Lorimar-Telepictures

Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation was an entertainment company established in April 1986 with the merger of Lorimar Television and Telepictures. Headquartered at the former historic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (now Sony Pictures Studios) in Culver City, California, its assets included television production and syndication (which operated under the Lorimar-Telepictures name), feature films, home video, and broadcasting.

Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation
IndustryEntertainment
FatePurchased by Warner Communications and folded into Warner Bros. Television Distribution
SuccessorWarner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution
FoundedApril 21, 1986 (1986-04-21)
DefunctJanuary 11, 1989 (1989-01-11)
Headquarters10202 West Washington Boulevard,
Culver City, California
,
United States
Services
  • Television and film production
  • Syndication
  • Home video
  • Television broadcasting
ParentWarner Communications

History

The merger of Lorimar-Telepictures was announced on October 7, 1985, by Merv Adelson.[1][2] On April 21, 1986, the merger was complete. Lee Rich, one of the other founders of Lorimar, sold his shares in 1986 and left the company. On January 11, 1989, Warner Communications acquired Lorimar-Telepictures after shaking off the hostile takeover of the company.[3]

List of films/programs produced/distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures

Note: All series listed here are now owned and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Studios with a few exceptions.

Lorimar-Telepictures also distributed most of the pre-1990 DIC Entertainment and Saban Entertainment series in international markets; most of the DIC series are currently distributed by WildBrain, and most of the Saban series are currently distributed by Disney–ABC Domestic Television.

Notes
  1. Currently distributed by Lionsgate's Debmar-Mercury under license from Alien Productions.
  2. WB's rights to the series reverted to Premavision in 2003.
  3. Currently distributed by Paul Brownstein Productions/tvclassics.com.
  4. Sony Pictures Television is currently the US TV distributor.
  5. WB's rights to the series later reverted to its original creators.

Broadcasting

Beginning in 1985, Telepictures had owned and operated multiple television stations – mostly in smaller markets, and when Lorimar and Telepictures merged in 1986, those stations carried over with the merger. Also, the merged company attempted to buy two more stations – then-third-party CBS network affiliate WTVJ in Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Florida (then-owned by Wometco Enterprises) and then-independent station WTTV in Indianapolis, Indiana[4] and its satellite WTTK in Kokomo, Indiana, then-locally owned by Tel-Am Corporation. However, both attempts failed miserably, with CBS threatening to pull its affiliation from WTVJ – which would have forcibly turned the station into an independent, and as for WTTV and WTTK, those station were eventually sold to Capitol Broadcasting Company, based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. Today, WTVJ operates as an NBC network owned-and-operated station and WTTV and WTTK operate as CBS network affiliates owned and operated by Nexstar Media Group, ironically uniting them with former LTP station KMID.

Also in 1985, the company attempted to buy Multimedia, which at the time, owned and operated eight television stations and fifteen radio stations.[5] In 1986, private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts attempted to sell to Lorimar-Telepictures six of the seven television stations it acquired from Storer Broadcasting,[5][6] but like its attempts in acquiring WTVJ, WTTV and WTTK, both deals fell through with the Storer stations ultimately being sold to George N. Gillett Jr. in 1987. As for Multimedia, it was bought out by and absorbed into the Gannett in 1995, and its entire television division was eventually spun off into another company, Tegna Inc. in 2015.

Notes
DMA Rank[7] Market Station
PSIP (RF)		 Years Owned Sold to Today
24 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania WPGH-TV 53 (20) 1986 – 1990[8] Renaissance Broadcasting Fox network affiliate owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group
73 Springfield – Branson Missouri, Missouri – Harrison, Arkansas, Arkansas KSPR 33 1985 – 19911 2 Goltrin Communications Defunct, off the air since 2017
131 Chico – Redding, California, California KCPM 24 (20) 1985 – 19921 Goltrin Communications Dual NBC and Telemundo affiliate KNVN owned by Maxair Media, LLC3
145 Odessa – Midland, Texas, Texas KMID 2 (26) 1985 – 1988[9]1 Goltrin Communications ABC network affiliate owned by Nexstar Media Group
NR San Juan – Ponce – Mayagüez, Puerto Rico WLII-DT4 11 (11) /
WSUR-TV4 9 (9)		 1986–1991 Raycom Media Univision network owned and operated (O&O)

References
  1. "Lorimar in Merger". The Pittsburgh Press. October 7, 1985.
  2. Sherman, Stratford P.; Caminiti, Susan (May 12, 1986). "A TV TITAN WAGERS A WAD ON MOVIES". CNN Money. Retrieved May 5, 2020. Lorimar-Telepictures makes a ton of money producing and distributing such TV hits as Dallas and The People's Court. Unsatisfied, chief Merv Adelson is trying to expand in theatrical films. The profits are potentially huge – but a lot less certain.
  3. Delugach, Al (January 12, 1989). "Warner Completes Merger With Lorimar Telepictures". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 23, 2010.
  4. "Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1987" (PDF). American Radio History (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. 1987 [1987]. p. 643. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  5. McMahon, Patrick; Harris, Kathryn (May 21, 1986). "Lorimar Reportedly to Buy 6 Former Storer TV Stations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  6. "Broadcasting & Cable Magazine: May 1986" (PDF). WorldRadioHistory.com. Broadcasting & Cable (published May 26, 1986). 1986. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  7. "LOCAL TELEVISION MARKET UNIVERSE ESTIMATES" (PDF). Nielsen Global Connect | Nielsen Global Media – Nielsen (PDF). The Nielsen Company. 2019. pp. 2–5. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  8. "Broadcasting & Cable Yearbook 1989" (PDF). American Radio History (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. 1989 [1989]. p. 579, 649. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  9. "The Broadcasting Yearbook 1990" (PDF). American Radio History (PDF). Broadcasting & Cable. 1990 [1990]. p. 646. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
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