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| MCA Television Enterprises (1948–1996) Universal Television Enterprises (1996–1997) Studios USA Television Distribution (1997–2002) Universal Domestic Television (2002–2004) NBC Universal Television Distribution (2004–2011) NBCUniversal Television Distribution (2011–2021) NBCUniversal Syndication Studios (2021–present) | |
| Formerly | MCA Television Limited (1948–1996) Universal Television Enterprises, Inc. (1996–1998) Studios USA Television Distribution LLC (1998–2002) |
| Company type | Division |
| Industry | Television syndication |
| Predecessors | List
|
| Founded |
|
| Headquarters | Philadelphia,Pennsylvania Manhattan,New York City,New York Universal City,California |
Key people | Frances Manfredi (President, US & Canada, 2015)[1] |
| Parent | MCA (1948–1996) Universal Studios (1996–1997) USA Networks (1997–2002) Vivendi Universal Entertainment (2002–2004) NBCUniversal Media Group (2004–present) |
NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, formerly known asNBCUniversal Television Distribution,Universal Domestic Television,Studios USA Television Distribution andMCA TV (stylized asNBCUniversal SYNDICATION STUDIOS) is thetelevision syndication division ofNBCUniversal, a division ofComcast, in the United States.[2] Its predecessors include NBC Enterprises, Universal Television Distribution,Multimedia Entertainment (including Avco Program Sales), PolyGram Television (formerlyITC Entertainment), andSky Vision. At some point in its history, it was also known as "NBCUniversal Television & New Media Distribution"[1] and "NBC Universal Television and New Media Distribution.”[3] This unit is possibly the parent for the similarly named "NBCUniversal Domestic Television Distribution" unit.[4][5]
The company distributestelevision series produced byNBC (after 1973),Universal Television, Multimedia Entertainment, Studios USA, Revue Studios, PolyGram Television (except the ITC library), Universal Media Studios andG4 Media, LLC. The division distributes the film libraries ofUniversal Pictures, the 1929–49Paramount Pictures library (owned byEMKA, Ltd.), all 1996–99PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films (as well as PolyGram Visual Programming), USA Films,StudioCanal (International only),Focus Features,Universal Animation Studios,Summit Entertainment (until 2012),Open Road Films,DreamWorks Animation, andDreamWorks Classics.
The operating name was changed to reflect theNBCUniversal brand between September 13, 2004 and January 31, 2011 (the name Universal Television Enterprises LLC is still used on first-run syndicated shows as part of the copyright notice). NUTD is considered the thirdbroadcast syndication arm of NBC, with NBC Enterprises being the second and NBC Films (now part ofCBS Media Ventures) as the first, dating back to spring 1953. NUTD is also considered the sixth broadcast syndication arm of Universal Television with MCA TV as the first, Universal Television Enterprises as the second, Studios USA Television Distribution as the third, Universal Domestic Television as the fourth, and Universal Television Distribution as the fifth.
In 1955,NBC bought out Kagran Corporation,[6] which was then renamed to California National Productions (CNP) for merchandising, syndication and opera stage production.[7] In 1956, NBC Television Films was then migrated to Kagran, which was then renamed to CNP.[8] The subsidiary started producingThe Silent Service that year.[9] By 1957, NBC planned to remove the opera department from CNP and Earl Rettig was named president.[9] CNP was also in discussion withMGM Television about handling distribution for the latter's series.[9]
In 1971, the company begin syndicating the ABC television westernThe Guns of Will Sonnett, which was one of a few times NBC had to distribute a program not actually airing on the network.[10]
Following theFinancial Interest and Syndication Rules in 1971, NBC had to divest the NBC Films unit toNational Telefilm Associates, while programs fromNBC News continued to be distributed internationally by NBC Enterprises for $7.5 million.[11] In 1987, NBC Enterprises decided to break up into 5 units, which integrated most of the NBC Enterprises assets into NBC-TV, and a new division, NBC Operations & Services was created, with some of the assets being integrated into the NBC Corporate Communications unit, and the merchandising and foreign sales branch of NBC Enterprises became part of NBC-TV, and the guest relations and studio tours branch was integrated into NBC Corporate Communications.[12] In 1991, NBC licensed the syndication rights ofSaved by the Bell toRysher Entertainment.[13]
In 1993, while the Fin-Syn rules were relaxed, NBC had returned to distributing off-net syndicated reruns of their programming.[14] In 2000, NBC Enterprises had officially launched its own syndicated division NBC Enterprises & Syndication, with formerEyemark Entertainment executive Ed Wilson as the head of the division.[15]
In 2001, NBC Enterprises made a deal withHearst-Argyle Television Productions to deal with their programming alliance to produce first-run syndicated series.[16] In 2002, NBC inked a deal withMGM Television to launch a media sales operation, called MGM-NBC Media Sales.[17]
MCA Television Enterprises (commonly known as MCA TV and also known as MCA Television Limited) was founded in 1948, several years before parentMCA Inc.'s purchase ofDecca Records (in 1959) andUniversal Pictures (in 1962). For more than four decades, it was one of the most active syndicators of television programming. In 1954, it formed an alliance with producerDon Fedderson, through his Don Fedderson Productions company, and the first show to be formed under the alliance wasThe Millionaire, which spawned a five-year run on the air.[18]
In 1957, it bought out the rights to the pre-1950 Paramount sound library and created a shell holding company,EMKA, Ltd.
During the 1980s, it distributed both off-network reruns of shows likeKate & Allie andGimme a Break!, as well as original first-run syndication product like the animated action seriesBionic Six (co-produced withTMS Entertainment),The Morton Downey Jr. Show (taped at then-MCA ownedWWOR-TV inSecaucus, New Jersey),The Munsters Today (a revival of the Universal sitcom), andPictionary, based on the board game.
In 1984, MCA TV entered into the evergreen bandwagon of nostalgic TV show reruns by starting Encore Programs, which reran various shows that went into syndication.[19]
MCA Television attempted several branded TV packages from 1985 to 2001, including an ad-hoc film network, a broadcast network and a fewsyndicatedprogramming blocks. The company launched theUniversal Pictures Debut Network, an ad-hoc film network with plans to launch in two stages beginning in September 1985.[20] In September 1989, MCA TV andParamount Domestic Television had formed Premier Advertiser Sales, a joint venture created for the sale of advertising for their existing syndicated programs. As a possible outgrowth of this sales joint venture, MCA and Paramount began plans for a new network, thePremier Program Service.[21] However, plans for the service halted thanks to objections fromFox, annoyed that MCA and Paramount were soliciting some of their affiliates for PPS. In the meantime, MCA teamed up withBHC Communications for a syndicated block; the Hollywood Premiere Network, that only lasted for the 1990–1991 season.[22] The Universal Family Network syndicated programming block was launched by the company in the fall of 1993 with a single weekly half hour show,Exosquad, as a counter toThe Disney Afternoon.[23] TheAction Pack was also launched by MCA to syndicate action-adventure programming.[24]
In 1987, MCA TV decided to embark on the most ambitious slate of first-run syndicated programming and had hopes that if all seven could go to series, MCA TV would receive a payment of $50.7 million and reveals two new sitcoms, an action-adventure hour, and a cop show strip that was filmed on location, andThe Street, which is planning on to be produced by another MCA network subsidiary,Universal Television, would be planned for a late-night audience.[25] That year, MCA TV renewed the agreement withTribune Broadcasting for rights toCharles in Charge andBustin Loose, then-two of the strongest MCA TV programs, up until 1989.[26] In 1989, MCA TV was signed on as syndicator ofInside Story, which was produced bySunbeam Television-ownedFox affiliateWSVN, and went nationwide as their new titleInside Report, but it only lasted one season on the air.[27]
In 1993, MCA Television had launched a joint effort withBrandon Tartikoff and his new Moving Target Productions company for a development of a late night talk show.[28] The same year on May 10, MCA TV and Columbia Pictures Television formed their barter sales divisions. MCA called their division MCA TV Advertiser Sales.[29]
In December 1996, MCA was renamed as Universal Studios. As a result, MCA TV was renamed as Universal Television Enterprises; at this time they also assumed production and distribution of several daytime talk shows previously produced byMultimedia Entertainment (which MCA had acquired), includingThe Jerry Springer Show. In 1997, it was sold again, along with the network unit, to USA Networks, which was renamed as Studios USA Domestic Television in 1998.[30]
EMKA, Ltd. is the holding company responsible for a majority of the pre-1950Paramount Pictures sound library. As an official part of theUniversal Pictures library, they are part of the company's television unit, Universal Television.
In 1997,PolyGram created a television division to distribute first-run syndicated and network series, hiring Bob Sanitsky fromICM Partners to be president of the division. The new unit absorbed the domestic syndication unit ofITC Entertainment (acquired by PolyGram in 1995), including its domestic sales president Matt Cooperstein.[31] This company called PolyGram Television, is unrelated to an earlier domestic syndication television distribution arm of the same name thatPolyGram also owned that was formed in 1981 and it was closed in 1983, and sold its assets toKing Features Entertainment.[32]
The division's first project was the syndication of new episodes ofAlliance Atlantis'Due South, distributing 22 new episodes for primetime or weekend afternoon slots. It was distributed in conjunction withWorldvision Enterprises for ad sales.[33] The unit also syndicated action hour series such asThe Crow: Stairway to Heaven (based on theMiramax film withBrandon Lee.The Walt Disney Company, its owner at the time had passed on the series) andTotal Recall 2070, as well as the music variety programMotown Live.[34]
In early 1999, Shortly after Seagram and Universal completed their deal to acquire PolyGram. PolyGram Television was absorbed into Universal's TV and Networks division (which consisted of Universal's international television operations). Universal would sell the ITC film and television library toCarlton Communications, and the pre-1996 film library toMGM. Following this, PolyGram Television was renamed Universal Worldwide Television, and in the fall of that year, Univeral Worldwide Television launched a successful realty strip,Blind Date (which gained a sister program from the same producers,The 5th Wheel).[35] At the same time, Universal launched Universal Studios Network Programming to inherit the Brillstein-Grey productions, such as the upcomingWork with Me, and the existing Brillstein-Grey showsJust Shoot Me! andThe Steve Harvey Show.[36]
By 2001, rumors began circulating about the closure of the division (and its two series would have been sold off to another syndicator). However, by October, UWT's head of sales said the closure would not happen.[37]
In June 2002, after Vivendi Universal re-acquired the entertainment arm of USA Networks, Universal Worldwide Television was merged with Studios USA Domestic Television to form Universal Television Enterprises, with Universal Domestic Television and Universal Television Distribution acting as subsidiaries of the company. Lori Shackel immediately left her position as vice president of the company.[38]
NBC Universal Television Distribution was formed in 2004 from a merger between NBC Enterprises and Universal Television Distribution. In 2004, it broke their ties withMGM Television to launch a standalone distribution operation.[39] In 2011, NBC Universal dropped its space from all of its television divisions, becoming the CamelCase style format NBCUniversal.[40][41]
In 2014,Hulu Plus reached an agreement with the company to allow streaming of television programs from NBCUniversal's series aired the previous year.[3]
On October 5, 2020, NBCUniversal Television Distribution was renamed as NBCUniversal Syndication Studios, in an effort to drop "Television" from its branding.[42] On December 2, 2020, NBCUniversal Syndication Studios announced thatLaw & Order: Special Victims Unit would air on a daily strip for syndication.[43]