PolyGram Television (1997-1999): Difference between revisions

PolyGram Records also had a television division in 1981 (first under the name of "PolyGram TeleVision Ltd."), which distributed mainly TV movies. In 1983, the company was closed down along with it's film counterpart, with [[King Features Entertainment]] acquiring it's assets (including syndication rights to 1981-1983 PolyGram Pictures films). In 1995, [[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment|PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]] (the second incarnation of PolyGram's film division) entered the television business itself by acquiring [[ITC Entertainment Group|ITC Entertainment Group]]. In 1997, ITC was folded into a new incarnation of PolyGram Television, retaining most of ITC's staff and producing series mainly for the U.S. syndication market as well as continuing ITC's focus at the time on made for TV movies. Also setting up a visual programming division for live musical videos and children's series. However this incarnation created an extremely short lifespan similar to the first incarnation, due to PolyGram's acquisition by Seagram and it's merge with Universal Studios, PolyGram TV was folded into [[Universal Television]] in 1999, as the unit was renamed as a second incarnation of Universal TV. In 2002, Vivendi Universal re-acquired the entertainment assets of USA Networks resulting in Universal Worldwide TV (the renamed PolyGram TV) being folded into [[USA Cable Entertainment|Studios USA Television]] and being renamed under the Universal name, and effectively shutting down what was once ITC for good. [[NBCUniversal Syndication Studios]] currently distributes the 1997-1999 library of this company. However, the ITC library was later bought by [[Carlton Television|Carlton International Media]] on January 19, 1999 and is currently owned by ITV Studios Global Entertainment, a subsidiary of [[ITV1 IDs|ITV plc]]. The film ''Rehearsal for Murder'' is in the public domain, although [[Lionsgate]] has the official rights to the title, due to [[Hearst Entertainment]].