Columbia Pictures Television
American television production and distribution studio
Columbia Pictures Television, Inc. (abbreviated as CPT) was an American television production and distribution company owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was the second name of Columbia Pictures's television division, formerly known as Screen Gems (SG) and Pioneer Telefilms. The company was active until January 1, 2001, when it was folded into Columbia TriStar Television, a merger between Columbia Pictures Television and TriStar Television (which is currently known as Sony Pictures Television). A separate entity of CPT continues to exist in-name as "CPT Holdings" (the initials standing for Columbia Pictures Television) to hold the copyright for the television series The Young and the Restless, as well as older properties from the company's library such as What's Happening!!.
History
Screen Gems (1948–1974)
Screen Gems was the name of Columbia Pictures' television studio from November 1948 to May 6, 1974 and duting that time, produced shows such as Bewitched, The Flying Nun, The Partridge Family, I Dream of Jeannie and The Monkees. It was one of the largest television producers in history, and it was around that time, one of the few television subsidiaries of a major movie studio that didn't carry the film studio's name. It was highly profitable until 1974, when its name was changed to Columbia Pictures Television.
Reincorporation as CPT and early years (1974–1982)
The studio changed its name from Screen Gems to Columbia Pictures Television on May 6, 1974. This reincorporation was suggested by David Gerber, who was executive vice president of the studio, displacing Art Frankel when he was at Screen Gems.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Columbia Pictures Television” as american television production and distribution studio. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the arts & letters register because the source frames it as american television production and distribution studio. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 22, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5149791. VIAF identifies the subject as 139694065. The Library of Congress control number is n91103486. 2 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2001, 1948, 1974 and 1982.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Separate the work, its editions or performances, and its later reception. Catalogue records, publication histories and object files often preserve different parts of that story.
- Identifying works and editions
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Columbia Pictures Television”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Columbia Pictures Television primary sources, Columbia Pictures Television archive and Columbia research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Columbia Pictures Television” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.