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Columbia TriStar Television, Inc. (abbreviated as CTT) was an American television production and distribution company active from 1994 to 2002 as the third iteration of what had originated as Columbia Pictures's television studio, Screen Gems.
 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production Broadcast syndication |
| Predecessors | Columbia Pictures Television TriStar Television |
| Founded | February 21, 1994 |
| Defunct | September 16, 2002 |
| Fate | Rebranded as Sony Pictures Television |
| Successor | Sony Pictures Television |
| Headquarters | 10202 West Washington Boulevard, , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Samuel White (co-president) |
| Parent | Sony Pictures Entertainment |
| Divisions | Adelaide Productions Columbia Pictures Television TriStar Television Trackdown Productions Columbia TriStar International Television |
| Subsidiaries | ELP Communications Califon Productions Jeopardy Productions Rastar Television |
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Columbia TriStar Television was launched on February 21, 1994, from the merger of Columbia Pictures Television and TriStar Television, under the leadership of Jon Feltheimer, who was president of TriStar Television from 1991 to 1994 and of New World Television until 1991. After the merger, Columbia Pictures Television Distribution was renamed Columbia TriStar Television Distribution,[1][2][3] though most traces of the former name were not removed in full until the start of the 1995–96 television season. It officially subsumed Merv Griffin Enterprises on June 4, 1994 and took over the role of production of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune starting in September 1994, with both shows continuing to utilize King World for distribution, an arrangement that continues today under successor company CBS Media Ventures.[4][5] In 1994, SPE acquired Stewart Television, which was known for the Pyramid franchise, to burnish the library for Sony's Game Show Network, which would launch on December 1, 1994.
Its global subsidiary, Columbia TriStar International Television, distributed Sony's programs outside North America, and was formed from Columbia Pictures International Television with TriStar International Television's merger into one unit in 1992..
On January 30, 1997, Sony streamlined its American domestic operations.[6] On March 12, 1997, CTT signed a deal with Procter & Gamble Productions (P&G) to launch shows that P&G products sponsor, after the original agreement with Paramount Television expired.[7] On August 26, 1997, Addis-Wechsler inked a five-year joint venture agreement with the studio to produce all forms of its own television programming.[8]
On July 1, 2000, Barry Thurston stepped down as president of Columbia TriStar Television Distribution after 17 years and was succeeded by then-current president, Steve Mosko. Thurston was originally president of Embassy Telecommunications in 1983.[9]
On October 25, 2001, Sony combined the domestic network and syndication divisions (Columbia TriStar Television and Columbia TriStar Television Distribution, respectively) into one unit known as Columbia TriStar Domestic Television.[10]
The start of the 2002–03 television season saw Sony Pictures Entertainment wind down the "Columbia TriStar" monicker permanently from active use, and the television divisions became Sony Pictures Television and Sony Pictures Television International officially on September 16, 2002 with that day's season premieres of Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy!.[11]
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