issues . please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . learn how and when to remove these template messages this article contains embedded lists that may be better presented using prose . you can help by converting the list or lists to prose if appropriate . editing help is available . april 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message this article needs additional citations for verification . please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . unsourced material may be challenged and removed . april 2015 learn how and when to remove this template message learn how and when to remove this template message cbs studios inc. type subsidiary industry television production predecessor paramount television cbs productions founded los angeles california usa january 17 2006 2006 01 17 as cbs paramount television headquarters los angeles california united states key people david stapf president parent cbs corporation website www.cbstelevisionstudios.com cbs television studios cts is an american television production company that was formed on january 17 2006 by cbs corporation merging paramount television and cbs productions . it is the television production arm of the cbs network cbs productions previously assumed such functions and alongside warner bros. television it is also the television production arm of the cw television network in which cbs has a 50 % ownership stake . contents 1 background and timeline 1.1 cbs 1.2 paramount pictures early television ventures 1.3 desilu productions 1.4 paramount television 1.5 viacom 1.6 spelling television inc. 1.7 worldvision enterprises 1.8 king world 1.9 group w 1.10 cbs paramount television 1.11 the production company today cbs television studios 2 past names 3 shows produced starting in 2009 3.1 airing on cbs 3.2 airing on the cw 3.3 airing on other networks 4 see also 5 references 6 external links background and timeline edit cbs edit 1952 the columbia broadcasting system forms an in house television production unit cbs productions a.k.a. the cbs television network as well as facilities in the newly established cbs television city in hollywood . also formed is cbs television film sales later known as cbs films as the distributor of off network and first run syndicated programming to local television stations in the united states and abroad . 1963 cbs studio center is established in studio city california . 1971 cbs films is spun off as viacom international inc. 1974 the company is re established as cbs inc. 1978 the production unit is renamed cbs entertainment productions 1994 westinghouse electric acquires cbs . 1999 viacom merges with its creator cbs . paramount pictures early television ventures edit 1939 established experimental television stations in los angeles w6xyz as television productions inc. and chicago w9xbk with balaban and katz . 1943 began commercial broadcasting over wbkb in chicago now wbbm . 1947 began commercial broadcasting over ktla in los angeles . 1949 the first major studio to establish program syndication as paramount television network much of which originated from ktla . 1964 paramount branched out of broadcasting with the sale of ktla to golden west broadcasters . desilu productions edit 1950 desilu productions formed by desi arnaz and lucille ball . 1 2 1957 desilu studios is established in hollywood and culver city after arnaz ball purchased the rko studio lot . 1962 desilu sales inc. is formed as the company s syndication arm . 1967 desilu productions is acquired by gulf western industries . the company becomes the tv division of paramount pictures corporation in july retaining the desilu name until the end of that year . 3 desilu sales in turn merges with paramount s syndication division to become paramount television sales . paramount television edit 1966 gulf western acquires paramount pictures . 1967 paramount television enterprises releases 60 titles from their post 1949 feature film library to television broadcasters under the paramount portfolio i umbrella package . 1968 paramount television formerly desilu is established as the studio s television production unit . 4 1977 paramount television service is formed . 1982 paramount television group and paramount domestic television and video programming are established . 1989 september gulf western is reincorporated as paramount communications inc. 1994 march 11 viacom acquired paramount communications resulting in the formation of paramount viacom as a byline for several of viacom s subsidiaries . 1995 viacom launched the united paramount network upn with chris craft industries . viacom edit 1971 viacom enterprises is established for domestic and overseas syndication of off network and first run television programs from various independent producers . 1974 viacom productions is formed as the company s television production unit . 1986 viacom switches from a syndicate to a media conglomerate . 1995 viacom enterprises was folded into paramount domestic television . the name paramount network television pnt was also used for the first time ever viacom productions would also become a division of pnt . 2004 viacom productions was folded into paramount network television by ceasing its television operations . spelling television inc. edit main articles aaron spelling and spelling television 1967 thomas spelling productions formed by aaron spelling and danny thomas . 1969 aaron spelling productions was established . 1972 spelling goldberg productions formed by aaron spelling and leonard goldberg . 1988 aaron spelling productions acquires laurel entertainment inc. and worldvision enterprises inc. 1989 aaron spelling productions is renamed spelling entertainment inc. 1991 spelling entertainment inc. is acquired by the jacksonville based charter company . 1992 spelling entertainment group introduces spelling television inc. as the label for the company s production unit . 1992 the charter company becomes spelling entertainment group . 1993 blockbuster buys spelling entertainment group . 1994 spelling entertainment group acquires republic pictures . 5 1999 viacom acquires 80 % of spelling entertainment group such as spelling television and rysher entertainment s tv holdings . worldvision enterprises edit 1953 the american broadcasting company forms abc film syndication inc. renamed abc films in 1962 as the domestic syndicator of independent programming supplied for the network . 1962 abc international and the worldvision corporation are established as the network s international distribution branch to other countries . 1973 worldvision enterprises wve adapted from abc s original domestic syndication arm . 1979 worldvision acquired by taft entertainment company teco 1988 worldvision acquired by spelling from great american broadcasting successor to taft beginning in 1987 . king world edit 1964 king world productions kwp founded by charles king . 1999 cbs acquires king world and forms cbs enterprises inc. after which eyemark entertainment folds into king world . 2000 after viacom s merger with cbs paramount tv acquires cbs enterprises which included king world at that time . 2006 september 26 as part of the corporate restructuring king world along with cbs paramount domestic television and cbs paramount international television forms the cbs television distribution group . group w edit 1961 wbc productions and wbc program sales inc. established by westinghouse broadcasting for first run program syndication . 1968 october 14 the company is renamed group w productions to emphasize the moniker of the parent company which was established five years prior . 1995 westinghouse electric acquires cbs and the company is renamed to cbs inc. 1995 group w productions is renamed eyemark entertainment . cbs paramount television edit cbs paramount television logo used from 2006 to 2009 . 2004 august 10 viacom merged the international television banners of cbs broadcast international and paramount international television to form cbs paramount international television . 2004 viacom merged cbs productions and paramount network television to form cbs paramount network television . their respective logos remain the same . 2006 when the cbs viacom split took effect cbs inherited paramount s tv program library with the new viacom keeping paramount s films the mtv networks and the bet networks . 2006 on january 17 cbs corporation ceo les moonves announced that paramount television would be renamed cbs paramount television as of that day after merging with cbs productions with both the cbs eyemark and paramount s mountain united in the new logo and the network division becoming cbs paramount network television . 6 2006 cbs corp. merged its tv distribution arms king world cbs paramount international television and cbs paramount domestic television to form cbs television distribution ctd . 2009 june 1 cbs quietly drops the paramount name after a three and a half year loan of its use from now sister company viacom forming cbs television studios . 7 the production company today cbs television studios edit cbs paramount television was the only cbs division that used the paramount name and logo in its own name and logo paramount pictures is currently owned by the post 2006 viacom that was spun off from cbs which was once known as the old viacom . all three of its original divisions had used paramount in their name cbs paramount network television the production arm cbs paramount domestic television the us distribution arm and cbs paramount international television the international distribution arm . when the companies split cbs had permission to use the paramount name for three years . the contract expired in 2009 and thus the paramount name is now gone from television for good after 42 years as a production company 39 as paramount television and before that the owners of two early television stations ktla and wbkb an earlier production company telemount productions and part owners of the dumont television network . the new company exempts programming from the revived cbs productions the in name only producer of 90210 melrose place and three rivers among others . national amusements retains majority control of both cbs and the new viacom . for a short time many of paramount s theatrical films were distributed domestically by cbs television distribution the new name for the distribution arm as of 2007 . 8 paramount home media distribution continues to distribute home video sales of cbs shows through the cbs dvd brand . the studio has an output deal with australia s channel ten which means that ten usually gets first airing rights to the studio s productions . until recently in the u.s. king world distributed its product independently from cbs paramount domestic television while internationally cbs paramount international television handled distribution and sales . as of september 16 2007 the cbs television distribution logo appears after shows that had been distributed by king world . from 2009 until 2011 all shows produced by the company aired either on cbs or the cw . in the past paramount television produced shows for all networks but especially had a good relationship with abc much as universal television had a good relationship with now co owned nbc . the cleaner which aired on a & e until september 2009 was the most recent show from the company to air on a network other than cbs or the cw which is ironic when nbc abc s ownership of a & e is taken into account . this was until black entertainment television began airing new episodes of the game in 2011 . in 2012 usa network began airing common law . cts does not directly produce any shows appearing on showtime a premium cable television network co owned with the studio . instead sister company showtime entertainment handles in house productions for the network . however ctd and its international arm do handle syndication distribution for these shows if they ever appear in syndication . past names edit cbs paramount television cbs paramount network television 2006 2009 paramount television group 1967 2006 desilu productions inc. 1951 1967 cbs productions 1952 2006 2008 2012 viacom productions 1974 2004 spelling television 1969 2006 taft entertainment television 1981 1988 big ticket entertainment 1994 2006 on network television still produced judge judy but otherwise in name only shows produced starting in 2009 edit airing on cbs edit title years co production csi crime scene investigation 2000 2015 with jerry bruckheimer television and alliance atlantis the amazing race 2001 present with jerry bruckheimer