Multimedia Entertainment
Multimedia Entertainment, Inc. (formerly Avco Broadcasting Corporation Syndicated Division, Avco Program Sales, Multimedia Program Sales and Multimedia Program Productions) was an American television production/distribution company originally formed in 1968.
History
The firm was launched, first as Avco Broadcasting Corporation Syndicated Division, and later in 1972 as Avco Program Sales in 1968 as a television production/distribution company owned by the
In 1971, Avco Broadcasting Corporation's syndicated unit teamed up with cartoon producer Hanna-Barbera Productions to launch two holiday specials for Thanksgiving and Christmas by 1972.[2] The following year, by 1973, Avco Broadcasting and Meredith Corporation teamed up to produce nine family-oriented television specials for syndication (including the Meredith and Avco stations) by way of its Avco Program Sales division.[3]
In 1976, Multimedia, Inc., a Greenville, South Carolina-based newspaper publisher and broadcaster, purchased the production and syndication rights to The Phil Donahue Show and the regionally distributed Bob Braun Show from Avco, which was breaking up its media interests. Multimedia also acquired WLWT in Cincinnati, Avco's flagship station, and initially based its syndication division there. The division was first named as Multimedia Program Sales,[4] then as Multimedia Program Productions in 1977,[5] before landing on its Multimedia Entertainment name in 1983.[6] For the next two decades Multimedia Entertainment specialized in audience-participation daytime talk shows with Donahue as its flagship program.
In 1981, Multimedia acquired Show Biz Inc., syndicator of country music television programs such as
On September 17, 1991, Multimedia acquired assets of
Multimedia Entertainment was included in the sale of Multimedia to the
The rights to the Multimedia Entertainment name were retained by Gannett, and were transferred to
Tegna, Multimedia's successor, re-entered the syndication business in 2017 with the series
Syndicated programs
This is a listing of programs which were either produced or distributed by Multimedia Entertainment:
- Almost Live! (late 1990s)
- Crook & Chase (1996-1997)
- The Pat Bullard Show (1996-1997)
- The Phil Donahue Show / Donahue (1970–1996)
- Rush Limbaugh: The Television Show (1992–1996)
- The Dennis Prager Show (1994–1995)[13]
- The Sally Jessy Raphael Show / Sally(1983–1997)
- Big Break (1990-1991)
- The Jerry Springer Show (1991–1997)
- Sweethearts(1988–1989)
- The $100,000 Pyramid(1991, season 2)
- Young People's Specials (1984–1985)[14]
Films
- Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood (a.k.a. The River Pirates) (1988)
- Murder Between Friends (filmed 1993, first broadcast January 10, 1994)
See also
- Avco
- Crosley Broadcasting Corporation (later Avco Broadcasting Corporation)
References
- ^ "Program notes" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 25, 1969. p. 46. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "Program notes" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 15, 1971. p. 47. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "Joint ventures" (PDF). Broadcasting. January 8, 1973. p. 31. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "TV programmers" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 15, 1976. p. 78. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "Fates & Fortunes" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 4, 1977. p. 88. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "Multimedia Program Productions is now Multimedia Entertainment" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 24, 1983. p. 47. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee on April 17, 1981 · Page 11". Newspapers.com. 17 April 1981. Retrieved 2019-02-02.
- ^ "Monitor" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1981-02-16. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
- ^ "AP News Archive" Multimedia Buys Television Programming Assets apnewsarchive.com, Retrieved on October 19, 2013
- ^ "Multimedia movement" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1991-04-22. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
- ^ "Russell to head Multimedia long-form shop" (PDF). Broadcasting. 1991-10-28. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
- ^ Miller, Nick. "Gannett Sells Talk Shows", The Cincinnati Post, November 25, 1996.
- ^ "The Dennis Prager Show". Retrieved 19 April 2018 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ "My First Swedish Bombshell". 28 November 1984. Retrieved 19 April 2018 – via www.imdb.com.