Coca-Cola Telecommunications

Coca-Cola Telecommunications, Inc. was a television programming, production, syndication, and distribution unit created by Columbia Pictures Television, then part of The Coca-Cola Company. Established on November 4, 1986, it combined Columbia Pictures Television's first-run syndication division with The Television Program Source, a joint venture formed in 1984 by Alan Bennett, former King World president Robert King, and Columbia Pictures Television. The company operated during a period when major entertainment groups were expanding beyond theatrical film and network television into first-run syndication, basic cable, pay television, home shopping, and home video. The company was intended in part to revive the Screen Gems name as a distribution and library label. Its activities included the circulation of vintage Columbia programming, the development of new syndicated series, and participation in the colorization of black-and-white films and television programs. Among the titles associated with these activities were The Real McCoys and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. Coca-Cola Telecommunications also acquired a minority interest in Color Systems Technology and worked with that company on library colorization and distribution. In 1987, Coca-Cola acquired the assets of The Television Program Source outright, bringing its programs and personnel into Coca-Cola Telecommunications. Robert King became president. The expanded company handled first-run syndicated programming as well as material for basic cable, pay television, home shopping, and home video. Its activities included distribution of established game shows, children's programs, sitcoms, pilots, made-for-television films, and other projects produced with outside companies. Coca-Cola Telecommunications pursued a number of partnerships. A joint venture with Color Systems Technology, initially called Screen Gems/CST Entertainment and later renamed Screen Gems Classicolor, was established to distribute and monetize libraries of feature films and television series, including colorized versions of black-and-white titles. The company also worked with Paramount Domestic Television and Orbis Communications on international advertising sales and barter advertising for syndicated programs. Additional development arrangements involved Tribune Entertainment, Grosso-Jacobson Productions, DIC Entertainment, HBO, Merv Griffin Enterprises, and other producers or distributors. Its associated or distributed programming included The New Gidget, The Price Is Right, Card Sharks, Punky Brewster, The Real Ghostbusters, Dinosaucers, What's Happening Now!!, Starcom: The U.S. Space Force, New Monkees, and other programs or pilots. Several projects were proposed but did not proceed beyond development, including revivals of Now You See It and Match Game. The company had a brief corporate life. On December 31, 1987, Coca-Cola Telecommunications was closed and its operations were folded into the reorganized Columbia Pictures Television Distribution. The change followed a broader reorganization that merged Columbia/Embassy Television with Tri-Star Television. Key CCT executives, including Herman Rush and Peter Seale, left during the restructuring, while surviving Columbia/Embassy distribution personnel assumed responsibility for the company's business. Later efforts by former CCT executives to establish a successor company reportedly did not produce an agreement. The brand therefore remains a historical example of Coca-Cola's short-lived expansion into television syndication and program distribution rather than an active media company.

Coca-Cola Telecommunications emerged from Coca-Cola's ownership of Columbia Pictures Television and from the expanding market for syndicated television in the mid-1980s. Its immediate predecessor was The Television Program Source, a joint venture established in early October 1984 by Alan Bennett, Robert King, and Columbia Pictures Television. The venture was involved in television-program distribution, including established formats and series that could be sold outside the traditional network schedule. On November 4, 1986, Columbia Pictures Television created Coca-Cola Telecommunications by merging its first-run syndication division with The Television Program Source. The new unit was designed to operate across several parts of the television and home-entertainment business. It distributed first-run syndicated shows, supplied programs to basic-cable and pay-television outlets, participated in home-shopping programming, and handled home-video distribution. Its creation reflected the era's emphasis on exploiting programming across multiple windows rather than limiting a title to a single broadcast outlet. One of the company's identifiable historical initiatives was the revival of the Screen Gems name. Coca-Cola Telecommunications used the label in connection with obscure, vintage, and previously unseen Columbia-related programming. It also participated in the colorization of black-and-white television material, including The Real McCoys and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. The company bought a minority interest in Color Systems Technology, a business involved in colorization, and worked with it on a library-distribution venture. In 1987, Coca-Cola acquired The Television Program Source's assets outright. The transaction brought the venture's programs and personnel into Coca-Cola Telecommunications, and Robert King became president. The company subsequently broadened its development and partnership activity. It worked with Paramount Domestic Television and Orbis Communications on international advertising sales and barter arrangements. It also pursued projects with Tribune Entertainment, Grosso-Jacobson Productions, DIC Entertainment, Merv Griffin Enterprises, and other production or distribution organizations. The Screen Gems/CST Entertainment joint venture was renamed Screen Gems Classicolor in late March 1987. Its purpose was to distribute combined libraries of feature films and television series and to share the commercial returns from television, basic-cable, and home-video sales. Color Systems Technology provided colorization services for black-and-white titles. The venture's catalog included a substantial feature-film collection and television properties such as The Abbott and Costello Show, while additional Columbia library titles were considered for future color conversion and distribution. Coca-Cola Telecommunications also sought to create new programming. Following the performance of The New Gidget, it developed pilots and weekly-series concepts, including a project based on the Ben Casey character. A proposed animated programming block developed with DIC Entertainment circulated under the names Funday Sunday and Funtastic Saturday, depending on its intended broadcast day. The company also developed or distributed programs such as The Real Ghostbusters, Dinosaucers, Punky Brewster, New Monkees, Starcom: The U.S. Space Force, and What's Happening Now!! Some planned revivals, including Now You See It and Match Game, did not progress beyond development. In May 1987, Coca-Cola Telecommunications and Grosso-Jacobson Productions announced a non-exclusive arrangement for four made-for-television films: The Gunfighters, Hounds of Hell, Nightfighters, and Partington. The following month, CCT and HBO agreed to co-produce and distribute 15 made-for-cable films. HBO was to premiere the films and retain domestic home-video rights to ten, while CCT received domestic home-video rights to five and foreign rights to all 15. The agreement illustrated CCT's attempt to combine production financing, premium-cable exposure, international licensing, and home-entertainment distribution. The company's independent existence ended on December 31, 1987. Columbia/Embassy Television was merged with Tri-Star Television, and CCT was folded into the resulting Columbia Pictures Television Distribution operation. Herman Rush and Peter Seale were among the senior CCT executives affected by the restructuring. Barry Thurston, who had led Columbia/Embassy's syndication business, took responsibility for the relevant distribution activities. Former CCT executives later explored creating a successor company that could distribute some of CCT's former properties, but those negotiations did not succeed. CCT consequently remained a brief corporate unit in the history of Coca-Cola's media holdings and Columbia's television-distribution operations.

• 1987

  Television Program Source assets are acquired

  [1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  Coca-Cola acquires the predecessor venture's assets, programs, and personnel; Robert King becomes president of CCT.

• 1987

  Screen Gems Classicolor is organized

  [1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  The Screen Gems/CST Entertainment venture is renamed Screen Gems Classicolor and focuses on distributing and colorizing film and television libraries.

• 1987

  HBO film agreement is announced

  [1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  CCT and HBO arrange a 15-film made-for-cable production and distribution program with divided premiere, home-video, and foreign rights.

• 1987

  CCT operations end

  [1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  On December 31, CCT is closed and its operations are incorporated into Columbia Pictures Television Distribution.

• 1986

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications is formed

  [1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  On November 4, Columbia Pictures Television combines its first-run syndication division with The Television Program Source to create Coca-Cola Telecommunications.

• 1984

  The Television Program Source is established

  [1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  Alan Bennett, Robert King, and Columbia Pictures Television establish The Television Program Source as a joint venture involved in television programming and distribution.

A Coca-Cola-owned television distribution and production venture focused on first-run syndication, library exploitation, cross-platform programming, and international advertising sales.

• Television syndication · 1986

  First-run syndicated television programming

  CCT's core business was the development, production, packaging, and distribution of television programs sold directly to local stations and other outlets rather than premiered on a conventional national broadcast network. Associated titles included The New Gidget, The Price Is Right, Card Sharks, Punky Brewster, and What's Happening Now!!

• Film and television library distribution · 1987

  Screen Gems Classicolor library program

  Through its venture with Color Systems Technology, CCT participated in the commercial distribution and colorization of vintage films and television series. The program covered combined Screen Gems and Color Systems libraries and contemplated additional Columbia titles suitable for color conversion.

• Television films · 1987

  Made-for-cable films with HBO

  CCT and HBO agreed to co-produce and distribute 15 made-for-cable films. HBO was to premiere the films and retain domestic home-video rights to ten, while CCT received domestic home-video rights to five and foreign rights across the arrangement.

• Children's television · 1987

  Animated and children's programming

  CCT distributed or worked with producers on children's and animated properties including The Real Ghostbusters, Dinosaucers, Starcom: The U.S. Space Force, Sylvanian Families, and proposed programming blocks developed with DIC Entertainment.

• 1987

  Acquire The Television Program Source assetsM&A

  Background

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications needed control of the predecessor venture's program inventory and personnel after the two operations had been combined.

  Action taken

  Coca-Cola acquired The Television Program Source's assets outright and installed Robert King as CCT president.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition enlarged CCT's programming base and management resources.

  Source

• 1987

  Expand into library colorization and cross-platform distributionStrategy

  Background

  CCT pursued additional value from older film and television libraries by combining distribution with color conversion.

  Action taken

  CCT and Color Systems Technology established a joint venture, later named Screen Gems Classicolor, for library sales and colorization.

  Aftermath

  The venture prepared colorized titles for television, cable, and home-video circulation.

  Source

• 1987

  Enter a 15-film HBO made-for-cable programProduct launch

  Background

  CCT sought to increase its production and rights-distribution activity through premium-cable projects with international licensing potential.

  Action taken

  CCT and HBO agreed to co-produce and distribute 15 made-for-cable films under a divided-premiere and rights arrangement.

  Aftermath

  The agreement expanded CCT's planned film slate, although the company's subsequent closure ended its independent role in the arrangement.

  Source

• 1987

  Fold CCT into Columbia Pictures Television DistributionStrategy

  Background

  A corporate reorganization merged Columbia/Embassy Television with Tri-Star Television and required the consolidation of distribution operations.

  Action taken

  CCT was shut down on December 31, 1987, and its operations were absorbed into Columbia Pictures Television Distribution.

  Aftermath

  CCT ceased to exist as a separate company, while its distribution responsibilities and some personnel continued within the reorganized Columbia operation.

  Source

• 1986

  Create a dedicated Coca-Cola television syndication unitStrategy

  Background

  Columbia Pictures Television sought to combine its first-run syndication operation with The Television Program Source during a period of increased demand for syndicated, cable, and home-video content.

  Action taken

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications was established on November 4, 1986, as the merged operating unit.

  Aftermath

  The unit expanded into several forms of programming and distribution but existed independently for only about a year.

  Source

• 1987

  Coca-Cola acquires Television Program Source assets[1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Leadership change

  Coca-Cola acquired the assets, programs, and personnel of The Television Program Source, and Robert King became president of Coca-Cola Telecommunications.

• 1987

  Screen Gems/CST Entertainment is renamed Screen Gems Classicolor[1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The colorization and library-distribution venture involving Coca-Cola Telecommunications and Color Systems Technology was reorganized under the Screen Gems Classicolor name.

• 1987

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications enters international advertising-sales venture[1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications partnered with Paramount Domestic Television and Orbis Communications to sell international advertising and manage barter inventory for syndicated programming.

• 1987

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications and Grosso-Jacobson develop television films[1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The companies entered a non-exclusive development arrangement covering made-for-television movies intended for first-run syndication.

• 1987

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications and HBO agree on made-for-cable films[1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The companies agreed to co-produce and distribute 15 made-for-cable films, with HBO premiering the projects and the parties dividing specified domestic and foreign rights.

• 1987

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications is folded into Columbia Pictures Television Distribution[1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Leadership change · Other

  CCT ceased operations on December 31, 1987, and its distribution activities were absorbed into the reorganized Columbia Pictures Television Distribution.

• 1986

  Coca-Cola Telecommunications is created through a syndication merger[1]Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Columbia Pictures Television formed Coca-Cola Telecommunications by combining its first-run syndication division with The Television Program Source.

1. 1Coca-Cola Telecommunicationsen.wikipedia.org