Telepictures Distribution
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Entertainment, Television, television syndication |
| Founded | 1978 |
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Key people
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Michael Garin (Founder) |
| Owner | Warner Bros. |
| Parent | Time Warner |
Telepictures (also known as Telepictures Productions; formerly known as Telepictures Distribution and Telepictures Corporation) is an American television and film production company, currently operating as a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Television. Telepictures was established in 1978 by Michael Garin as a television syndication firm.
The company syndicated Rankin-Bass's programming and specials that were produced from 1974 to 1988, including new and successful animated series, such as ThunderCats and SilverHawks. Telepictures indeed bought Rankin-Bass outright in 1983. In addition, Telepictures had syndicated numerous television programs such as My Favorite Martian, Here's Lucy, Love Connection, and the original The People's Court. Telepictures also operated a small publishing arm, which published magazines, such as Muppet Magazine and GoBots Magazine.
In January 1986, the company merged with Merv Adelson and Lee Rich's Lorimar Productions, creating Lorimar-Telepictures and assumed production and distribution of shows like Dallas and Knots Landing. The company also began distribution of first-run episodes of Mama's Family in June 1986.
The company briefly dabbled into owning television stations by purchasing charter Fox affiliate WPGH-TV in Pittsburgh and attempted to purchase then-CBS affiliate WTVJ in Miami. However, after CBS made a half-hearted attempt to purchase Fox affiliate WCIX from Taft Broadcasting (CBS would later make a more serious attempt to purchase the station two years later and succeeded; it is now CBS O&O WFOR-TV), Telepictures backed off from purchasing WTVJ. (NBC eventually purchased the station; it remains an NBC O&O today.) The company would then subsequently sell WPGH-TV to Renaissance Broadcasting after only a year in ownership; WPGH-TV, which went through several owners in the 1980s, wouldn't have stable ownership until current owner Sinclair Broadcast Group (which had been outbid by Telepictures for the station in 1986) bought the station from Renaissance in 1990.
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Wikipedia