Columbia TriStar Television

Columbia TriStar Television was launched on February 21, 1994, under the leadership of Jon Feltheimer, who was president of TriStar Television from 1991 to 1994 and of New World Television until 1991. After the merger, Columbia Pictures Television Distribution was renamed Columbia TriStar Television Distribution,[1][2][3] but the old name continued to appear on-screen until 1995. The new studio entered production after dismantling and folding Merv Griffin Enterprises on June 4, 1994, by producing Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune (distributed by King World) starting in September 1994.[4][5] In 1994, SPE acquired Stewart Television.

Its global subsidiary, Columbia TriStar International Television, distributed Sony's programs globally. It was created in 1992 by merging Columbia Pictures International Television with TriStar Television. The launch of Columbia TriStar Television Group (aka Sony Television Entertainment) came two years later.

On January 30, 1997, it was changed from Sony Television Entertainment to Columbia TriStar Television Group.[6] On March 12, 1997, CTT signed a deal with Procter & Gamble Productions to launch shows that P&G products sponsor, after the original agreement with Paramount Television expired.[7] On August 26, 1997, Addis-Wechsler inked a five-year joint venture agreement with the studio to produce all forms of its own television programming.[8]

In 1998, Columbia TriStar sold off two projects Four Corners to a joint venture between Rysher Entertainment and CBS Productions, and Kelly Kelly to Warner Bros. Television.[9]

While most new shows ceased to use the Columbia Pictures Television and TriStar Television logos in 1997, they started using the CTT logo in its place, on existing shows, like Party of Five and Early Edition, plus new shows. The last known shows to feature the separate TriStar logos were Mad About You, The Nanny and Malcolm & Eddie in 1999 (although the latter switched to the updated CTT logo for its fourth and final season), while Days of Our Lives became the last known remaining shows to cease using the separate CPT logo in late 2001, when NBC changed themselves to split-screen credits.

In 1998, it partnered with Global Maritime Group to create the company called Global Entertainment Productions GmbH & Co. Medien KG used for copyright purposes. Exceptions: Columbia TriStar Television, Inc. remains the copyright holder for The King of Queens and TriStar Television, Inc. remains as the copyright holder for L.A. Doctors and Early Edition. Also that year, Brandy Norwood had inked a deal, through her Norwood Entertainment Group, with the studio.[10]

In 1999, they went back to the old way, and ELP and TriStar TV ceased production operations. TriStar Television, however, remained in-name-only until relaunch in May 2015. In mid-1999, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment (later renamed Brad Grey Television) inked a co-production/joint venture agreement with Columbia TriStar Television to launch its own production company.[11] Later that year, producer Mark Johnson inked a deal with the studio.[12]

On May 21, 2001, former Paramount Television executive Steve Stark joined CTT as head of development at the studio.[13] On June 19, 2001, CTT hired former Spelling Television veteran Jennifer Nicholson Salke to serve as vice president of their own drama department of the studio.[14]

On October 25, 2001, Columbia TriStar Network Television shut down. They learned that this path was blocked by Sony thanks to its Japanese ownership, resulting in the loss of various 70 jobs. On the same day, CTT and CTTD merged to form Columbia TriStar Domestic Television.[15]

On September 16, 2002, Sony Pictures Entertainment retired the "Columbia TriStar" name from television and renamed the American studio as Sony Pictures Television and its international division as Sony Pictures Television International.[16] Some shows continued using the CTDT name, although many stopped using it in November 2002, while Hollywood Squares continued using it until early 2003. It is still shown on some reruns today even when other episodes use the updated Sony logo.