1970s logo for WTCN-TV (now KARE) in Minneapolis, which included the corporate logo for Metromedia; this logo was also used by KTTV in Los Angeles

Metromedia Producers Corporation logo

Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was a media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986. KARE, channel 11 is an NBC -affiliated television station licensed to Minneapolis Minnesota, and serving the Minneapolis- St KTTV, channel 11 is an Owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation -owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles California This article is about radio broadcasting for other uses see Radio (disambiguation. A television station is a type of broadcast station that broadcasts both audio and Video to Television receivers in a particular area The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar)

Overview

The company arose from the ashes of the DuMont Television Network, the world's first licensed commercial television network. The DuMont Television Network was the world's first commercial Television network, beginning operation in the United States in 1946 A television network is a distribution network for Television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many Television stations By 1955, DuMont realized it could not compete against CBS, NBC and a revived ABC, and decided to shut down network operations. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Soon after DuMont formally shut down network operations in 1956, it spun-off its two remaining owned and operated stations, WABD in New York City and WTTG in Washington, D.C., to shareholders as the DuMont Broadcasting Corporation. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York WTTG is an owned-and-operated TV station of the Fox Broadcasting Company. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D In 1957, DuMont Broadcasting changed its name to the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation to distance itself from the failure associated with DuMont. Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) The company's headquarters were co-located with WABD in the former DuMont Tele-Centre (which was later renamed the Metromedia Telecenter) in New York.

In 1958, DuMont's namesake, Dr. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Allen B. DuMont, sold his shares in Metropolitan Broadcasting to Washington-based investor John Kluge, who installed himself as the company's chairman with a 75-percent controlling interest. Allen Balcom DuMont (also spelled Du Mont) ( January 29, 1901 – November 14, 1965) was an American scientist John Werner Kluge (born September 21, 1914) is a German - American Entrepreneur and a Billionaire. Kluge then merged his two New York radio stations, WNEW-AM-FM, into the company, and changed WABD's calls to WNEW-TV to match its new radio sisters. WBBR is a Radio station, broadcasting at 1130 AM in New York City. WWFS (1027 FM) is a New York City Radio station owned and operated by CBS Radio. Kluge's first acquisitions included WHK-AM-FM in Cleveland (in 1958); KOVR in Stockton, California, WTVH-TV (now WHOI) in Peoria, Illinois, and the Foster & Kleiser outdoor advertising firm ^[1] (all in 1959); and WIP-AM-FM in Philadelphia and WTVP television (now WAND) in Decatur, Illinois (both in 1960). WMMS (1007 FM) is a Radio station in Cleveland Ohio, with a rich history of broadcasting both locally and nationally Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state KOVR, channel 13 is a CBS owned-and-operated television station licensed to Stockton California, and serving the Sacramento -Stockton television Stockton is a City in California and the seat of San Joaquin County (the fifth largest agricultural county in the United States Peoria Illinois (named after the Peoria tribe is the largest city on the Illinois River and the County seat of Peoria County, Illinois WIP is a Philadelphia Radio station with an all-sports format. WMMR is a rock Radio station in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, broadcasting at 93 Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə WAND is an NBC affiliate serving the Decatur&ndash Springfield &ndash Champaign area Decatur is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1961, Kluge changed the company's name to Metromedia. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Also in 1961, Metromedia purchased KMBC-AM-FM-TV in Kansas City, Missouri. KMBZ, known as "Newsradio 980" is a conservative news and talk AM Radio station broadcasting from Kansas City Missouri KBLV (997 MHz) is a Adult Album Alternative Radio station in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. KMBC-TV, channel 9 is a television station located in Kansas City Missouri. Kansas City Missouri only Items for the metro area Kansas City Kansas or North Kansas City MO should go on their respective pages In separate 1963 deals the company expanded into Los Angeles, buying first KTTV, and later KLAC and KLAC-FM (later KMET and now KTWV). Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West KTTV, channel 11 is an Owned-and-operated television station of the News Corporation -owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Los Angeles California KLAC AM 570 is a radio station serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area KMET was a Los Angeles Radio station originally owned by Metromedia that first took to the air in June 1968 at 94 KTWV is a commercial Radio station located in Los Angeles California, broadcasting to the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside Metromedia also entered the realm of live entertainment by purchasing the Ice Capades (in 1963) and the Harlem Globetrotters (in 1967). The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving Ice skating. The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism and Comedy. ^[2][3] Later in the decade Metromedia opened a television production center in Los Angeles, known as Metromedia Square, which served as the studio facility for numerous network programs. Metromedia Square (also known as Fox Television Center from 1986 to 1996 was a Radio and Television studio facility located at 5746 Sunset Boulevard Metromedia also owned a TV production and distribution company called Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC), established in 1968 from Wolper Productions. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. David Lloyd Wolper (born January 11, 1928) in New York City, New York) is one of the most successful and influential producers in the entertainment MPC produced and syndicated various programs and TV movies, most notably the game show Truth or Consequences and the 1972-84 version of The Merv Griffin Show. Truth or Consequences was an American quiz show, originally hosted on NBC Radio by Ralph Edwards (1940-57 and later on television The Merv Griffin Show was a long-running American Television talk show, starring singer Merv Griffin.

Metromedia spent the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s increasing its television and radio station portfolio, and continued to expand its syndication business. They entered the record business in 1969 when they launched the Metromedia Records label, whose biggest-selling artist was Bobby Sherman; but the label went out of business by 1974. The record industry is the part of the Music industry that sells Sound recordings of Music. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bobby Sherman (born Robert Cabot Sherman Jr July 22, 1943, in Santa Monica, California) is an American Singer and Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. In 1982 Metromedia made its biggest broadcasting purchase when it acquired WCVB-TV in Boston for $220 million, which at the time was the largest amount ever spent on a single television station property. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) ^[4] Two years later, John Kluge bought out Metromedia's shareholders and took the company private. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) ^[5]

On May 6, 1985, Kluge announced the sale of Metromedia's television stations, and Metromedia Producers Corp. Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) , to the News Corporation (owned by Australian newspaper publisher Rupert Murdoch) and 20th Century Fox Film Corporation (owned jointly by Murdoch and Marvin Davis) for $3. News Corporation (often abbreviated to News Corp) (,,) is one of the world's largest media conglomerate companies by Market capitalisation For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. is gay Bold text' Keith Rupert Murdoch', AC, KCSG (born Melbourne, March 11 1931 usually known as Rupert Murdoch, is an Australian-American Marvin H Davis ( August 31, 1925 in Newark New Jersey &ndash September 25, 2004 in Beverly Hills, California 5 billion. With the exception of WCVB-TV (which was subsequently sold to the Hearst Corporation), all of the former Metromedia stations formed the nucleus of the Fox Broadcasting Company, while MPC was folded into 20th Century Fox Television. Hearst Communications Inc is a privately-held American -based Media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower in New York City, USA Twentieth Century Fox Television Inc (on-logo as 20th Century Fox Television) is the television production division of the 20th Century Fox movie studio a subsidiary The transactions became official on March 6, 1986. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) ^[6] Kluge also sold Metromedia's outdoor advertising firm, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Ice Capades in that same year, and spun-off the radio stations into a separate company (which ironically took on the Metropolitan Broadcasting name) before they were sold to various other owners by the early 1990s. ^[7][8][9]

The Metromedia name has lived on in other projects by Kluge, though the ventures have been largely unrelated to television. When Kluge bought into Major League Soccer in 1995, the club he operated was named MetroStars (now Red Bull New York) after his company. Major League Soccer ( MLS) is the top-flight professional Soccer league in the United States and Canada with 14 teams 13 in the U Red Bull New York is an American professional soccer organization based in New Jersey that fields a team in Major League Soccer called the

Based on the common link to Metromedia, television historian Clarke Ingram claims that Fox is a direct descendant, if not a revival, of DuMont. Clarke Ingram is a United States Radio personality and programming executive Indeed, the former WNEW-TV, now Fox flagship WNYW, is still headquartered in the former Metromedia Telecenter, now known as the Fox Television Center.

Former Metromedia stations

Television stations

Radio stations

TV series produced and/or distributed by MPC

• Allen Ludden's Gallery
• Charlie's Angels ^*
• The Cross-Wits
• Dusty's Trail
• Dynasty (distributor, 1985-87)
• Family ^*
• Firehouse
• Groovie Goolies and Friends
• Hart to Hart ^*
• Hit Man
• The Howdy Doody Show (1976 revival series)
• Jeopardy! (original version - distributor, 1974; now distributed by CBS Television Distribution and Sony Pictures Television)
• Mayberry RFD (distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. Television)
• Merv Griffin Show (distributor, 1972-83)
• My Favorite Martian (distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. Television)
• National Geographic Specials (1964-71)
• Primus (1971-72)
• Queen for a Day (1969-1970)
• Small Wonder (production company, 1985-89)
• Soul Train (now syndicated by Tribune Entertainment)
• Starsky and Hutch ^*
• Star Search (production company, 1983-86)
• Strike Force
• S.W.A.T. ^*
• That Girl (distributor; now distributed by CBS Television Distribution)
• Thicke of the Night (distributor; now distributed by Warner Bros. Television)
• T.J. Hooker ^*
• Too Close for Comfort
• Truth or Consequences (distributor, 1966-78)
• The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
• Untamed World
• Vauldeville
• Vega$
• Winchell-Mahoney Time
• Wonderama

^* -- MPC was the international distributor for these programs. KBLV (997 MHz) is a Adult Album Alternative Radio station in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. Entercom Communications Corporation ( is the fourth-largest broadcasting company in the United States KMBZ, known as "Newsradio 980" is a conservative news and talk AM Radio station broadcasting from Kansas City Missouri Allen Ludden ( October 5, 1917 - June 9, 1981) was an American Television presenter and Game show host Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency and is one of the first shows to showcase women The Cross-Wits was an American syndicated Game show which premiered on December 15, 1975 and lasted for five seasons until its cancellation Dusty's Trail was a 1973 - 1974 syndicated Television series set in the 1800s Dynasty is an American Prime time television Soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12 1981 to Family is a Television drama series that aired on ABC from 1976 to 1980. Firehouse was a short-lived ABC television series in early 1974 Groovie Goolies, created in 1970 was a take off of Filmation 's wildly popular The Archie Show with a monster bent Hart to Hart is an American Television series starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers. Hit Man was an American Television Game show that ran from January 3 to April 1, 1983, on NBC. Howdy Doody was a children's television program (with a decidedly frontier/western theme although other themes also colored the show CBS Television Distribution (CTD is a United States and Global Television Distribution company, a merger of CBS Corporation 's three Sony Pictures Television Inc (SPT is an American Television production /distribution company Mayberry RFD Mayberry RFD (RFD is a postal abbreviation for Rural Free Delivery was a Spin-off, or perhaps more accurately a direct continuation of Warner Bros Television is the television production and distribution arm of Warner Bros The Merv Griffin Show was a long-running American Television talk show, starring singer Merv Griffin. My Favorite Martian is an American Television Sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963 to Warner Bros Television is the television production and distribution arm of Warner Bros Overview The NGS's historical mission is "to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge while promoting the conservation of the world's cultural historical and natural Queen for a Day was an American radio and television show. It helped usher in American broadcast listeners' and viewers' fascination with big Small Wonder is an American Science fiction Television sitcom in First-run syndication from 1985 to 1989 Soul Train is a music-related syndicated television program In its 35-year history the show has primarily featured performances by Rhythm and blues, soul Tribune Entertainment was a television production and syndication company owned and operated by Tribune Broadcasting in the mid-1980s Starsky and Hutch (usually written as Starsky & Hutch) is a 1970s US Television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot Star Search is a Television show that was produced from 1983 to 1995 and hosted by Ed McMahon. ---- SWAT is a 1970s American Television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics (S That Girl is an American Television Situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. CBS Television Distribution (CTD is a United States and Global Television Distribution company, a merger of CBS Corporation 's three Thicke of the Night was an American late night Talk show produced by MGM Television, distributed in syndication by Metromedia and Warner Bros Television is the television production and distribution arm of Warner Bros T J Hooker is a weekly American police drama Television program starring William Shatner. Too Close for Comfort is an American Television Sitcom which ran on the ABC network and in syndication from 1980 to 1985 Truth or Consequences was an American quiz show, originally hosted on NBC Radio by Ralph Edwards (1940-57 and later on television Jacques-Yves Cousteau ( 11 June 1910 – 25 June 1997) was a French naval officer explorer, Ecologist, Vega$ is an American Detective Television Drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981 Paul Winchell ( December 21, 1922 – June 24, 2005) born Pinkus Wilchinski (the family later shortened it to Wilchin) Distribution was later transferred to 20th Century Fox Television, following Murdoch's acquisition of MPC. Twentieth Century Fox Television Inc (on-logo as 20th Century Fox Television) is the television production division of the 20th Century Fox movie studio a subsidiary These programs ane now distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television. Sony Pictures Television Inc (SPT is an American Television production /distribution company In the United States, Sony Pictures Television and its predecessor, Columbia Pictures Television, was always the distributor of syndicated repeats of these programs. Sony Pictures Television Inc (SPT is an American Television production /distribution company

References

1. ^ Spielvogel, Carl. "Advertising: an acquisition set. " The New York Times, Dec. 20, 1959.
2. ^ "Ice Capades Acquired By Metromedia, Inc. " The New York Times, May 14, 1963.
3. ^ Gent, George. "Metromedia buys Globetrotters; TV chain will add team to Ice Capades operation. " The New York Times, May 24, 1967.
4. ^ Schwartz, Tony. "Metromedia seeks TV station. " The New York Times, July 23, 1981.
5. ^ Cuff, Daniel F. "Business people; Metromedia's founder begins new challenge. " The New York Times, Dec. 14, 1983.
6. ^ Cole, Robert J. . "Murdoch to buy & TV stations; cost $2 billion. " The New York Times, May 7, 1985.
7. ^ Stevenson, Richard W. "Metromedia ad business sale". The New York Times, Jan. 21, 1986.
8. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine. "Metromedia set to sell Globetrotters, ice show. " The New York Times, Mar. 5, 1986.
9. ^ "Metromedia sells 9 radio stations. " Associated Press, Nov. The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio 20, 1986.

External links

• John Kluge at The Museum of Broadcast Communications
• Metromedia Producers Corporation at the Internet Movie Database
• Metromedia Productions at the Internet Movie Database
• Metromedia Television at the Internet Movie Database (Note - although three separate companies are listed on the IMDb, it should be understood that Metromedia Producers Corporation, Metromedia Productions and Metromedia Television are all different names given for the same production company. )
• New York times 1986 announcement of MetroMedia liquidation
• Metromedia station logo history from 1950s to today