Worldvision Enterprises
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Worldvision Enterprises, Inc. was a television program and home video distributor established in 1962 as ABC Films, the distribution arm of the ABC Television Network. They primarily licensed programs from others, rather than producing their own content.
In 1971, when the FCC barred the participation of networks in the syndication of their own programs, ABC Films was spun off and renamed Worldvision.
Some television shows distributed by Worldvision over the years include the Hanna-Barbera (The Smurfs, Jonny Quest, Scooby-Doo) and the Ruby-Spears library (Mr. T, The Centurions), Casper the Friendly Ghost, The Jackson 5ive, the pre-1973 NBC library (including Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza), Let's Make A Deal, I Married Joan, Happily Ever After, Get Smart...Again!, Dark Shadows, Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, the Aaron Spelling (Twin Peaks, The Love Boat. Beverly Hills 90210, etc.) and Quinn Martin libraries (including The Fugitive and The Streets of San Francisco, but not including The F.B.I., which is controlled by the Martin Trust and Warner Bros.), the pre-1973 ABC library (including Combat!) and hundreds more.
Their home video division released numerous Hanna-Barbera titles and Jack Nicklaus' Golf My Way instructional video series. They were also responsible for the television distribution of a majority of the Carolco Pictures feature film library (inherited from Orbis Communications, which was a division of Carolco before the studio went bankrupt).
Worldvision has been owned by many companies over the years. The growth of its home video division was primarily under the ownership of Taft Broadcasting in the 1980s. In 1989, Great American Broadcasting, the successor to Taft, sold Worldvision to Spelling Entertainment Group.
Shortly thereafter, Aaron Spelling consolidated his companies, and Worldvision as a wholly functioning unit ceased to exist and became absorbed into Republic Pictures, although Worldvision as a distribution unit continued for many years after until Spelling/Republic merged with Viacom (which too started as a syndication arm of a television network-in this case CBS) in 1999 (which is considered to be an eventful year for the media conglomerate, as it also featured the acquisition of CBS).
Today, Worldvision's library (except the Hanna-Barbera library and most Ruby-Spears material now owned by Time Warner) and distribution functions are the responsibility of both CBS Paramount Television and Republic Pictures.
[edit] Worldvision vs. World Vision
The company's logo, as it appeared at the end of the programs it distributed, carried the following disclaimer: "Not affiliated with World Vision International, a religious and charitable organization." This was due to that fact that, in the mid-1970s, the charity sued the syndicator for its use of the "Worldvision" name. They eventually settled, with Worldvision allowed to continue using the name for the syndication company, provided that a disclaimer was included to distance themselves from World Vision International.
