MTM Enterprises

History

In 1969, MTM Enterprises was organized by both Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker, and hired James L. Brooks and Allan Burns to create her sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Brooks' show Room 222 has even been credited by the Television Academy Foundation for breaking the "new narrative ground" which developed MTM Enterprises' "major sitcom factories of the 1970s."{{cite web|url=https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/room-222|title=Room 222

In 1971, co-founder Grant Tinker was forced to quit 20th Century Fox Television due to conflicts with how to run MTM, in order to maintain a full-time job at the company.

In 1976, MTM teamed up with Metromedia Producers Corporation to start a variety show, a first for first-run syndication. Earlier that year, the company had hired Bud Rifkin to launch a syndicated division.

In 1977, Ed. Weinberger, James L. Brooks, David Davis, Allan Burns, and Stan Daniels left MTM Enterprises for Paramount Pictures and started the John Charles Walters Company.

Tinker oversaw MTM's operation until leaving the company.

In 1981, Tinker became the chairman of NBC. Lawyers backing NBC's then-owner RCA convinced Tinker to sell his remaining shares of MTM. Moore and Arthur Price, her business manager and company vice president, bought Tinker's shares; Price subsequently was elevated to president. Tinker later regretted leaving MTM, believing that the company started to decline without him.

Most of MTM's programs aired on CBS. For many years, MTM and CBS co-owned the CBS Studio Center in Studio City California, where a majority of their programs were filmed and videotaped.

In 1986, MTM launched its own syndicated arm MTM Television Distribution, to handle off-net syndication of the MTM shows, and subsequently courted to continue its relations with syndicator Jim Victory to sell off-network rights to MTM's shows like Hill Street Blues and WKRP in Cincinnati, all the way up until the late 1980s as part of a contract settlement. In 1988, MTM was sold to UK broadcaster and independent station for the South and South East of England TVS Entertainment for $320 million. A year afterwards, MTM Television Distribution began producing its own programming for the first-run syndication market.

After TVS lost its franchise to broadcast on the ITV network to Meridian Broadcasting, a number of American companies (and to a lesser extent, Meridian) were interested in acquiring MTM, with Pat Robertson's International Family Entertainment making the first offer. A small number of shareholders, including Julian Tregar, rejected the offer from IFE. In November, TCW Capital made a bid, but withdrew it a few weeks later after reviewing the accounts of TVS. IFE increased its offer to £45.3 million, but continued to be opposed by Julian Tregar, who blocked the deal on technical grounds, alleging that the offer was too low. IFE finally increased the offer to appease the remaining shareholders, and on January 23, 1993, their offer of £56.5 million was finally accepted. The deal went into effect on February 1, 1993 (the month after Meridian began its first broadcast).

In 1995, Michael Ogiens, formerly running CBS, as well as his production company Ogiens/Kane Company, joined MTM to serve as president of the company in hopes that MTM would be restored to its independent production glory. The following year, Josh Kane, fellow partner of the Ogiens/Kane Company joined MTM as vice president for the East Coast offices. In 1997, MTM hit layoffs at the syndication unit after the cancellation of the show The Cape.

In 1997, International Family Entertainment was sold to News Corporation, and folded into its subsidiary Fox Kids Worldwide, eventually renamed to Fox Family Worldwide (a joint venture between Fox and Saban Entertainment). MTM's library assets however, were transferred over to 20th Television who retained them, even after Fox Family Worldwide was sold to The Walt Disney Company in 2001. Until then, The Pretender and Good News were the last surviving shows to be produced by MTM, as 20th Century Fox Television inherited both shows in 1997 (when News Corporation purchased MTM) and 1998 (when MTM ceased operations) respectively. MTM's library became property of Disney following its acquisition of 20th Century Fox in 2019. Disney holds the rights of most of MTM's shows.

MTM Enterprises also included a record label, MTM Records — distributed by Capitol Records — which was in existence from 1984 to 1988.

Filmography

Television series

Television specials

Movies

References

References

1. (1995-11-26). "MOORE, MARY TYLER - The Museum of Broadcast Communications". Museum.tv.
2. (6 January 2016). "MTM Enterprises. – Records, 1970-1990.". wisc.edu.
3. "Mary Tyler Moore".
4. (January 25, 2017). "Tony and Emmy Winner Mary Tyler Moore Dies at 80".
5. (25 January 2017). "Remembering Mary Tyler Moore". The Atlantic.
6. (1971-01-18). "Tinker severs ties with Fox".
7. (1976-06-14). "Programming Briefs".
8. (1976-05-10). "Closed Circuit". [[Broadcasting & Cable.
9. Schwartz, Tony (July 1, 1981). [https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/01/arts/silverman-quits-at-nbc-tinker-to-succeed-him.html "Silverman Quits At NBC; Tinker to Succeed Him"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''.
10. Dempsey, John. (1986-09-17). "Victory No Quitter; Hits Road Again With MTM Syndie Spoils". [[Variety (magazine).
11. Daniels, Bill. (1986-10-22). "MTM Distribution Raises Curtain On Sales Offices". [[Variety (magazine).
12. Carter, Bill (November 27, 1989). [https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/27/business/the-media-business-tinker-looks-beyond-usa-today-on-tv.html "THE MEDIA BUSINESS; Tinker Looks Beyond 'USA Today on TV'"]. ''The New York Times''.
13. (February 13, 1989). "First-run foray". [[Broadcasting & Cable.
14. [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/23/business/company-news-pat-robertson-buys-parent-of-mtm-for-68.5-million.html "COMPANY NEWS; Pat Robertson Buys Parent Of MTM for $68.5 Million".] ''The New York Times''. (September 23, 1992).
15. Second potential bidder for TVS. ''[[The Times]]''. (London). November 4, 1992.
16. Evangelist may be sole runner for TVS. Martin Waller. ''The Times''. November 26, 1992.
17. TVS bid opposed. ''The Times''. December 11, 1992.
18. Evangelist to lift TVS offer. ''The Times''. January 9, 1993.
19. TVS dissidents try for a better offer. Martin Waller, ''The Times''. (London). Wednesday, 6 January 1993
20. Robertson wins TVS. ''The Times''. January 23, 1993.
21. (1995-12-04). "Ogiens promises to make over MTM".
22. (1996-08-05). "Fates & Fortunes".
23. Hontz, Jenny. (March 14, 1997). "Pinkslips for trio of MTM Worldwide exex". [[Variety (magazine).
24. (June 12, 1997). "Family affair for Fox Kids". Variety.
25. (July 17, 1997). "News Corp. Taps Fox Kids' Exec". [[Los Angeles Times]].
26. (9 October 2013). "NBC To Reboot 'Remington Steele' As Comedy With Ruben Fleischer".
27. Kingsbury, Paul. (2004). "The Encyclopedia of Country Music". Sourcebooks, Inc..