 Logo used since 2020 | |
 CBS Studio Center, Soundstage 2 in Los Angeles | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Television production |
| Predecessors | |
| Founded | January 17, 2006; 19 years ago (2006-01-17) |
| Headquarters | CBS Studio Center,, United States |
Key people | David Stapf (president) |
| Products | Television programs |
| Parent | CBS Corporation (2006–2019) CBS Entertainment Group (2019–present) |
| Divisions | CBS Eye Animation Productions |
| Subsidiaries |
|
| Website | www |
CBS Studios, Inc. is an American televisionproduction company which is a subsidiary of the CBS Entertainment Group unit ofParamount Global. It was formed on January 17, 2006, byCBS Corporation asCBS Paramount (Network) Television, as a renaming of the original incarnation of theParamount Television studio.
It is the television production arm of theCBS network (CBS Productions previously assumed such functions until 2004, when it was merged intoParamount Television), and, along withWarner Bros. Television Studios (a part ofWarner Bros. Discovery) and CW Studios (network's recently-launched production arm), it is also the televisionproduction arm ofThe CW (in which Paramount has a 12.5% ownership stake; along with Warner Bros. Discovery).
In 1952, theColumbia Broadcasting System (CBS) formed an in-house television production unit, CBS Productions, as well as facilities in the newly establishedTelevision City in theFairfax District, Los Angeles inWestside. Also formed was 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.
In 1963,CBS Studio Center is established in theStudio City district ofLos Angeles in theSan Fernando Valley. In 1970, CBS Films became Viacom Enterprises and was spun off the following year. In 1978, CBS' production unit gained the secondary/alternate name CBS Entertainment Productions.
In 1994, Westinghouse Electric acquired CBS. Viacom merged with its creator CBS, in 2000.
In 1939, experimental television stations were established in Los Angeles (W6XYZ) as Television Productions Inc. and Chicago (W9XBK) withBalaban and Katz. Commercial broadcasting began in 1943 overWBKB in Chicago (nowWBBM-TV). Commercial broadcasting began in 1947 overKTLA in Los Angeles. In 1949, Paramount Pictures became the first major studio to establish program syndication with theParamount Television Network (much of which originated from KTLA). Paramount branched out of broadcasting in 1964 with the sale of KTLA toGene Autry.
Desilu Productions was formed in 1950 byDesi Arnaz andLucille Ball.[1][2] Desilu Studios was established in Hollywood and Culver City in 1957, after Arnaz/Ball purchased theRKO Pictures studio lot. Desilu Sales Inc. was formed in 1962 as the company's syndication arm. In 1967, Desilu Productions was acquired byGulf and Western Industries. The company became the television division of Paramount Pictures Corporation in July, retaining the Desilu name until the end of that year.[3] Desilu Sales, in turn, merged with Paramount's syndication division to become Paramount Television Sales.
From 1966 to 1967,Gulf+Western acquiredParamount Pictures. In 1968, Paramount Television, formerly Desilu, was established as the studio's television production unit.[4] In 1977,Paramount Television Service was formed. In 1982, Paramount Television Group and Paramount Domestic Television and Video Programming was established. In September 1989,Gulf+Western was reincorporated asParamount Communications, Inc.. On March 11, 1994, Viacom acquired Paramount Communications. In 1995, Viacom launched the United Paramount Network (UPN) withChris-Craft Industries.
On August 10, 2004, Viacom merged the international television banners ofCBS Broadcast International andParamount International Television to formCBS Studios International. On September 7, 2004, Viacom merged CBS Productions and Paramount Network Television to form a new entity of Paramount Network Television, also known as CBS Paramount Television Entertainment Group, with CBS Productions becoming an in-name-only unit.[5]
On December 31, 2005, as the CBS/Viacom split took effect, CBS inherited Paramount's television program library, withthe second incarnation of Viacom keeping Paramount's films, theMTV Networks and theBET Networks.
On January 17, 2006,CBS Corporation CEOLes Moonves announced that Paramount Television would be renamed CBS Paramount Television as of that day, and the network division becoming CBS Paramount Network Television, and the domestic distribution arm becoming CBS Paramount Domestic Television.[6]
On September 26, 2006, CBS Corporation merged its television distribution arms—King World, CBS Paramount International Television and CBS Paramount Domestic Television—to formCBS Television Distribution. CBS Home Entertainment was then established as a subsidiary of the latter.[7]
On May 17, 2009, the Paramount name was dropped after a3+1⁄2-year loan of its use from sister company Viacom, forming CBS Television Studios.[8]
National Amusements retained majority control of both CBS and the second Viacom. For a short time, many of Paramount's theatrical films were distributed domestically byCBS Television Distribution (the new name for the distribution arm as of 2007).[9]Paramount Home Entertainment continues to distribute home video sales of CBS shows through theCBS DVD brand.
From 2009 until 2011, all shows produced by the company aired on either CBS or The CW. In the past, Paramount Television produced shows for all networks, but especially had a good relationship withABC (much as Universal Television had a good relationship with eventual sister networkNBC).The Cleaner, which aired onA&E until September 2009, was the most recent show from the company to air on a network other than CBS orThe CW (which is ironic when NBC/ABC's ownership of A&E is taken into account). This was untilBET began airing new episodes ofThe Game in 2011. In 2012,USA Network began airingCommon Law.
CBS Television Studios does not directly produce any shows appearing onShowtime, a premium cable television network co-owned with the studio. Instead, sister company Showtime Entertainment handles in-house productions for the network. However, CBS Television Distribution andits international arm handle syndication distribution for these shows if they ever appear in syndication.
On October 25, 2018, CBS Television Studios announced the opening of a new animation division,CBS Eye Animation Productions. A newStar Trek series entitledStar Trek: Lower Decks was announced simultaneously.[10]
It was announced on August 13, 2019, that parent company CBS Corporation wouldreunite with Viacom to form a combined media company and be renamed ViacomCBS (now known asParamount Global).[11] The merger closed on December 4.[12] For the first time in nearly fourteen years, Paramount Global encompasses the Paramount Pictures film studio,the current incarnation of its television division, and CBS's production studio under one umbrella.
On October 8, 2020, it was announced that CBS Television Studios had been renamed CBS Studios as part of a unification of branding elements between CBS divisions, citing that use of the word "Television" in the name was antiquated due to its position of producing programming for multiple platforms.[13]
Media related toCBS Studios at Wikimedia Commons