Lorimar-Telepictures
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Predecessor | Lorimar Productions, Inc.; Telepictures Corporation |
| Founded | February 19, 1986 in Culver City, California, United States |
| Founder | Merv Adelson |
| Defunct | January 12, 1989 |
| Fate | Acquired by Warner Communications |
| Successor | Warner Communications |
| Headquarters | Culver City, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Merv Adelson (founder), Robert Rosenbaum (VP of production for Lorimar Television) |
| Products | Television production, syndication, feature films, home video distribution, broadcasting services |
Lorimar-Telepictures Corporation, Inc. was an American entertainment enterprise established on February 19, 1986, resulting from the consolidation of Lorimar Productions, Inc. and Telepictures Corporation. Its headquarters were located at the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios—today known as Sony Pictures Studios—in Culver City, California. The company’s operations spanned television production, syndication, feature film creation, home video distribution, and broadcasting services.
History
The announcement of the merger came on October 7, 1985, by company founder Merv Adelson, with the merger finalizing in February 1986. That same year, co-founder Lee Rich divested his shares and departed from the organization.
In 1987, Lorimar-Telepictures reorganized its structure into several divisions with unique brand identities: Lorimar Television focused on network programming production; Lorimar Syndication handled broadcast and off-network syndication; and Lorimar International managed worldwide distribution. These units operated under the parent corporation to optimize efficiency and enhance market positioning. During this period, Robert Rosenbaum assumed the role of vice president of production for Lorimar Television. Despite these strategic reorganizations, the company posted a $21.7 million deficit in 1987.
On January 12, 1989, Warner Communications acquired Lorimar-Telepictures, integrating it into its corporate framework to broaden its entertainment holdings and expand international reach.
List of films/programs produced/distributed by Lorimar-Telepictures
Note: The majority of the series listed below are presently owned and distributed by Warner Bros. Television Studios, with certain exceptions.
- The $1,000,000 Chance of a Lifetime
- Aaron's Way (1988)
- ALF (1986–1988)
- ALF: The Animated Series (1987–1988)
- Alvin and the Chipmunks (1983–1988; first 65 episodes syndicated only)
- Apple's Way
- Behind the Screen
- Berrenger's
- Blood & Orchids
- The Blue Knight
- Boone
- The Boy Who Could Fly (1986)
- Bridges to Cross
- Cat People (1982)
- Catchphrase
- Chiller (1985)
- Dallas (1985–1988)
- Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
- The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
- Doc Elliot
- The Dollmaker (1984)
- Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion (1987)
- Eight Is Enough
- Falcon Crest (1986–1989)
- Flamingo Road
- Freddy's Nightmares (1988–1989) (in collaboration with New Line Television)
- Full House (1987–1988)
- Games People Play
- Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
- The Greatest American Hero (distribution only, 1981–1983)
- Gumby (1987–1989)
- Here's Lucy
- The Hogan Family (1986–1989)
- House on Haunted Hill (1959)
- Into the Homeland (1987)
- It's a Living (1986–1989)
- Jack Frost
- Jack the Ripper (1988)
- Knots Landing (1986–1989)
- Love Connection (1986–1988)
- Mama's Family
- Max Headroom
- Midnight Caller (1988–1989)
- Our House (1986 TV series)
- Perfect Strangers (1986–1989)
- Real People
- The Redd Foxx Show (1986)
- Rituals
- She's the Sheriff (1987–1989)
- SilverHawks
- Skag
- Snowfire (1958)
- Spies (TV series) (1987)
- Superior Court
- Tank (film) (1984)
- ThunderCats (1986–1989)
Additionally, Lorimar-Telepictures oversaw international distribution for most pre-1990 DIC Entertainment and Saban Entertainment productions; currently, distribution rights for DIC titles are managed by WildBrain, while Saban properties are handled by Disney–ABC Domestic Television. Numerous Universal Pictures films originally distributed by Lorimar now fall under the purview of NBCUniversal Syndication Studios.
Broadcasting
Through its predecessor Telepictures, Lorimar-Telepictures held ownership interests in various television stations, mainly targeting smaller markets and Puerto Rico. In 1985, the company attempted a $1 billion acquisition of Multimedia, Inc., which controlled eight television and fifteen radio outlets, but this bid was unsuccessful. On May 21, 1986, Lorimar-Telepictures reached an agreement to purchase WTVJ in Miami and six other stations from Storer Communications—including WAGA-TV (Atlanta), WITI (Milwaukee), WJBK (Detroit), WJW-TV (Cleveland), WSBK-TV (Boston), and KCST (San Diego)—from private equity firm KKR in a $1.85 billion package. This deal also encompassed Storer’s production arm, advertising sales operations, and its Washington news bureau. Additionally, Lorimar-Telepictures sought to acquire WPGH-TV (Pittsburgh) and WTTV (Bloomington–Indianapolis).
By October 1986, Lorimar-Telepictures withdrew from the WTVJ acquisition after CBS, the station’s affiliate, showed interest in WCIX (channel 6), which undermined WTVJ’s valuation and caused the transaction to fall through. Industry experts criticized Lorimar for paying $405 million for WTVJ—approximately 21 times its cash flow—making it difficult to manage debt from $2 billion in high-yield bonds. KKR subsequently sold WTVJ to NBC in January 1987, leading to a complex six-station affiliation realignment in Miami and West Palm Beach effective January 1, 1989. The remaining Storer stations were sold to George N. Gillett Jr. in 1987.
Lorimar’s bid for WTTV was unsuccessful; the station was acquired by Capitol Broadcasting Company. While Lorimar did purchase WPGH-TV, it resold the station to Renaissance Broadcasting in 1987, which later sold it to Sinclair Broadcast Group in 1990. The stations KCPM, KSPR, and KMID were divested to Goltrin Communications in 1988.
| Media market | State/Territory | Station | Acquired | Divested | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico–Redding | California | KCPM | 1985 | 1988 | Owned by Telepictures before merging with Lorimar Television. |
| Springfield | Missouri | KSPR | 1985 | 1988 | |
| Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | WPGH-TV | 1986 | 1987 | |
| San Juan–Ponce–Mayagüez | Puerto Rico | WLII | 1986 | 1991 | |
| WSUR-TV | 1986 | 1991 | |||
| Odessa–Midland | Texas | KMID | 1985 | 1988 |