1967: Desilu Productions is acquired by Gulf+Western Industries. The company becomes the TV division of Paramount Pictures Corporation in July, retaining the Desilu name until the end of that year. Desilu Sales, in turn, merges with Paramount's syndication division to become Paramount Television Sales.
1966: Gulf+Western acquires Paramount Pictures.
1967: Paramount Television Enterprises releases 60 titles from their post-1949 feature film library to television broadcasters under the Paramount Portfolio I umbrella package.
1968: Paramount Television, formerly Desilu, is established as the studio's television production unit.
1977: Paramount Television Service is formed.
1982: Paramount Television Group and Paramount Domestic Television and Video Programming are established.
1989: September, Gulf+Western is reincorporated as Paramount Communications, Inc.
1994: March 11, Viacom acquired Paramount Communications, resulting in the formation of Paramount/Viacom as a byline for several of Viacom's subsidiaries.
1995: Viacom launched the United Paramount Network (UPN) with Chris-Craft Industries.
1971: Viacom Enterprises is established for domestic and overseas syndication of off-network and first-run television programs from various independent producers.
1974: Viacom Productions is formed as the company's television production unit.
1986: Viacom switches from a syndicate to a media conglomerate.
1995: Viacom Enterprises was folded 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 Network Television by ceasing its television operations.
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. and Worldvision Enterprises Inc.
1989: Aaron Spelling Productions is renamed Spelling Entertainment, Inc.
1991: Spelling Entertainment, Inc. is acquired by the Jacksonville-based Charter Company.
1992: Spelling Entertainment Group introduces Spelling Television, Inc. as the label for the company's production unit.
1992: The Charter Company becomes Spelling Entertainment Group.
1993: Blockbuster buys Spelling Entertainment Group.
1999: Viacom acquires 80% of Spelling Entertainment Group (Such as Spelling Television) and Rysher Entertainment's TV holdings.
1953: The American Broadcasting Company forms ABC Film Syndication Inc. (renamed ABC Films in 1962) as the domestic syndicator of independent programming supplied for the network.
1962: ABC International and The Worldvision Corporation are established as the network's international distribution branch to other countries.
1973: Worldvision Enterprises (WVE) adapted from ABC's original domestic syndication arm.
1979: Worldvision acquired by Taft Entertainment Company (TECO)
1988: Worldvision acquired by Spelling from Great American Broadcasting (successor to Taft beginning in 1987).
1951: Republic Pictures Corporation forms Hollywood Television Service produce TV shows and distribute Republic's film library.
1954: National Telefilm Associates is founded when Ely Landu, Inc was reorganized, the new company acquired U.M. & M. TV Corporation.
1956: NTA in partnership with 20th Century Fox forms the NTA Film Network.
1957: NTA acquired WATV, a television station in New York City, the station was renamed WNTA and the station was later sold and became one of the founding stations of National Educational Television/Public Broadcasting Service
1961: The NTA Film Network shuts down for good.
1967: Republic Pictures sells its backlot to CBS, and film library to NTA.
1973: NTA acquires NBC Films, the former syndication arm of NBC.
1983: NTA acquired Blackhawk Films and launched NTA Home Entertainment.
1985: NTA acquired the Republic Pictures trademarks, changing its name to Republic Pictures Corporation.
1986: Republic Pictures enters television production and distribution by syndicating 130 episodes of Press Your Luck and producing the CBS TV series Beauty and the Beast.
1994: Spelling Entertainment Group acquires Republic Pictures.
1964: King World Productions (KWP) founded by Charles King.
1999: 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 acquires CBS Enterprises, which included King World at that time.
2006: September 26, As part of the corporate restructuring, King World along with CBS Paramount Domestic Television and CBS Paramount International Television forms the CBS Television Distribution group.
1961: WBC Productions and WBC Program Sales, Inc. established by Westinghouse Broadcasting for first run program syndication.
1968: October 14, The company is renamed Group W Productions to emphasize the moniker of the parent company which was established five years prior.
1981: Group W acquired TelePrompTer owner of Filmation.
1989: Group W sold Filmation to Paravision International, Filmation's library is now owned by NBCUniversal Television Distribution (on behalf of DreamWorks Animation).
1995: Westinghouse Electric acquires CBS and the company is renamed to CBS, Inc.
1995: Group W Productions is renamed Eyemark Entertainment.
2004: August 10, Viacom merged the international television banners of CBS Broadcast International and Paramount International Television to form CBS Paramount International Television.
2004: Viacom merged CBS Productions and Paramount Network Television to form CBS Paramount Network Television. Their respective logos remain the same.
2006: When the CBS/Viacom split took effect, CBS inherited Paramount's TV program library, with the new Viacom keeping Paramount's films, the MTV Networks and the BET Networks.
2006: On January 17, CBS Corporation CEO Les Moonves announced that Paramount Television would be renamed CBS Paramount Television as of that day, after merging with CBS Productions, with both the CBS 'eyemark' and Paramount's mountain united in the new logo, and the network division becoming CBS Paramount Network Television.
2006: CBS Corp. merged its TV distribution arms—King World, CBS Paramount International Television and CBS Paramount Domestic Television—to form CBS Television Distribution (CTD).
2009: June 1, CBS quietly drops the Paramount name after a three and a half-year loan of its use from now sister company Viacom forming CBS Television Studios.
CBS Paramount Television was the only CBS division that used the Paramount name and logo in its own name and logo (Paramount Pictures is currently owned by the post-2006 Viacom that was spun off from CBS, which was once known as the old Viacom). All three of its original divisions had used Paramount in their name: CBS Paramount Network Television (the production arm), CBS Paramount Domestic Television (the US distribution arm), and CBS Paramount International Television (the international distribution arm). When the companies split, CBS had permission to use the Paramount name for three years. The contract expired in 2009, and thus the Paramount name is now gone from television for good, after 42 years as a production company (39 as Paramount Television), and before that, the owners of two early television stations (KTLA and WBKB), an earlier production company (Telemount Productions), and part-owners of the DuMont Television Network. The new company exempts programming from the revived CBS Productions, the in-name-only producer of 90210, Melrose Place and Three Rivers, among others.
National Amusements retains majority control of both CBS and the new Viacom. For a short time, many of Paramount's theatrical films were distributed domestically by CBS Television Distribution (the new name for the distribution arm as of 2007). Paramount Home Media Distribution continues to distribute home video sales of CBS shows through the CBS DVD brand.
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 Domestic Television, while internationally CBS Paramount International Television handled distribution and sales. As of September 16, 2007 the CBS Television Distribution logo appears after shows that had been distributed by King World.
From 2009 until 2011, all shows produced by the company aired either on CBS or the CW. In the past, Paramount Television produced shows for all networks, but especially had a good relationship with ABC (much as Universal Television had a good relationship with now co-owned NBC). The Cleaner, which aired on A&E until September 2009, was the most recent show from the company to air on a network other than CBS or the CW (which is ironic when NBC/ABC's ownership of A&E is taken into account). This was until Black Entertainment Television began airing new episodes of The Game in 2011. In 2012, USA Network began airing Common Law.
CTS does not directly produce any shows appearing on Showtime, a premium cable television network co-owned with the studio. Instead, sister company Showtime Entertainment handles in-house productions for the network. However, CTD and its international arm do handle syndication distribution for these shows if they ever appear in syndication.
CBS Paramount Television/CBS Paramount Network Television (2006–2009)
Paramount Television Group (1967–2006)
Desilu Productions, Inc. (1951–1967)
CBS Productions (1952–2006, 2008–2012)
Viacom Productions (1974-2004)
Spelling Television (1969-2006)
Taft Entertainment Television (1981-1988)
Big Ticket Entertainment (1994-2006 on network television; still produces Judge Judy and Hot Bench, but otherwise in-name-only)
