Columbia TriStar Television

**Columbia TriStar Television (CTT)** was an American television company that ran from 1994 to 2002. It was operated as the third name of the early television studio Screen Gems and the fourth name of Pioneer Telefilms, itself part of Sony Pictures Entertainment and the second company to use the Columbia and TriStar names together (the first being Columbia TriStar Home Video, now Sony Pictures Home Entertainment).

## History

Columbia TriStar Television was launched on February 21, 1994, as a merger between Columbia Pictures Television and TriStar Television under the leadership of Jon Feltheimer, who was president of TriStar Television from 1991 to 1994 and New World Television until 1991. After the merger, Columbia Pictures Television Distribution was renamed to **Columbia TriStar Television Distribution**, but the old name continued to appear on-screen until 1996. The new studio first entered production after dismantling and folding Merv Griffin Enterprises on June 4, by producing *Jeopardy!* and *Wheel of Fortune*, distributed by King World, starting in September 1994. Expanding its television library in 1994, SPE acquired Stewart Television.

Its global subsidiary, Columbia TriStar International Television, distributed Sony's programs across the globe. It was created in 1993 by renaming Columbia Pictures International Television. This was also the launch of the **Columbia TriStar Television Group** a year later.

The studio's US distribution arm, **Columbia TriStar Television Distribution**, was fully launched in 1996 to distribute Sony's programs all across America and to produce and distribute their own programs as well as movies for first-run syndication and cable.

In 1996, CTT launched their own animation division, Columbia TriStar Children's Television. The name was changed in 1997 to Adelaide Productions. Within dismantling of Columbia Pictures Television in 2001 and TriStar Television in 1999, these studios were folded into Columbia TriStar Television. In 1998, it made a partnership with Global Maritime Group to create the company called **Global Entertainment Productions GmbH & Co. Medien KG** used for copyright purposes. Here are the exceptions those: Columbia TriStar Television, Inc. remains as the copyright holder for *The King of Queens*, TriStar Television, Inc. remains as the copyright holder for *Early Edition*, and Adelaide Productions, Inc. is the copyright holder for animated series, except for *Dilbert* (see below). In 1999, they went back to the old way and ELP and TriStar TV ceased production operations. TriStar Television however, remains in-name-only. On October 25, 2001, CTT and CTTD merged to form **Columbia TriStar Domestic Television**.

### The end of CTT

On September 16, 2002, Sony Pictures Entertainment retired the name "Columbia TriStar" from television and renamed the American studio to Sony Pictures Television and its international division to Sony Pictures Television International. Some shows continued using the CTDT name, many stopped using it in November 2002, while *Hollywood Squares* continued using it until early 2003.

## See also

* Columbia Pictures Television
* TriStar Television
* Sony Pictures Television
* Columbia TriStar International Television