Worldvision Enterprises

Worldvision Enterprises
Founded	March 30, 1973 (reincorporated from ABC Films)
Dissolved	1999 (folded into Paramount Domestic Television)
President
Notable Works	The Flintstones The Jetsons The Fugitive Bonanza Little House on the Prairie The Streets of San Francisco Let's Make a Deal Beverly Hills 90210

Worldvision Enterprises was an American television distribution company. It is a predecessor of what is now CBS Media Ventures.

History

Worldvision was formed on March 30, 1973 after being reincorporated from ABC Films by five former executives of the latter company, who purchased it from ABC following a 1970 Federal Communications Commission ruling that prohibited the American broadcast networks from distributing their own programming for off-network syndication or producing programs for first-run syndication.

Soon after Worldvision's formation, the religious charity World Vision International sued Worldvision over its use of the name, claiming trademark infringement. The two companies later settled the case, with Worldvision being allowed to continue using its name provided it used the disclaimer "Not affiliated with World Vision International, a religious and charitable organization" in its closing logo, which it began doing in 1974.

Taft Broadcasting bought Worldvision in 1979. That same year, it began distributing shows from Quinn Martin Productions (which Taft had bought at the same time). It also absorbed Taft H-B Program Sales and assumed distribution rights to Hanna-Barbera's animated catalogue. In 1981, Worldvision began distributing the Ruby-Spears Enterprises library with Taft's purchase of the latter. Taft became Great American Broadcasting in 1987 and sold Worldvision to Spelling Entertainment in 1988, retaining distribution rights to the Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears libraries until Hanna-Barbera and most of the Ruby-Spears catalogue were bought in 1991 by Turner Entertainment, which then placed their distribution rights with Turner Program Services (now part of Warner Bros. Television Distribution).

In 1994, Worldvision absorbed Republic Pictures Television when Spelling purchased RPT parent Republic Pictures, assuming the syndication rights to the RPT catalogue (also including shows previously distributed by NBC Films and National Telefilm Associates). When Spelling Entertainment merged with Viacom in 1999, Worldvision's operations were folded into Paramount Domestic Television.

The Worldvision archive (including its predecessor companies) is now under the ownership of CBS Media Ventures.

External Links

• Worldvision Enterprises at the Internet Movie Database (requires subscription to IMDbPro)
• Worldvision Enterprises closing logos at Closing Logos Group Wiki