Viacom

Viacom formed when FCC rules had forced CBS to spin off some of its cable TV and program operations, this happened in 1971. Viacom then buys WAST-TV in 1979, in 1985 Blockbuster Video is founded, in 1981 the NAI buys majority interest ( Sumner Redstone owns this), in 1994 Viacom announces multi-transponder, multi-satellite agreement with PanAmSat. Also in 1994 Viacom and Paramount announces 8.4 billion dollar merger, Viacom then sells its 33% share of Lifetime. In 1995 Viacom spins off its cable systems for Tele-communications, in 1999 Viacom bought CBS for 50 billion dollars. There are other acquisitions and selling's through which Viacom became so large, but I did not include every little thing.

Sumner M. Redstone has been chairperson since 1987, he did not become CEO of the company until 1996. However, Mel Karmazin became president and CEO of Viacom in May 2000. He was previously the president of CBS and he oversees all the operations of the corporation. He joined CBS in 1997 where he was chairperson and CEO and when Infinity merged with CBS radio he was chairperson there from 1981, until Infinity became a full subsidiary of Viacom in Feb. 2001.

Viacom is a leading global media company, with many positions in broadcasting cable, television, radio, outdoor advertising, and online. With programming it appeals to audiences in every category across all media, the company is a leader in the creation, promotion, and distribution of entertainment, news, sports, music, and comedy. Viacom's well known brands include CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, VH1, BET, Paramount Pictures, Infinity Broadcasting, Viacom Outdoor, UPN, TV Land, Comedy Central, CMT: Country Music Television, and Showtime.

Some of the Broadcast and Cable Television that were by Viacom are some of the following:

CBS Television Network is the Number one most watched network with more than two hundred stations providing viewers with some of the nation's best entertainment, news and sports programming. Popular programs include CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Everybody Loves Raymond, Survivor, the Late Show with David Letterman and 60 Minutes. Sports stations however, include the NFL and the NCAA Basketball Championship. Daytime drama The Young and The Restless leads a daytime programming lineup that has been Number One for more than 15 years.

MTV Networks owns and operates many of the most popular basic cable television programming services. MTV: Music Television, the world's most widely distributed television network, reaches nearly four hundred-five million subscribers in one hundred sixty-four countries and territories. Nickelodeon serves one hundred seventy-eight million subscribers worldwide localized channels, and individual programs. VH1 reaches more than one hundred thirteen million subscribers around the world, and Comedy Central reaches more than eighty-six million subscribers in all fifty states and U.S. territories. Other services include CMT: Country Music Television, Nick at Nite, TV Land, and The Digital Suite from MTV Networks.

BET is the Black Entertainment Television, the largest national cable network serving African-Americans, reaching more than eighty-nine million U.S. subscribers; BET on Jazz: The Jazz Channel, the country's only 24-hour network devoted to jazz music; BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, newly launched digital networks; BET Books; BET Pictures, which produces made-for-TV movies and documentaries; and BET.com, the leading online destination for African-Americans.

The Viacom Television Stations Group consists of thirty-nine television stations, reaching fifteen of the top twenty television markets in the United States. The division includes twenty owned-and-operated CBS stations, eighteen UPN stations and one independent station. The CBS Television Stations Division has eight major markets, including Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and San Francisco.

One of the Productions by Viacom is the following:

Paramount Television is one of the largest producers and distributors of television programming for network and cable primetime, daytime, first run international cable platforms. The division presents more than fifty-five thousand hours of its programming library

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