Viacom (CBS)

Background: 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. In 1976, Viacom and its production division formed "Viacom International, Inc." as their new parent company for distributing programs overseas. In 1986, Viacom was bought by cinema company National Amusements, Inc., becoming part of the newly-reincorporated "Viacom, Inc.". In 1990, the company changed its logo for the first time in 14 years as the company was going through reorganization and "Viacom Pictures" was also formed. On March 11, 1994, Viacom bought Paramount Communications Inc. and Viacom Enterprises was folded into Paramount Domestic Television (now "CBS Television Distribution") by transferring the domestic rights of the Viacom library, and Viacom International was later reorganized as the parent company for the MTV Networks and the Showtime Networks (the latter now part of CBS Corporation), and said library's international rights were also transferred to Paramount International Television (now "CBS Studios International"), while Viacom Productions was reincorporated as a production subdivision of Paramount Television.