Columbia Pictures Television: Difference between revisions

<u>Background</u>: Columbia Pictures Television (CPT) was the second name of the [[Columbia Pictures]] television division [[Screen Gems Television|Screen Gems]] (SG), reincorporated on May 6, 1974. The name's change was announced on May 1 and was suggested by David Gerber, who was president of Columbia's television division. In 1984, Coke demerged Columbia Pictures and Columbia Pictures Television. CPT was transferred to "CPT Holdings, Inc.". On January 30, 1984, CPT joined forces with Lexington Broadcast Services Company, Inc. (later known as "LBS Communications, Inc.") and created "[[Colex Enterprises]]". It was created to distribute most series by Screen Gems and CPT from the 1950s to the '70s. In October, CPT created "The Television Program Source" with Alan Bennett and former King World president, Bob King. On November 24, 1986, CPT was merged with Embassy Communications by forming "Columbia/Embassy Television". This was also the birth of Coca-Cola Telecommunications, when CPT's distribution division merged with the Television Program Source. Coke also regrouped CPT, Embassy Communications, and Merv Griffin Enterprises into "Coca-Cola Television". On December 21, 1987, Coke's entertainment business was sold to Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. for $3.1 billion. Tri-Star Pictures, Inc. was renamed to "Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc." (now "Sony Pictures Entertainment") and CCT was shut down ten days later and folded into the reorganized Columbia Pictures Television Distribution. In October 1991, CPT, TriStar Television, and MGE were reorganized into the "Sony Pictures Entertainment Television Group" (a.k.a. "Sony Television Entertainment"). On February 21, 1994, Columbia Pictures Television merged with TriStar Television by becoming "Columbia TriStar Television" and Columbia Pictures Television Distribution was renamed to "Columbia TriStar Television Distribution". On January 1, 2001, Columbia Pictures Television was folded into Columbia TriStar Television as a failed attempt to become a network television syndication division called Columbia TriStar Network Television (later replaced by Columbia TriStar Domestic Television), however, the CPT name was retained in the in-credits of ''The Young and the Restless'' until October 2002. Currently, the division is known as Sony Pictures Television. A separate entity of CPT continues to exist on paper as an intellectual property holder, and an in-name-only unit and division of SPT known as "CPT Holdings" (formed in 1983) to hold the copyright for the TV show ''The Young and the Restless'' including the UK version of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'', as well as old incarnations from the company's television library such as ''What's Happening!!''.

=== 1st Logo (June 1974-July 30, 1977)===

<u>Nicknames</u>: "CPT Pretzel", "CPT", "The Pretzel"

=== 3rd Logo (2nd official logo) (September 21, 1976-September 28, 1982) ===

<u>Nicknames</u>: "The Abstract Torch", "The Sunburst", "The Starburst"

=== 4th Logo (3rd official logo) (September 24, 1982-June 18, 1993) ===

<u>Nicknames</u>: "'80s Torch Lady", "Coke Bottle Torch Lady", "Torch Lady"

=== 5th Logo (4th official logo) (August 15, 1992-January 2, 2001) ===

<u>Nicknames</u>: "'90s Torch Lady", "Majestic Torch Lady", "Torch Lady II"

=== Final Note ===

[[Category:Sony Corporation]]  

[[Category:Television Logos]]