MGM Television
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television production Television syndication |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Headquarters |  United States |
| Owner | MGM Holdings, Inc. CBS Paramount Television Group. |
| Parent | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. |
| Website | MGM Television website |
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television (commonly known as MGM Television and later MGM/UA Television among other names) is an American television production/distribution company launched in 1955 and a subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. which is owned by CBS Paramount Television Group.
From 2005–2006, MGM Television programs were produced by Paramount Television (as a result from a Sony-led consortium buying MGM). Since January 17, 2006, MGM Television has resumed sole production and distribution of its programs on television is CBS Paramount Television and now CBS Television Studios.
History
In 1955, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. launched Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television as television company with its first program with Desilu Productions/Paramount Television byline The MGM Parade. In 1982, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television became MGM/UA Television after the merger with United Artists inclue Paramount Domestic Television byline .
In 1986, Gulf+Western bought MGM/UA from Kirk Kerkorian, including all of the movies and television shows by MGM/UA. Gulf+Western gave Kerkorian all of United Artists and the MGM trademark 74 days later, on October 17, but kept the pre-1986 MGM television shows with Paramount Television Byline. Thus, when Viacom acquired Gulf+Western in October 1996, the pre-1986 MGM/UA TV shows became part of Paramount Pictures (via its Gulf+Western unit). After the Turner sale, the television banner was renamed to MGM/UA Television Productions
In 1987, the TV distribution arm MGM/UA Telecommunications was launched under the new company MGM/UA Communications Co. MGM/UA Television still kept producing the series Fame until 1987, the 1980s version of The Twilight Zone until 1989, and Kids Incorporated until 1993.
On July 2,1992, MGM/UA was reverted back to "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer". The television company was reformed as MGM Worldwide Television Group and its distributor MGM/UA Telecommunications Group with Paramount Television Byline when the company reverted from MGM/UA Television back to MGM Television (Note: The logos did not appear on TV until 1993).
In 1996, the company was reformed for different television brand labels known as MGM Television Entertainment, MGM Domestic Television Distribution, and MGM Worldwide Television when Kerkorian returned to MGM; however, MGM uses other names in the credits of their television shows such as MGM Global Television, Inc., MGM Global Holdings, Inc., and MGM Television Entertainment, Inc. with Paramount Television Byline.
In 1997, MGM bought Orion Pictures Corporation, The Samuel Goldwyn Company, and Motion Picture Corporation of America from Metromedia (who are best known as the former owners of several TV stations that are now Fox O&O's and for the taping of television programs at Metromedia Square, now Fox Television Center) Now, MGM Television owns the movies/shows originally handled by Filmways, Inc. except The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction. These were distributed by Viacom Enterprises, now CBS Television Distribution), Orion Television, American International Television, Heatter-Quigley Productions and Samuel Goldwyn Television.
In 1997, MGM Television Entertainment was formed by MGM as its network television arm of Paramount Television.
In 2005, MGM was purchased by a consortium which includes the Viacom and The CBS Corporation. As a result, Paramount Television assumed worldwide distribution and certain domestic distribution of the television library from MGM Television. After Viacom bought MGM, the company was referred to as MGM Worldwide Television Distribution A Unit of Paramount Television now A Unit of CBS Paramount Television Group.
On January 17, 2006, MGM announced that it would drop Viacom as its TV and anime series distributor by shifting its Japanese anime as CBS Paramount Television, and relaunching its TV production/distribution arm of CBS Paramount Television Group. In May 15, MGM announced that they will produced by CBS Paramount Television and now CBS Television Studios.