Sony Pictures Television

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Sony Pictures Television Inc.
Type Subsidiary of Sony Pictures
Industry Television production
Television syndication
Founded September 16, 2002
Headquarters Culver City, California, United States
Key people Steve Mosko[1]
(President)
Owner(s) Sony Corporation
Parent Sony Pictures Entertainment
Subsidiaries Adelaide Productions
Califon Productions
CPT Holdings
Embassy Row
Floresta
Gogglebox Entertainment
Huaso
Jeopardy Productions
Lean-M
Left Bank Pictures
Starling
Silver River Productions
Teleset
Tuvalu Media
Victory Television
Website SPT Website

Sony Pictures Television, Inc. (SPT) is an international television production/distribution company of American origin. Based in Culver City, California, it is a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is part of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. SPT is the owner and international distributor of shows originally produced by such companies as Tandem Productions, ELP Communications, Barris Industries, Stewart Tele Enterprises, and 2waytraffic, and also operates the networks AXN, Animax, and Sony Entertainment Television.

Previously known as Screen Gems, Columbia Pictures Television, TriStar Television, and Columbia TriStar Television, SPT was given its current name on September 16, 2002, when SPE retired the name "Columbia TriStar" from television and replaced that brand with its own.[2]

Contents

Background[edit]

SPT owns and distributes the shows from Tandem Productions, ELP Communications (from T.A.T. to ELP Communications), TeleVentures, Merv Griffin Enterprises, Four D Productions, Barris Industries, Barry & Enright Productions, Stewart Tele Enterprises, and 2waytraffic.

The company also operates the three SPE Networks: AXN, Animax, and Sony Entertainment Television.

SPT owns 58% of cable channel GSN (with DirecTV),[3] owner of Crackle, a partner in FEARnet; the horror/thriller website and VOD service (with Lions Gate Entertainment and Comcast), and jointly owns the rights to most of the post-1947 Bob Hope film library such as My Favorite Brunette, The Lemon Drop Kid, The Seven Little Foys, The Great Lover, and Son of Paleface with FremantleMedia.

Joining Jeff Arnold (founder of WebMD) and Dr. Mehmet Oz, SPT co-founded the online QA platform Sharecare, where users have their health and wellness-related questions answered by industry experts and institutions such as AARP, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins.[4] Additional co-founders in Sharecare include Harpo Productions, Discovery Communications and HSW International.[5]

History[edit]

SPT was first known as Screen Gems in 1948, reincorporated as Columbia Pictures Television on May 6, 1974,[6] and merged with sister studio TriStar Television (formed in 1986 and relaunched in 1991) to form Columbia TriStar Television on February 21, 1994.[7] The name was changed to reflect the Sony brand on September 16, 2002.[2]

On November 24, 2004, Sony Pictures Television International formed a joint venture called Huaso with Hua Long Film Digital Production Co., Ltd. of the China Film Group that's based in Beijing, China.[8][9]

From 2005 until 2006, SPT also distributed MGM's TV shows and movie library (due in part to the Sony-led consortium's purchase of MGM). In 2006, SPT joined forces with Program Partners to handle ad-sales and distribution rights to foreign television series in the U.S., mostly shows produced in Canada. The same year, SPT signed Embassy Row a 3-year deal with for new game shows, game show revivals, and scripted and non-scripted series.

In Summer 2007, SPT introduced The Minisode Network; a digital channel for MySpace airing shows from the 1960s to early 2000s from four to five minutes. In Winter 2007, The Minisode Network was also added to a few more sites like AOL TV, YouTube, and its sister site Crackle site.

On June 4, 2008, SPT bought Hilversum, Netherlands-based production company 2waytraffic, international holders of the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? franchise.[10]

On January 14, 2009, SPT acquired Embassy Row, a television and digital production company by British television producer Michael Davies. Fourteen days later, SPTI acquired a 50% stake in Colombian independent TV production company Teleset.[11] Three months later on April 1, Sony Pictures Entertainment consolidated its US and international television divisions into one roof. Sony Pictures Television International now operates in-name-only.[12]

As of 2013, in Australia, SPT have non-exclusive licensing deals to replay movie and television content from television broadcasters, the Seven Network. On June 23, 2011, SPT formed Victory Television, a London-based television production company that's a joint venture with Victoria Ashbourne, who was the senior vice president of creative development for international production of SPT.[13]

On January 19, 2012, SPT acquired Dolphin Broadcast Services Ltd. and Dolphin was merged into Sony Pictures Television’s existing UK networks business.[14] SPT also took a majority stake in Dolphin’s advertising sales business. On March 1, 2012, SPT acquired a majority stake in UK independent production company Silver River Productions.[15] On May 31, SPT will launch Sony Movie Channel and ANX in Canada in partnership with Hollywood Suite. Two of Hollywood Suite's networks: Hollywood Festival will re-launch as Sony Movie Channel and Hollywood Storm as AXN Movies on September 4, 2012.[16] On August 23, 2012, SPT acquired a majority stake in Left Bank Pictures, a UK production company founded by Andy Harries and Marigo Kehoe.[17][18]

Television channels[edit]

These are the networks owned & operated and jointly operated by Sony Pictures Television.

Shows produced and/or distributed by SPT[edit]

In addition to the Columbia TriStar Pictures theatrical library, SPT handles the following:

Current programming[edit]

Off-net syndication[edit]

Library programming[edit]

Screen Gems to Sony Pictures Television[edit]

(All series by Screen Gems, CPT, TriStar TV, CTT, CTIT, Adelaide Productions, SPT, and SPTI; some having gone through distribution from Colex Enterprises)

Screen Gems[edit]
Columbia Pictures Television[edit]
TriStar Television[edit]
Columbia TriStar Television[edit]
Columbia TriStar International Television[edit]
Adelaide Productions[edit]
Note: Adelaide serves as copyright holder and producer of the following shows, but bears the logo of the respective SPE branch.
Sony Pictures Television[edit]
Sony Pictures Television International[edit]

Spelling-Goldberg Productions[edit]

(bold text indicates a Spelling-Goldberg/CPT co-production)

TOY Productions[edit]

Witt/Thomas/Harris Productions[edit]

Bud Yorkin & Norman Lear[edit]

includes Tandem Productions and ELP Communications
Tandem[edit]
ELP Communications[edit]
Formerly T.A.T. Communications (1975–1982) and Embassy Communications (1982–1988).

Merv Griffin Entertainment[edit]

Danny Arnold Productions[edit]

  • Barney Miller (1975–1982) (produced by Four D Productions)
  • Fish (1977–1978) (produced by The Mimus Corporation)
  • A.E.S. Hudson Street (1978) (produced by Triseme Corporation)
  • Joe Bash (1986) (produced by Tetagram Productions)

Stephen J. Cannell Productions[edit]

The Guber-Peters Entertainment Company[edit]

(Note: Formerly known as Barris Industries, Inc.)
Barris Industries[edit]
(Note: Formerly known as Chuck Barris Productions, owned by Guber-Peters since 1988).

New World Television[edit]

Jack Barry Productions/Barry & Enright Productions[edit]

Stewart Tele Enterprises[edit]

(Note: Formerly Bob Stewart Productions)

Castle Rock Entertainment[edit]

PPI Releasing[34][edit]

2waytraffic[edit]

Others[edit]

American shows whose US rights are owned by other studios[edit]

The following shows are all distributed by SPT outside of the US

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ "Executive Team". Sony Pictures Television. Retrieved 2010-11-21. 
  2. ^ a b Sony Pictures Entertainment Renames Television Operations; Domestic and International Divisions Take Sony Name, prnewswire.com
  3. ^ Goetzl, David (June 30, 2011). "Sony Gains Control of GSN Even With Minority Stake". TVBlog (MediaPost). Retrieved June 30, 2011. 
  4. ^ Elliott, Stuart (2010-10-06). "Web Site to Offer Health Advice, Some of It From Marketers". ""New York Times"". Retrieved 2011-04-02. 
  5. ^ "Dr. Mehmet Oz and Internet Entrepreneur, Jeff Arnold, Announce Sharecare Inc.,a Web 3.0 Platform, Organizing and Answering the Questions of Health". Bloomberg. November 2, 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-02. 
  6. ^ "Remodeling at Screen Gems". Broadcasting: p. 39. 1974-05-06. 
  7. ^ "EBSCO Host Connection" Feltheimer heads new Columbia TriStar TV connection.ebscohost.com, Retrieved on December 18, 2012
  8. ^ "PRNewswire" Sony Pictures Television International Forms First Fully Government Approved Television and Film Production Joint Venture in the People's Republic of China, prnewswire.com, Retrieved on September 30, 2012
  9. ^ "Indiantelevision.com" Sony forms TV production JV in China, indiantelevision.com, Retrieved on September 30, 2012
  10. ^ Sony Pictures Entertainment Completes Acquisition of 2waytraffic, sonypictures.com
  11. ^ ANNA MARIE DE LA FUENTE "Variety" January 28, 2009 Sony TV into Teleset variety.com, Retrieved on February 15, 2013
  12. ^ Sony combines TV units, chollywood.org
  13. ^ "Digital Spy" Sony agrees new TV production tie-up digitalspy.com Retrieved on April 3, 2012
  14. ^ "Sony dives in with Dolphin". C21Media. 19 January 2012. 
  15. ^ "Sony Pictures Press Releases" Sony Pictures Television and Silver River Productions join forces UK expansion for SPT International Production sonypictures.com Retrieved on April 3, 2012
  16. ^ "Yahoo! Finance"Sony Pictures Television's Sony Movie Channel and AXN Movies to launch in Canada in partnership with Hollywood Suite.finance.yahoo.com, Retrieved on July 10, 2012
  17. ^ "London Deadline" Sony Pictures Television Acquires UK’s Left Bank Pictures deadline.com, Retrieved on August 23, 2012
  18. ^ "Variety" Sony Pictures TV buys stake in Left Bank variety.com, Retrieved on August 23, 2012
  19. ^ Sony Television plans to launch two new U.S. channels Los Angeles Times July 5, 2010
  20. ^ Sony Puts Its Weight Behind 3-D TV New York Times January 5, 2011
  21. ^ "Introducing 3net - The 3D Joint Venture of Sony, Discovery Communications and IMAX Officially Announces Network Brand". Newsblaze.com. 2011-01-05. 
  22. ^ "Sony Pictures TV To Launch Movies Diginet". TVNewsCheck. April 22, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013. 
  23. ^ "Sony Pictures Press Releases" Sony Pictures Television Networks to Launch US Spanish Language Entertainment Channel, Debuting on Verizon FiOS TV Cine Sony Television will launch on FiOS TV in August sonypictures.com, Retrieved on September 12, 2012
  24. ^ a b Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! are produced by Sony Pictures Television with CBS Television Distribution as the distributor for first-run syndication. However, SPT owns off-net syndication rights to both series for GSN reruns because they own both of the series and half own GSN with DirecTV including the game show library by Merv Griffin Enterprises after CPT acquired MGE on May 6, 1986. SPT doesn't serve as a co-distributor for both game shows for first-run syndication.
  25. ^ a b Jeannie and The Partridge Family 2200 A.D. were co-produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions with Screen Gems and Columbia Pictures Television. However, SPT owns the series due to the incarnations of I Dream of Jeannie and The Partridge Family. While Hanna-Barbera shows were distributed by Screen Gems from 1957 to 1967, they are now owned and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Distribution.
  26. ^ Punky Brewster was produced by NBC Productions from 1984 to 1986. When NBC canceled it, Columbia Pictures Television bought the syndication rights and the rights to produce another two seasons of episodes, as it was against FCC regulations for networks to be involved in syndicated programming at the time. SPT holds US television distribution rights, while NBC Universal International Television Distribution holds non-US television distribution rights and licenses DVD release rights to Shout! Factory. See also: fin-syn.
  27. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (November 19, 2010). "It's Official: Fox Picks Up Christian Slater Comedy 'Breaking In' For Midseason". Deadline.com. Retrieved November 30, 2010. 
  28. ^ "Entertainment One To Produce TV Series Based on John Grisham's Movie THE FIRM" (Press release). ChannelCanada. 2011-04-29. Retrieved 2011-07-29. 
  29. ^ The final season of Diff'rent Strokes featured a Tandem Productions copyright but a closing logo for Embassy Television on its original ABC broadcasts.
  30. ^ Merv Griffin's Crosswords was distributed by Program Partners. NBC Universal Television Distribution and Sony Pictures Television handled ad-sales for the series.
  31. ^ a b c Sony only holds U.S. rights to Hardcastle and McCormick and Riptide; international rights (including Canada) are still held by Stephen J. Cannell Productions. Hunter is owned by Cannell worldwide, with only U.S. TV distribution rights held by Sony. Hunter was distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures until TeleVentures later picked up the distribution rights around the early 1990s. SPT currently owns US television distribution rights by owning TeleVentures, MGM International Television Distribution to handle international rights through NBC Universal International Television Distribution, and Anchor Bay Entertainment handling DVD releases; recently, DVD rights of the show have passed to Mill Creek Entertainment.
  32. ^ The $25,000 Pyramid (1974-1979 Bill Cullen version) owned by CBS Television Distribution, The $50,000 Pyramid (1981 Dick Clark version) is originally distributed by CPM, Inc. (a division of Colgate-Palmolive), current ownership unknown, and The $100,000 Pyramid (1991 John Davidson version) distributed by Multimedia Entertainment
  33. ^ Warner Bros. Entertainment, who owns Castle Rock Entertainment, holds copyright ownership of Thea and Seinfeld. SPT currently owns distribution rights to these shows and certain Castle Rock properties.
  34. ^ SPT joined forces with Program Partners by handling ad-sales and distribution rights of programs in the US. The company is not owned by Sony.
  35. ^ On December 2006, 2waytraffic acquired Celador's television properties, including the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire franchise. On January 2007, Celador International was merged with and reincorporated as 2waytraffic International. The closing logo of 2waytraffic was added in September 2007, and SPE acquired 2waytraffic in 2008. It has been used only on the syndicated version.

External links[edit]