 Logo used since 2009 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment,television show/filmmaking,broadcast syndication |
| Predecessor | Lorimar-Telepictures |
| Founded | 1979; 46 years ago (1979) |
| Founders | David Salzman Michael Jay Solomon Michael Garin |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Parent | Lorimar-Telepictures (1986–1989) Warner Bros. Television Studios (1989–present) |
| Divisions | Telepictures Distribution (1995–2003) AND Syndicated Productions |
| Website | telepicturestv |
Telepictures (also known asTelepictures Productions; formerly known asTelepictures Distribution andTelepictures Corporation) is an Americantelevision show andfilmmaking company, currently operating as a subsidiary ofWarner Bros. Entertainment. Telepictures was established in 1979 byDavid Salzman,Michael Jay Solomon, and Michael Garin as atelevision syndication firm.
The company made its origins when Telepictures decided to distribute four projects, one was a game show in collaboration with Jerome Schnur Productions, and to produce projects for network television and public television stations, mainlyPBS, which was maintained byCharles Fries Productions to secure underwriting and had a deal to distributeTime-Life Television fare in the Middle East.[1]
The company syndicatedRankin-Bass's programming and specials that were produced from 1974 to 1988, including new and successful animated series, such asThunderCats andSilverHawks. Telepictures bought Rankin-Bass outright in 1983.[2] It managed the NIWS news service, and by 1982, had formed a joint venture withGannett Broadcasting to start out theNewscope program through Gannett/Telepictures.[3]
In addition, Telepictures had syndicated numerous television programs such asMy Favorite Martian,Here's Lucy,Love Connection, and the originalThe People's Court with JudgeJoseph Wapner. Telepictures also operated a small publishing arm, which published magazines, such asThe Muppets Magazine andChallenge of the GoBots Magazine.[4]
In 1983,Frank Konigsberg's Konigsberg Co. was merged into Telepictures. Also that year, the company launched its Perennial division, to distribute evergreen programming for syndication, such asMayberry, R.F.D. andThe New Dick Van Dyke Show.[5]
On March 21, 1984, it signed a distribution deal withDick Clark Productions in order to expand its activities in order to distribute virtually all of the Dick Clark productions and TV specials.[6]
On February 19, 1986, the company merged with Merv Adelson andLee Rich'sLorimar Television, creatingLorimar-Telepictures and assumed production and distribution of shows likeDallas andKnots Landing. The company also began distribution of first-run episodes ofMama's Family in June1986 in television.
The company briefly dabbled into owningtelevision station by purchasing charterFox affiliateWPGH-TV inPittsburgh and attempted to purchase then-CBS affiliateWTVJ inMiami. However, after CBS made a half-hearted attempt to purchase Fox affiliate WCIX fromTaft Broadcasting (CBS would later make a more serious attempt to purchase the station two years later and succeeded; it is now CBSowned-and-operated stationWFOR-TV), Telepictures backed off from purchasing WTVJ.[7] (NBC eventually purchased the station; it remains an NBC O&O today.) The company would then subsequently sell WPGH-TV toRenaissance Broadcasting after only a year in ownership; WPGH-TV, which went through several owners in the 1980s, would not have stable ownership until current ownerSinclair Broadcast Group (which had been outbid by Telepictures for the station in 1986) bought the station from Renaissance in 1990.
In 1987, Lorimar Television was created as a separate production entity of Lorimar-Telepictures. Around this time, the company purchased a 9% stake inWarner Communications (nowWarner Bros. Discovery), which set off talks about a possible merger between two entertainment entities. The following year, Warner Communications finally purchased the company. Lorimar Television became a separate subsidiary ofWarner Bros. Television Studios until 1993, while Lorimar-Telepictures unit was folded intoWarner Bros. Television Distribution. Telepictures becameTelepictures Productions in 1990, a producer of syndicated programming that Warner Bros. Television would distribute. Later on that year, David Salzman, founding partner left Lorimar to start Warner-affiliated production company with Millennium Productions, covering affiliated houses likeLorimar Television and Telepictures Productions.[8]
Beginning in 1994, certain Telepictures shows, such asExtra, were co-produced by then-sister companyTime Inc., under the nameTime-Telepictures Television. Most shows produced by them bore a copyright for "TTT West Coast", whileSports Illustrated videos released during the timeframe bore a copyright for "TTT East Coast" instead. The joint venture ceased in 2003 and TTT productions were brought under the main Telepictures name.
In 2004, John Rieber and Alex Duda via Streamroller Entertainment set up an overall deal with the Telepictures company.[9]
In 1995,Time Warner Entertainment formedTelepictures Distribution as a division ofWarner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, running over the oversight of then-EVP Scott Carlin. The company distributed non-Warner Bros. produced programming to which the syndication rights have been licensed to Warner and/or Turner as well as Warner properties.[10]
UponTime Warner's purchase of Turner in 1996, some of the key assets ofTurner Program Services were folded into the company.[11]
In 2003, Telepictures Distribution was folded into Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution.
| Market | Station | Years Owned | Current Ownership Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | WPGH-TV 53 | 1986–1987 | Fox affiliate owned bySinclair Broadcast Group |
| Springfield, Missouri | KSPR 33 | 1984–1987 | ABC affiliate owned byGray Television; station's full-power license turned into FCC in 2017 as KGHZ, affiliation, intellectual unit and calls moved to low-powerKSPR-LD |
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