Universal Media Studios

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Universal Media Studios
Type	Subsidiary
Founded	2007
Headquarters	Universal City, CA, USA
Key people	Ben Silverman, Co-chairman Marc Graboff, Co-chairman/CEO
Industry	Television Production
Owner	General Electric Co. (80%) Vivendi SA (20%)
Parent	NBC Universal Television Group (NBC Universal, Inc.)
Website	www.nbcuni.com

Universal Media Studios (UMS, formerly NBC Universal Television Studio) is the TV production arm of the NBC Universal Television Group. It was previously known as Revue Studios, NBC Studios, and Universal Network Television. Both NBC Studios and Universal Network Television are predecessors of Universal Media Studios.

The name was changed in 2004 to reflect the NBC Universal brand. However, on Thursday, June 14, 2007, NBC Universal Television Studio, in immediate effect, was renamed Universal Media Studios. The parent company, NBC Universal, explained that the reason for the name change of the production arm was because "the new name fully describes the company's mission to be the premier content provider for television and digital platforms, spanning all television dayparts and creative genres."^[1]

The first series ordered under the new name was supposed to be the upcoming Without Breasts There Is No Paradise.^[2] However, the new logo debuted after November 5th's episode of Heroes. The logo took over all of the old NBC Universal logos on other shows such as House, M.D., Bionic Woman, The Office, and Friday Night Lights.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Revue Studios 1.2 Universal Television 1.3 MCA Television 1.4 Studios USA 2 Currently produced 3 Future productions 4 Formerly produced 5 References

[edit] History

[edit] Revue Studios

Revue Studios (first known as Revue Productions) was founded in 1943 by MCA to produce live shows. The partnership of NBC and Revue extends as far back as September 6, 1950, with the television broadcast of Armour Theatre, based on radio's Stars Over Hollywood. The company was renamed Revue Studios after MCA brought the Universal Studios lot in 1958. Four years later in 1962, following the acquisition of Universal Pictures, Revue was renamed Universal Television.

During the early years of television, Revue was responsible for producing and/or distributing many television classics. The most noteworthy of such, included Leave It to Beaver, which ran for only one season on CBS before going to ABC from 1958 until 1963. In addition, Revue also made The Jack Benny Program for CBS and NBC, Alfred Hitchcock Presents for CBS, and westerns such as Tales of Wells Fargo and Laramie for NBC, as well as Wagon Train for NBC and ABC, and the first two seasons of The Virginian , based on a film released originally by Paramount Pictures, whose pre-1950 theatrical sound library was sold to MCA in 1957) for NBC. Wagon Train was the only Revue-produced TV show to ever finish a U.S. television season in first place.

[edit] Universal Television

Universal Television was an American television production/distribution company that was reincorporated from Revue Studios in 1966, four years after MCA bought Universal Pictures (though the Revue name had been phased out, little by little, during the previous three years starting in 1963). Uni TV co-produced many shows with Jack Webb's Mark VII Limited such as Adam-12 and a revival of the 1951 series Dragnet.

In 1990, Uni TV began the Law & Order franchise. In 1996, MCA was reincorporated as Universal Studios. The same time around, Universal was acquired by Joseph A. Seagram and Sons and later acquired the USA Networks and Multimedia Entertainment. In 1997, the company formed Universal Worldwide Television. In 1998, Universal sold off its USA Networks and Universal Television to Barry Diller and renamed it to Studios USA.

In 1999, Seagram bought PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, which included PolyGram Television and the post-1996 film library (plus some of the pre-1996 films). The deal closed in 2000 and quickly adapted PolyGram to the Universal name. Vivendi Universal acquired Studios USA and made Diller as CEO of VU Entertainment fully reforming Universal Television.

On May 12, 2004, GE formed NBC Universal Television. However, the company decided to keep the NBC and Universal Television names in the end credits from any series by NBC or Universal.

[edit] MCA Television

MCA TV (also known as MCA TV, Ltd.), was an American television production/distribution company that was founded in 1951, several years before parent MCA's purchase of the U.S. branch of Decca Records (in 1959) and Universal Pictures (in 1962).

For more than four decades, it was one of the most active producers of television programming. MCA TV's other television divisions included Universal Television and MCA Television Enterprises.

In 1996/1997, MCA TV was folded into Universal Television, becoming Universal Television Enterprises.

See also: Operation Prime Time

• MCA Television Enterprises (also known as MCA Television Entertainment and MTE) was the specialty division of MCA Television Ltd., focusing on TV movies for cable and network television, as well as direct to video fare. It was formed in 1987. Like MCA TV, in 1996/1997 it folded into Universal Television.

• EMKA, Ltd. is the holding company responsible for a majority of the pre-1950 Paramount Pictures sound library. Although now officially part of the Universal Pictures library, they are technically part of Universal Media Studios' television unit.

[edit] Studios USA

Studios USA was a American film and television production/distribution company formed by Barry Diller when he bought Universal Television and the USA Networks from Seagram's Universal Studios in 1998. It produced and distributed talk shows, including Sally Jessy Raphael, The Jerry Springer Show, and Maury. It also produced shows formerly from Universal Television, including the Law & Order franchise. The company also formed USA Films and USA Home Entertainment. In 2002, Vivendi Universal acquired Studios USA and the rest of USA's non-shopping (film and TV) assets, and reverted the remaining series produced and/or distributed by Studios USA to Universal Television.

[edit] Currently produced

• 30 Rock (NBC)
• American Gladiators (NBC)
• Bionic Woman (NBC)
• Battlestar Galactica (SCI FI)
• Eureka (SCI FI)
• Friday Night Lights (NBC)
• Heroes (NBC)
• House (Fox)
• Las Vegas (NBC, co-production with DreamWorks Television)
• Last Call with Carson Daly (NBC)
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC)
• Law & Order (NBC)
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent (USA)
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)
• Life (NBC)
• Lipstick Jungle (NBC)
• Monk (USA, co-production with ABC Studios)
• Psych (USA)
• Passions (NBC) 1999-2007, (The 101) 2007-2008
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC)
• The Apprentice (NBC)

[edit] Future productions

• Without Breasts There Is No Paradise (NBC)

[edit] Formerly produced

See NBC Universal Television Distribution.

[edit] References

v • d • e NBC Universal, Inc. (a subsidiary of General Electric and Vivendi) Universal Studios Focus Features • Islands of Adventure • Rogue Pictures • United International Pictures1 • Universal Animation Studios • Universal Studios Home Entertainment • Universal Playback • Universal Orlando Resort • Universal Pictures • Universal Studios Hollywood Theme Park • Universal Studios Florida Theme Park • Universal Studios Japan • Universal Studios Singapore • Universal Studios Theme Parks • Universal CityWalk Broadcast TV assets NBC • Telemundo • NBC News • NBC Sports NBC Universal Cable A&E Television Networks (25%) • Bravo • Chiller • CNBC • MSNBC2 • Mun2 • NBC Weather Plus • Oxygen • Sci Fi Channel • ShopNBC • Sleuth • Sundance Channel (co-owned with Robert Redford and CBS Corporation) • Telemundo Internacional • Telemundo Puerto Rico • Trio • Universal HD • USA Network CNBC global channels CNBC (US) • CNBC World • CNBC Latin America • CNBC Europe • CNBC Asia • CNBC Africa CNBC Europe branches Class CNBC (20%) • CNBC-e • CNBC Arabiya (according to CNBC Europe) • CNBC Nordic • CNBC Africa • TVN CNBC Biznes CNBC Asia branches Nikkei CNBC • CNBC-TV18 • CNBC Awaaz • CNBC Pakistan • CNBC Australia • CNBC Hong Kong • CNBC Singapore NBC Universal global networks SCI FI Channel • 13th Street • Universal Channel • Hallmark Channel • Movies 24 • KidsCo7 • Diva TV • Studio Universal • Das Vierte • Sci Fi global channels US • UK • Germany • France • Australia • Spain • Benelux • Poland • Romania • Russia • Latin America NBC Universal Television Group NBC Studios • NBC Universal Television Distribution • Telemundo Television Studios • Telemundo of Puerto Rico Studios • Universal Media Studios NBC O&Os KNBC • KNSD3 • KNTV • KXAS3 • WCAU • WMAQ • WNBC • WRC • WTVJ8 • WVIT8 Telemundo O&Os KBLR • KEJT-LP • KHRR • KDEN • KNSO • KTAZ • KTMD • KVDA • KSTS • KVEA • KXTX • WKAQ • WNEU6 • WNJU • WSCV • WSNS ShopNBC O&Os WWDP Spanish independent TV stations KWHY Internet ventures: msnbc.com2 • NBBC4 • iVillage • Television Without Pity • OUTzoneTV.com • getTRIO.com • BrilliantButCancelled.com • calamitygame.com • Hulu Other assets: qubo5 • EMKA, Ltd. 50%, with Viacom's Paramount Pictures. Co-owned with Microsoft in a joint venture (82% owned by NBC, 18% owned by Microsoft). The stations are co-owned with LIN TV in a joint venture (76% owned by NBC, 24% owned by LIN). A joint venture between NBC Universal and its broadcast affiliates. Co-owned with Corus Entertainment, Classic Media, Scholastic Books and ION Media Networks The station is owned by NBC Universal, but is controlled by ZGS Broadcast Holdings. Co-owned with Corus Entertainment and DiC Entertainment. These stations have been put up for sale by NBC Universal. Buyer(s) are anonymous or unannounced at this time.