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Metromedia, Inc. (also often MetroMedia) was an American media company that owned radio station and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and controlled Orion Pictures from 1988 to 1997. Metromedia was established in 1956 after the DuMont Television Network ceased operations and its owned-and-operated stations were spun off into a separate company. Metromedia sold its television stations to News Corporation in 1985 (which News Corp. then used to form the nucleus of Fox Television Stations), and spun off its radio stations into a separate company in 1986. Metromedia then acquired ownership stakes in various film studios, including controlling ownership in Orion. In 1997, Metromedia closed down and sold its media assets to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
By 1955, DuMont realized it could not compete against the other three networks and decided to wind down its operations. Soon after DuMont formally shut down network service in 1956, the parent firm DuMont Laboratories spun off the network's two remaining owned and operated stations, WNYW in New York City and WTTG in Washington, D.C., to shareholders as the DuMont Broadcasting Corporation."DuMont network to quit in telecasting 'spin-off.'" Broadcasting - Telecasting, August 15, 1955, pg. 64. [1]"DuMont completes spin-off, separates broadcasting, labs.'" Broadcasting - Telecasting, December 5, 1955, pg. 7. [2] 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 1957, DuMont Broadcasting purchased two New York area radio stations, WNEW (now WBBR)"DuMont pays $7.5 million for WNEW." Broadcasting, March 25, 1957, pp. 31-32. [3][4] and WHFI (later WNEW-FM and WWFS), "Changing Hands." Broadcasting, November 18, 1957, pg. 96"For the Record." Broadcasting - Telecasting, January 6, 1958, p. 108. [6] and later that year changed its name to the Metropolitan Broadcasting Corporation to distance itself from its former parent company."DuMont revenue grows, name change approved." Broadcasting, May 19, 1958, pg. 84. [7] The following year, Paramount sold its shares in Metropolitan Broadcasting to Washington-based investor John Kluge, enough to give Kluge controlling interest. Kluge installed himself as chairman, and later increased his holdings to 75 percent."Kluge buying Paramount's 21% of Metropolitan Broadcasting." Broadcasting, December 1, 1958, pg. 9. [8] WABD's call letters were later changed to WNEW-TV to match its new radio sisters. "Name change." Broadcasting, September 8, 1958, pg. 84
In separate 1963 deals the company expanded into Los Angeles, buying first KTTV"KTTV to Metromedia for $10 million plus." Broadcasting, January 14, 1963, pg. 9. [17] and later KLAC and the original KLAC-FM (now KIIS-FM)."Metromedia adds KLAC in $4.5 million deal." Broadcasting, March 18, 1963, pp. 9-10. [18][19] The company would later engineer a swap of FM facilities; the second KLAC-FM (later KMET and now KTWV) was established in 1965."Changing hands." Broadcasting, March 22, 1965, pp. 110-111: Metromedia acquires KRHM (94.7 FM) and sells KLAC-FM (102.7 FM); the FCC allows both facilities to exchange call letters. [20][21] Metromedia also entered the realm of live entertainment by purchasing the Ice Capades (in 1963)"Ice Capades Acquired By Metromedia, Inc." The New York Times, May 14, 1963. and the Harlem Globetrotters (in 1967).Gent, George. "Metromedia buys Globetrotters; TV chain will add team to Ice Capades operation." The New York Times, May 24, 1967. 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 also owned a TV production and distribution company called Metromedia Producers Corporation (MPC), established in 1968 from Wolper Productions. MPC produced and syndicated various programs and TV movies, most notably the game show Truth or Consequences and the 1972-86 version of The Merv Griffin Show. 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. In 1976, it teamed up with MTM Enterprises to launch a first-run syndicated variety show.
Metromedia entered the Record industry in 1969 with the launch of the Metromedia Records label, whose biggest-selling artist was Bobby Sherman. The label was also notable as having issued the first two studio albums of Peter Allen, Peter Allen (1971) and Tenterfield Saddler (1972). Peter Allen discography; www.allmusic.com. The label was closed in 1974. Allen's Tenterfield Saddler, the title song of which has become an George Woolnough, was acquired and reissued by A&M Records in 1978. Peter Allen discography; www5d.biglobe.ne.jp.
In 1976, similar to the more successful SFM Holiday Network of syndicated stations launched two years later, Metromedia teamed up with Ogilvy and Mather for a proposed linking of independent TV stations termed MetroNet. The proposed programming would consist of several Sunday night family dramas, on weeknights a half-hour serial and a gothic series similar to Dark Shadows, and on Saturdays a variety program hosted by Charo. The plans for MetroNet failed when advertisers balked at Metromedia's advertising rate, which was only slightly lower than the Big Three's and low national coverage, leaving for another similar operation, Operation Prime Time. In 1979, Metromedia Producers Corporation had also reached a deal with Bob Stewart Productions for an exclusive co-producing agreement.
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.Schwartz, Tony. "Metromedia seeks TV station." The New York Times, July 23, 1981. Two years later, John Kluge bought out Metromedia's shareholders and took the company private.Cuff, Daniel F. "Business people; Metromedia's founder begins new challenge." The New York Times, December 14, 1983.
Also around this time, Metromedia attempted to bring to the air a national newscast for independent stations (much as the rival Tribune Media had created Independent Network News in 1980), planned for launch in the fall of 1983. Unlike INN, the program was planned to be offered as a hybrid, hour-long local/national newscast, fed to affiliates by satellite as a headlines block and three other segments, which could be aired by local stations in whatever order the stations deemed alongside locally produced news content. Also as part of this plan, Metromedia established full news departments for KRIV in Houston and what was then KDAF in Dallas (another news department was planned for WFLD in Chicago, but that department ultimately didn't launch until 1987, after the Murdoch buyout). Metromedia attempted to hire Charles Kuralt away from CBS News to serve as anchor. Kuralt chose to stay to with CBS; John Hart was also considered as an anchor, but ultimately the planned newscast never came to fruition.
In 1985, it made an attempt to revive the comedy Oh Madeline as The Madeline Kahn Show for first-run syndication, but the deal never came to fruition.
Kluge also sold Metromedia's outdoor advertising firm, the Harlem Globetrotters, and the Ice Capades in 1985, its cellular phone and yellow pages divisions to the Southwestern Bell Corporation (now known as the second incarnation of AT&T, due to SBC's acquisition of AT&T Corporation in 2005) under the leadership of Zane Barnes, Robert G. Pope, and J.B. Ellis. They also spun off the radio stations into a separate company (which took on the Metropolitan Broadcasting name)Stevenson, Richard W. "Metromedia ad business sale". The New York Times, January 21, 1986.Fabrikant, Geraldine. "Metromedia set to sell Globetrotters, ice show." The New York Times, March 5, 1986."Metromedia, Katz radio groups sold in LBO's." Broadcasting, March 31, 1986, pp. 33-34. [24][25] "In brief." Broadcasting, November 17, 1986, pg. 120 before they were sold to various other owners by the early 1990s.
In 1983, Christine Craft, a former evening news co-anchor at KMBC-TV in Kansas City, sued Metromedia on claims of fraud and sexual discrimination. After spending eight months at KMBC-TV in 1981, she was demoted to reporting assignment after a focus group study claimed Craft was "too old, too unattractive and not deferential to men" in the eyes of viewers. Craft declined the reassignment and subsequently resigned from the station. Craft initially won her case, though she lost on appeal at the U.S. Supreme Court."Newsroom issue goes to court." Broadcasting, August 1, 1983, pp. 24-25. [29][30]"Craft decision leaves questions." Broadcasting, August 15, 1983, pp. 28-30. [31][32][33] "Craft case continues." Broadcasting, December 23, 1985, pg. 69"Christine Craft wins two, loses big one." Broadcasting, March 10, 1986, pp. 74-75. [35][36]
target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> Битвы за "Космос ТВ" Its Kazakhstan operations were put in a state of limbo in 2002 due to regulatory issues. Kazakh Report: March 7, 2002
| + Stations owned by Metromedia ! scope="col" | Media market ! scope="col" | State/Dist. ! scope="col" | Station ! scope="col" | Purchased ! scope="col" | Sold ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |
| California ! scope="row" | KLAC | |||||
| San Francisco–Oakland ! scope="row" | KKSF | |||||
| Sacramento ! scope="row" | KOVR | |||||
| Colorado ! scope="row" | KHOW | |||||
| District of Columbia ! scope="row" | WASH-FM | |||||
| Florida ! scope="row" | WXGL | |||||
| Illinois ! scope="row" | WFLD | |||||
| Springfield ! scope="row" | WTVP | |||||
| Peoria–Bloomington ! scope="row" | WTVH-TV | |||||
| Maryland ! scope="row" | WCBM | |||||
| Massachusetts ! scope="row" | WCVB-TV | |||||
| Michigan ! scope="row" | WOMC | |||||
| Minnesota ! scope="row" | WTCN-TV | |||||
| Missouri ! scope="row" | KMBC | |||||
| New York ! scope="row" | WBBR | |||||
| Ohio ! scope="row" | WXIX-TV | |||||
| Cleveland ! scope="row" | WHK | |||||
| Pennsylvania ! scope="row" | WIP | |||||
| Texas ! scope="row" | KRLD | |||||
| Houston ! scope="row" | KRIV-TV | |||||
| Washington ! scope="row" | KJR |
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