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Metromedia
Metromedia (also often '''MetroMedia''') was a media company that owned radio station|radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986.
Overview
The company arose from the ashes of the DuMont Television Network, the world's first[Spielvogel, Carl. "Advertising: an acquisition set." ''The New York Times'', Dec. 20, 1959.] (all in 1959); and WIP (AM)|WIP-AM-WMMR|FM in Philadelphia and WTVP television (now WAND) in Decatur, Illinois (both in 1960). In 1961, Kluge changed the company's name to '''Metromedia'''. However, the Metropolitan Broadcasting name was retained for its broadcasting division until 1967. ["Metromedia Gets Its TV Team in Uniform; Restyles Its Look with New Graphics Discipline." (PDF) Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting magazine, March 25, 1968, pp. 56-57.]
Also in 1961, Metromedia purchased KMBZ|KMBC AM-KMBC-TV|TV and KKSN|KMBR FM in Kansas City, Missouri. In separate 1963 deals the company expanded into Los Angeles, buying first KTTV, and later KLAC (AM)|KLAC and KLAC-FM (later KMET (FM)|KMET and now KTWV). Metromedia also entered the realm of live entertainment by purchasing the Ice Capades (in 1963) and the Harlem Globetrotters (in 1967). ["Ice Capades Acquired By Metromedia, Inc." ''The New York Times'', May 14, 1963.][Gent, George. "Metromedia buys Globetrotters; TV chain will add team to Ice Capades operation." ''The New York Times'', May 24, 1967.] Later in the decade Metromedia opened a television production center in Los Angeles, known as Metromedia Square, which served as the studio facility for numerous network programs. Metromedia also owned a TV production and distribution company called '''Metromedia Producers Corporation''' (MPC), established in 1968 from David L. Wolper|Wolper Productions. MPC produced and syndicated various programs and TV movies, most notably the game show ''Truth or Consequences'' and the 1972-83 version of ''The Merv Griffin Show''.
Metromedia spent the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s increasing its television and radio station portfolio, and continued to expand its syndication business. They entered the Record industry|record business in 1969 when they launched the '''Metromedia Records''' label, whose biggest-selling artist was Bobby Sherman; but the label went out of business by 1974. In 1982 Metromedia made its biggest broadcasting purchase when it acquired WCVB-TV in Boston for 0 million, which at the time was the largest amount ever spent on a single television station property. [Schwartz, Tony. "Metromedia seeks TV station." ''The New York Times'', July 23, 1981.] Two years later, John Kluge bought out Metromedia's shareholders and took the company private. [Cuff, Daniel F. "Business people; Metromedia's founder begins new challenge." ''The New York Times'', Dec. 14, 1983.]
On May 6, 1985, Kluge announced the sale of Metromedia's television stations, and Metromedia Producers Corp., to the News Corporation (owned by Australian newspaper publisher Rupert Murdoch) and 20th Century Fox|20th Century Fox Film Corporation (owned jointly by Murdoch and Marvin Davis) for .5 billion. With the exception of WCVB-TV (which was subsequently sold to the Hearst Corporation), all of the former Metromedia stations formed the nucleus of the Fox Broadcasting Company, while MPC was folded into 20th Century Fox Television. The transactions became official on March 6, 1986. [Cole, Robert J.. "Murdoch to buy & TV stations; cost billion." ''The New York Times'', May 7, 1985.] Kluge also sold Metromedia's outdoor advertising firm, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Ice Capades in that same year, and spun-off the radio stations into a separate company (which ironically took on the Metropolitan Broadcasting name) before they were sold to various other owners by the early 1990s. [Stevenson, Richard W. "Metromedia ad business sale". ''The New York Times'', Jan. 21, 1986.][Fabrikant, Geraldine. "Metromedia set to sell Globetrotters, ice show." ''The New York Times'', Mar. 5, 1986.]["Metromedia sells 9 radio stations." Associated Press, Nov. 20, 1986.]
In retaliation for a lawsuit brought by Paul Winchell, who sought the rights to his children's television program, "Winchell-Mahoney Time," Metromedia management unethically destroyed the video tapes. Mr. Winchell was later awarded nearly million as compensation for Metromedia's capricious behavior.
The Metromedia name has lived on in other projects by Kluge such as the Metromedia Restaurant Group, though the ventures have been largely unrelated to television. When Kluge bought into Major League Soccer in 1995, the club he operated was named ''MetroStars'' (now Red Bull New York) after his company.
Based on the common link to Metromedia, television historian Clarke Ingram claims that Fox is a direct descendant, if not a revival, of DuMont. Indeed, the former WNEW-TV, now Fox flagship WNYW, is still headquartered in the former Metromedia Telecenter, now known as the Fox Television Center.
Typesetting
Beginning in 1967, Metromedia's television stations began utilizing a sans-serif font for their on-air logo. The typeface was a proprietary font called '''Metromedia Television Alphabet''', [ which was as distinctive as the typesetting employed by Westinghouse Broadcasting|Group W for its TV and radio stations beginning in 1963. ''Metromedia Television Alphabet'' was used for the channel numbers of its television stations until 1977, when another typeface modeled slightly after the Futura (typeface)|Futura family was introduced.
] Former Metromedia stations
Television stations
TV series produced and/or distributed by MPC
- ''The Ann Sothern Show''
- ''Allen Ludden's Gallery''
- ''Charlie's Angels'' *
- ''The Cross-Wits''
- ''Dusty's Trail''
- ''Dynasty (TV series)|Dynasty'' (distributor, 1985-1986)
- ''Family (TV series)|Family'' *
- ''Firehouse (TV series)|Firehouse''
- ''The Great Space Coaster'' (co-produced with Sunbow Productions)
- ''Groovie Goolies and Friends''
- ''Hart to Hart'' *
- ''Hit Man (game show)|Hit Man''
- ''The Howdy Doody Show'' (1976 revival series)
- ''Jeopardy!'' (original version - distributor, 1974; now distributed by Sony Pictures Television)
- ''Mayberry RFD'' (distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. Television)
- ''The Merv Griffin Show|Merv Griffin Show'' (distributor/co-producer, 1972-1983 now distributed by Sony Pictures Television and owned by Merv Griffin Entertainment)
- ''My Favorite Martian'' (distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. Television)
- ''National Geographic Specials'' (1964-71)
- ''Primus (TV series)|Primus'' (1971-72)
- ''Queen for a Day'' (1969-1970)
- ''Small Wonder (TV series)|Small Wonder'' (production company, 1985-1986)
- ''Soul Train'' (syndicated by Tribune Entertainment then Trifecta Entertainment and Media)
- ''Starsky and Hutch'' *
- ''Star Search'' (production company, 1983-86)
- ''Strike Force''
- ''S.W.A.T. (TV Series)|S.W.A.T.'' *
- ''That Girl'' (distributor; now distributed by CBS Television Distribution)
- ''Thicke of the Night'' (distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. Television)
- ''T.J. Hooker'' *
- ''Too Close for Comfort (TV series)|Too Close for Comfort''
- ''Truth or Consequences'' (distributor, 1966-78)
- ''The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau''
- ''Untamed World''
- ''Vauldeville''
- ''Vega$''
- ''Paul Winchell|Winchell-Mahoney Time''
- ''Wonderama''
* -- ''MPC was the international distributor for these programs. Distribution was later transferred to 20th Century Fox Television, following Murdoch's acquisition of MPC. These programs ane now distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television. In the United States, Sony Pictures Television and its predecessor, Columbia Pictures Television, was always the distributor of syndicated repeats of these programs.''
References
External links
- John Kluge at The Museum of Broadcast Communications
*
*
- (''Note - although three separate companies are listed on the IMDb, it should be understood that Metromedia Producers Corporation, Metromedia Productions and Metromedia Television are all different names given for the same production company.'')
- New York times 1986 announcement of MetroMedia liquidation
- Metromedia station logo history from 1950s to today
Category:Broadcasting companies of the United States
Category:Defunct broadcasting companies of the United States
Category:Metromedia|
Category:Fox television network
Category:Companies established in 1956
Category:News Corporation subsidiaries
Category:DuMont Television Network
Category:Defunct radio networks in the United States
Category:Companies disestablished in 1986
Related Images- Metromedia Producers Corporation logo
Sources: StartLearningNow, Wikipedia | Usage license: GNU FDL
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