Lorimar-Telepictures

Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation, Inc. was an entertainment company established in 1985 with the merger of Lorimar Productions, Inc. and Telepictures Corporation. Headquartered at the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (now Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, California, its assets included television production and syndication (which operated under the Lorimar-Telepictures name), feature films, home video, and broadcasting.

Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation

Company type	Public
Industry	Entertainment
Predecessors	Lorimar Productions Telepictures Corporation
Founded	1985; 39 years ago (1985)
Defunct	1988; 36 years ago (1988)
Fate	Merged into Warner Communications
Successors	Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution Warner Communications Telepictures Productions
Headquarters	10202 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California , United States
Services	Television and film production Syndication Home video Television broadcasting
Divisions	Lorimar Television Lorimar Syndication Lorimar International

History

The merger of Lorimar-Telepictures was announced on October 7, 1985, by Merv Adelson.^[1][2] On February 19, 1986, the merger was complete.^[3] Lee Rich, one of the other founders of Lorimar, sold his shares in 1986 and left the company.

In 1987, Lorimar-Telepictures decided to launch separate divisions with brand logos, which are Lorimar Television for network television production, Lorimar Syndication for broadcast and off-net syndication, and Lorimar International for television distribution, with Lorimar-Telepictures being the parent company of the groups. Both had used Lorimar as operating names starting on January 19, 1987.^[4] It is reported that Robert Rosenbaum was named vice president of production at the Lorimar Television unit.^[5] Also that year, it faced a $21.7 million loss from the studio.^[6]

In June 1988, Warner Communications acquired Lorimar-Telepictures after shaking off the hostile takeover of the company.^[7]

List of films/programs produced/distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures

Note: All series listed here are now owned and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Studios with a few exceptions.

• The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime
• Aaron's Way (1988)
• ALF (1986–1988)^{[n 1]}
• ALF: The Animated Series (1987–1988)^{[n 1]}
• Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983–1988; Syndication of first 65 episodes only)
• Animalympics
• Apple's Way
• Bad Men of Tombstone (1949)
• The Bat (1959)
• Behind the Screen
• Berrenger's
• The Best Times
• Big Shamus, Little Shamus
• Blood & Orchids
• The Blue Knight
• Boone
• The Boy Who Could Fly (1986)
• Bridges to Cross
• Cat People (1982)
• Catchphrase
• Chiller (1985)
• The Choirboys (1977)
• Club Med (1986)
• The Comic Strip
• Coming Out of the Ice (1982)
• Dallas (1985–1988)
• Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
• Dark Victory (1976)
• The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
• A Death in California
• Detective in the House
• Doc Elliot
• The Dollmaker (1984)
• Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion (1987)
• Eight Is Enough
• Elephant Stampede (1951)
• Falcon Crest (1986–1989)
• Flamingo Road
• Flatbush
• Freddy's Nightmares (1988–1989) (with New Line Television and Stone Television)
• Friendly Persuasion (1956)
• Full House (1987–1988)
• Fun House (with Stone Television)
• Games People Play
• Ghost of a Chance
• Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
• The Greatest American Hero (1981–1983) (distribution only)
• Gumby (1987–1989)^{[n 2]}
• Hard Choices (theatrical film)
• Here's Lucy^{[n 3]}
• The Hogan Family (1986–1989)
• Hothouse'
• House on Haunted Hill (1959)
• Into the Homeland (1987)
• It's a Living (1986–1989)
• Jack Frost
• Jack the Ripper (1988)
• Jake's Journey (1988–1989 pilots for CBS starring Graham Chapman)
• Just Our Luck
• Kaz
• Killer Shark (1950)
• Knots Landing (1986–1989)
• Last Summer (1969)
• The Last Starfighter (1984)
• Legendary Ladies of Rock & Roll
• Light Blast (1985)
• Love Affair (1932)
• Love Connection (1986–1988)
• Made in Heaven
• Maggie Briggs
• Mama's Family
• "Master Harold"...and the Boys (1985)
• The Master of Ballantrae (1984)
• Matewan (1987)
• Max Headroom (not the original pilot by Chrysalis Visual Programming for Channel Four UK)
• Mayberry R.F.D.
• Mazes and Monsters (1982)
• Midnight Caller (1988–1989)
• Mitchell (1975)
• The Morning After (1974)
• The Morning After (1986)
• My Favorite Martian
• Never Say Goodbye (1956)
• The New Dick Van Dyke Show
• One Big Family (1986–1987)
• Operation C.I.A. (1965)
• Our House
• The People's Court (Joseph Wapner era)
• Perfect Match
• Perfect Strangers (1986–1989)
• Real People
• The Redd Foxx Show (1986)
• Reunion at Fairborough (1985)
• Rituals
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In^{[n 4]}
• The Sea Wolves (1980)
• Second Serve
• Shattered Innocence (1988)
• She's the Sheriff (1987–1989)
• Sherlock Holmes Faces Death (1943)
• Sherlock Holmes in Washington (1943)
• SilverHawks
• Skag
• Snowfire (1958)
• Sorcerer (1977)
• Spies (1987)
• The Stranger Within (1974)
• Summer Girl
• Superior Court
• Tank (1984)
• ThunderCats (1986–1989)
• Tickle Me (1965)
• Tormented (1960)
• Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983)
• Two Marriages
• The Waltons
• Warm Hearts, Cold Feet (1987)
• The Waverly Wonders
• Young Dillinger (1965)

Lorimar-Telepictures also distributed most of the pre-1990 DIC Entertainment and Saban Entertainment series in international markets; most of the DIC series are currently distributed by WildBrain, and most of the Saban series are currently distributed by Disney–ABC Domestic Television, as well as some of the Universal Pictures films that Lorimar distributed are currently distributed by NBCUniversal Syndication Studios via its Universal Television division.

Notes

1. Currently distributed by Shout! Factory under license from Alien Productions in United States.
2. WB's rights to the series reverted to Premavision in 2003.
3. Currently distributed by Paul Brownstein Productions/tvclassics.com.
4. WB's rights to the series later reverted to its original creators.

Broadcasting

Lorimar-Telepictures also held ownership interests in several television stations via predecessor Telepictures, mostly based in smaller markets and Puerto Rico.^[8] The company made a failed $1 billion offer in 1985 for Multimedia, Inc., which owned eight television stations and fifteen radio stations.^[9] On May 21, 1986, Lorimar-Telepictures agreed to purchase from private equity firm KKR WTVJ (channel 4) in Miami, along with Storer Communications stations WAGA-TV in Atlanta, WITI in Milwaukee, WJBK in Detroit, WJW-TV in Cleveland, WSBK-TV in Boston and KCST in San Diego, in a $1.85 billion group deal.^[10] WTVJ, including the studio building and surrounding land, was itself sold for $405 million.^[11] Also included was Storer's program production company, advertising sales division and Washington news bureau.^[12] Lorimar-Telepictures also made purchase offers for WPGH-TV in Pittsburgh and WTTV in Bloomington–Indianapolis.^[13]

By October 22, 1986, Lorimar-Telepictures requested to exclude WTVJ from the Storer deal^[14] after learning that CBS, of which WTVJ was affiliated with, inquired with the owners of WCIX (channel 6) about a purchase, putting the valuation of WTVJ in peril and ultimately collapsing the entire deal.^[15] Other financial market analysts argued that Lorimar grossly overpaid for WTVJ, as the $405 million price was nearly 21 times WTVJ's cash flow (typical station purchase prices were 10 to 14 times cash flow)^[16] and made it difficult to cover interest serviced on $2 billion in high-yield bonds.^[17][18] KKR sold WTVJ to NBC in January 1987,^[19] ultimately initiating a complicated six-station affiliation swap in Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida, on January 1, 1989.^[20] The Storer stations were also sold to George N. Gillett Jr. in 1987.^[21]

The purchase offer for WTTV failed to close, with the station instead being sold to Capitol Broadcasting Company. WPGH-TV, which was successfully purchased by Lorimar, was sold to Renaissance Broadcasting in 1987.^[22][23] KCPM, KSPR and KMID were sold to Goltrin Communications in 1988.^[24]

City of license / Market	Station	Channel	Years owned	Current status
Chico–Redding, California	KCPM[a]	24	1985–1988	NBC/Telemundo affiliate KNVN, owned by Maxair Media, LLC[b]
Springfield–Branson, Missouri–Harrison, Arkansas	KSPR[a]	33	1985–1988	Defunct, off the air since 2017[c]
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	WPGH-TV	53	1986–1987	Fox affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
San Juan–Ponce–Mayagüez, Puerto Rico	WLII-DT	11	1986–1991[d]	Univision affiliate owned by Liberman Media Group
	WSUR-TV	9	1986–1991[d]	Univision affiliate owned by Liberman Media Group
Odessa–Midland, Texas	KMID[a]	2	1985–1988	ABC affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group

1. Owned by Telepictures prior to its merger with its Lorimar Television.
2. Operated by Allen Media Broadcasting under a Local marketing agreement.
3. The sale of its spectrum during the FCC's 2016 United States wireless spectrum auction in 2016 as KGHZ, resulted in its assets, intellectual properties and corresponding ABC affiliation being moved to low-power station KYCW-LD, which immediately inherited the former's call letters, now as KSPR-LD. In the end, as a result of all of this, KGHZ, the original KSPR, was taken off the air permanently.
4. To reach all of Puerto Rico, WLII-DT and WSUR-TV reached an affiliation agreement with WNJX-TV in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, which lasted until 1994; WNJX now operates as full-time satellite station of WAPA-TV, owned by Hemisphere Media Group.

References

1. "Lorimar in Merger". The Pittsburgh Press. October 7, 1985.
2. Sherman, Stratford P.; Caminiti, Susan (May 12, 1986). "A TV TITAN WAGERS A WAD ON MOVIES". CNN Money. Retrieved May 5, 2020. Lorimar-Telepictures makes a ton of money producing and distributing such TV hits as Dallas and The People's Court. Unsatisfied, chief Merv Adelson is trying to expand in theatrical films. The profits are potentially huge – but a lot less certain.
3. "Bottom Line" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 24, 1986. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
4. "Syndication Marketplace" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 26, 1987. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
5. "Fates & Fortunes" (PDF). Broadcasting. July 27, 1987. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
6. "Lorimar Suffers $21.7-Million Loss; Debtors Problems Cited". Los Angeles Times. February 11, 1987. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
7. Delugach, Al (January 12, 1989). "Warner Completes Merger With Lorimar Telepictures". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
8. Jicha, Tom (September 24, 1986). "Channel 4 buyers get Wall Street Journal scrutiny". Miami News. Miami, Florida. p. 5C. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
9. McMahon, Patrick; Harris, Kathryn (May 21, 1986). "Lorimar Reportedly to Buy 6 Former Storer TV Stations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
10. "Lorimar Corp. buying WTVJ in deal with Wometco firm". The Miami News. Miami, Florida. May 21, 1986. p. 10A. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Chrissos, Joan (July 1, 1986). "Lorimar agrees to buy WTVJ, 6 other stations for $1.85 billion". Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 6D. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
12. Altaner, David (May 22, 1986). "Lorimar buying WTVJ, 6 other stations". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. p. D1. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Kwitny, Jonathan (September 15, 1986). "Seeds of Success: Two Lorimar Officials Have Had Ties to Men Of Underworld Repute --- Merv Adelson, Irwin Molasky Relied on Teamster Loans To Build Many Businesses --- Entertaining at La Costa". The Wall Street Journal Eastern Edition. New York, New York: Dow Jones & Company, Inc. p. 1. ProQuest 397983887 – via ProQuest.
14. Sigale, Merwin (October 23, 1986). "WTVJ ownership uncertain after Lorimar exclusion". The Miami News. Miami, Florida. p. 8A. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
15. Sonsky, Steve (October 30, 1986). "Is CBS behind collapse of WTVJ sale?". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. pp. 7D–8D. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2011 – via Newspapers.com.
16. Sonsky, Steve (October 30, 1986). "Is CBS behind collapse of WTVJ sale?". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. pp. 7D–8D. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2011 – via Newspapers.com.
17. "Lorimar drops deal for WTVJ". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach, Florida. Reuters. October 23, 1986. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
18. Altaner, David (October 23, 1986). "Channel 4 purchase called off". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. p. D1. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
19. Michals, Bob (January 17, 1987). "Miami's CBS affiliate gets new owner—NBC". The Palm Beach Post. Palm Beach, Florida. pp. 1A, 12A. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
20. Sonsky, Steve (January 1, 1989). "3 million TV viewers affected". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 1A, 25A. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
21. Lippman, John (July 22, 1987). "Following $650-Mil Gillett Deal, SCI Holdings Puts Up 'For Sale' Sign On Storer Cable Subsidiary". Variety. pp. 51, 72.
22. "Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1989" (PDF). American Radio History (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. 1989 [1989]. pp. 579, 649. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
23. "The New York Times – COMPANY NEWS; Lorimar Cuts TV Deal Price". The New York Times. January 9, 1987. Retrieved August 5, 2008.
24. "The Broadcasting Yearbook 1990" (PDF). American Radio History (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. 1990 [1990]. p. 646. Retrieved May 25, 2020.

External links

• Media related to Lorimar-Telepictures at Wikimedia Commons