Key Video
 |
|
| General partnership | |
| Industry | Home Video |
| Fate | Partnership ended |
| Predecessor |
Magnetic Video 20th Century-Fox Video CBS Video Enterprises |
| Successor |
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment CBS Home Entertainment |
| Founded | June 18, 1982 |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Farmington Hills, Michigan (1982–1985) Livonia, Michigan (1985–1989) New York City (1989–1998) |
|
Area served
|
Worldwide |
| Products | Pre-Recorded VHS Pre-Recorded Betamax |
| Owner |
CBS Inc. (50%) 20th Century Fox (50%) |
| Parent |
CBS Inc. News Corporation |
The CBS/Fox Company, or CBS/Fox Video was a home video company formed and established in 1982, as a merger between 20th Century-Fox Video, formerly Magnetic Video Corporation, and CBS Video Enterprises which sold film libraries from major American film studios and was the American licensee of BBC Video releases. These products were released in the VHS, Laserdisc, and Betamax home video formats.
The company was based in Farmington Hills, Michigan (home of its predecessor Magnetic Video) until 1985, when it moved to Livonia, Michigan. In 1989, it moved its headquarters to New York City, where it stayed until it became Fox Video (now 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) in 1991.
CBS/Fox Video was founded under a 50-50 venture with 20th Century Fox in 1982 when CBS broke off a previous venture formed in 1980 with MGM. During this period, both companies continued to operate independently while maintaining their partnership. A reorganization occurred in 1990 with CBS selling products under the CBS Video name (which had been sparingly used since the 1970s) and mainstream Fox titles being controlled by FoxVideo; the change was enacted in 1991. In 1998, CBS/Fox was acquired by Fox Entertainment Group and later ceased operations. Since CBS/Fox disbanded, their film rights have been brought by 20th Century Fox and CBS merged with Viacom.
Before CBS/Fox Video existed, 20th Century Fox Video released a select few titles for rental only, including Dr. No, A Fistful of Dollars, Rocky, Taps, For Your Eyes Only and Star Wars. While sale tapes were in big boxes that were later used by CBS/Fox in its early years, Video Rental Library tapes were packaged in black clamshell cases. Similar approaches were taken by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video, and MGM/CBS Home Video around that time.
...
Wikipedia