Hearst Media Production Group
| File:Hearst Media Production Group logo.svg | |
| Formerly | Litton Syndications (1988–2005) Litton Entertainment (2005–22) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Television |
| Founded | 1988 in Baltimore, Maryland |
| Founder | Dave Morgan |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Number of locations | 4 |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Frank Biancuzzo (president) |
| Products | Television programming Educational entertainment |
| Services | Distribution Media sales |
| Parent | Hearst Television (2017–present) |
| Website | hearst |
The Hearst Media Production Group, once known as Litton Syndications and later Litton Entertainment, is a U.S.-based media production and syndication firm headquartered in New York City, with additional offices located in Boston, Washington, D.C., and Burbank, California. Since becoming a subsidiary of Hearst Television in 2017, HMPG has focused on creating television content that frequently complies with federally mandated educational programming standards.
Founding and early development (1988–2011)
Established in 1988 by Dave Morgan in Baltimore, the company initially specialized in producing sports-themed specials sourced from other content creators. During the 1990s, leveraging the Children's Television Act's requirements for educational programming, Litton began distributing series such as Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures. In 1993, the firm moved its headquarters to Charleston, South Carolina, while maintaining production operations in Burbank. Litton sustained a longstanding collaboration with Jack Hanna’s family, distributing various related series until 2021.
In 2005, the company changed its name from Litton Syndications to Litton Entertainment. It broadened its syndication offerings by acquiring distribution rights to 85 films from the Castle Hill collection in 2007, marking its entry into film syndication. By 2008, Litton had secured syndication agreements for several former MTV programs including Cribs, Pimp My Ride, and Date My Mom, along with Storm Stories from The Weather Channel. Between 2009 and 2010, it handled distribution for the unconventional courtroom show Street Court.
January 2011 saw Litton debut the hip-hop newsmagazine Direct Access, hosted by Darian "Big Tigger" Morgan, which was syndicated to stations affiliated with Tribune Broadcasting and Weigel Broadcasting, thereby diversifying its content slate.
Expansion into network educational/informational blocks (2011–2017)
Following the conclusion of ABC Kids' Saturday morning lineup in May 2011, Litton secured an agreement with ABC’s affiliate board to distribute Litton's Weekend Adventure, a live-action programming block meeting E/I criteria that premiered on September 3, 2011.
On September 28, 2013, Litton further extended its network reach by launching CBS Dream Team on CBS. This block targeted viewers aged 13 to 16 and replaced the former Cookie Jar TV lineup. The programming included shows such as Recipe Rehab, which was transitioned from Litton’s ABC block.
To accommodate expansion plans, Litton aimed to double its production capacity by establishing new facilities in North Charleston, South Carolina. The company leased and refurbished a studio space there to produce its first scripted series created internally, The Inspectors, as well as to film the independent feature The Ivy League Farmer. Additionally, Litton intended to develop a dedicated studio complex within the state to consolidate its production activities.
In 2014, Litton’s series Ocean Mysteries With Jeff Corwin received two Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Travel Program and Directing. That same October marked the debut of its third Saturday morning block, One Magnificent Morning, on The CW network, succeeding Saban Brands' Vortexx.
For the 2016–17 television season, Litton introduced two more E/I-focused blocks. In October 2016, Go Time, a syndicated block featuring reruns from existing programming blocks, was launched. Shortly thereafter, NBC premiered The More You Know as a replacement for NBC Kids, further strengthening Litton’s presence in educational content across major broadcast networks.
Purchase by Hearst and rebranding as HMPG (2017–present)
On January 6, 2017, Hearst Television, a branch of Hearst Communications and a former employer of founder Dave Morgan, acquired a controlling interest in Litton for an undisclosed sum, finalizing the transaction on February 1, 2017. Shortly thereafter, on January 25, 2017, Litton collaborated with Tribune Media to supply educational/informational content for Tribune's Antenna TV network during the 2017–18 broadcast season. That same season marked the introduction of NBC's The More You Know programming block to NBC's classic TV subchannel network, Cozi TV. On January 6, 2018, Telemundo revamped its MiTelemundo segment to include Spanish-language versions of NBC's The More You Know shows while retaining the original branding.
Following the complete acquisition of Litton's outstanding shares on September 7, 2021, Hearst Television merged Litton into a single entity for its external production ventures, which included titles such as Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien. This consolidated division was officially rebranded as Hearst Media Production Group (HMPG) on January 28, 2022.
On March 3, 2022, HMPG formed a strategic alliance with Toonz Media Group aimed at co-producing and distributing animated series like Paddypaws, Sunnyside Billy, Kingdom of None, and Aliens in My Backpack within the United States.
Former divisions
Litton formerly managed three distinct divisions:
- Litton Worldwide Distribution
- Litton Media Sales
- Litton News Source, which provided television stations with segments and reports from Consumer Reports magazine, Consumer Reports TV, and the Consumer Alert News Network. Previous offerings included titles such as Brighter Living With Jill Cordes, BusinessWeek Reports From Wall Street, Standard & Poor's Customized Reports, "Good Housekeeping Reports," along with various seasonal specials.
Programming blocks
| Programming block | Network | Launch date | Replaced | Previous programmer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABC Weekend Adventure | ABC | September 3, 2011 | ABC Kids | The Walt Disney Company |
| CBS WKND | CBS | September 28, 2013 | Cookie Jar TV | DHX Media |
| One Magnificent Morning | The CW The CW Plus |
October 4, 2014 | Vortexx | Saban Brands |
| Go Time | Syndication | October 1, 2016 | – | – |
| The More You Know MiTelemundo |
NBC Cozi TV Telemundo |
October 8, 2016 | NBC Kids MiTelemundo |
Comcast (NBCUniversal) |
Individual programs
- Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures (1993–2008), wildlife series; reruns continued airing until 2020
- The Wildlife Docs (2013–18), series focusing on exotic animal veterinary care
- Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller (2007–10), nature documentary program
- NASCAR Angels, reality show centered on automotive restoration co-produced with NASCAR
- Bloomberg Businessweek TV, financial news program discontinued after magazine acquisition by Bloomberg L.P.
- Home Team, reality series focused on home improvement
- Ask Rita, comedic talk show hosted by comedian Rita Rudner
- Storm Stories, syndicated weather-related event series from The Weather Channel
- Ready, Set, Pet, hosted by Phil Torres
Related Resources
- Pages with broken file links
- Litton Entertainment
- Assets of Hearst Communications
- Hearst Television
- US Television Production Firms
- Businesses Located in Charleston, South Carolina
- American Enterprises Founded in 1988
- Mass Media Firms Founded in 1988
- Television Syndication Distributors
- 1988 Establishments in Maryland
- Mergers and Acquisitions of 2017
- American companies established in 1988
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment
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