Category:Viacom

Viacom Enterprises (or simply "Viacom") was the television distribution division of the CBS television network, being the successor of the old CBS Films (later known as CBS Enterprises, Inc.), but was spun-off due to the new fin-syn rules that prohibited a television network of distributing its own programs under its own name (especially to other networks). It later kept distributing CBS material, becoming a very popular company in the 70s and throughout the 80s. In 1974 it formed "Viacom Productions" to produce first-run television series for the major networks. They later also started distributing shows from a wider selection of companies, such as MTM, Hanna-Barbera (mostly internationally), Filmways, Carsey/Werner, Lorimar, Rankin-Bass as well as early Nelvana TV specials, Tandem's All In The Family (then taken in 1991 by Columbia Pictures Television Distrubution, now Sony Pictures Television), most movie releases by the Hallmark Hall of Fame, Tomorrow Entertainment, the Schick Sunn TV and movie library, several of the Charles Fries films, New World, Orion, Palomar Pictures, New Line, Trans-Lux and the Terrytoons library among others, until they formed their own syndication companies.