Viacom (1971-2005)
Viacom, formed in 1971, was a major media conglomerate that owned such properties as Paramount Pictures (and, as such, the Star Trek film franchise), CBS, UPN, Spike TV, Blockbuster Video, MTV, , Infinity Broadcasting, and Paramount Parks, among many others. They also owned all rights to the library of Paramount Television, which includes all Star Trek television programs. Pocket Books and Simon & Schuster, publishers of the Trek novels, were incorporated into Viacom in .

The company that became Viacom had its roots as CBS Films, established in 1952 as the syndication arm of the CBS television network. It was renamed CBS Enterprises in 1968. In 1971, Federal Communications Commission regulations forced CBS to spin off its syndication arm into an independent company, which was named Viacom. (Those FCC regulations were weakened in the 1980s, and eventually abolished altogether in 1993.)

Viacom acquired the Star Trek franchise in  when it purchased Paramount Communications. Paramount Pictures had acquired the franchise in  when both it and Desilu Productions were purchased by Gulf+Western, which combined them under the Paramount Pictures name. Gulf+Western later changed its name to Paramount Communications. In 1987, Viacom had already been acquired by "" Sumner Redstone, who subordinated his acquisition under the family held conglomerate National Amusements (NAI). During the takeover of Paramount Communications, Sumner was engaged in a bidding war with former Paramount Pictures executive Barry Diller, who had been the studio's chief overseer for the first three , before he moved on to become a Hollywood mogul himself.

Following Viacom's split with CBS in 2005, Viacom dissolved and was re-established as the CBS Corporation. CBS acquired the rights to Paramount Television, which was subsequently merged into CBS Paramount Network Television, and to UPN, which subsequently merged with The WB to become The CW. CBS Corporation also continues to own Simon & Schuster and Paramount Parks.

Following the split, a new  was founded. This company received the rights to Paramount's film division, which included the Trek films. The split notwithstanding, both newly-formed companies remain controlled by Redstone's National Amusements conglomerate.

Not exactly an altogether wise decision in hindsight – as it flew in the face of the general industry trend at the time of concentration through acquisitions and mergers, most conspicuously exemplified by the contemporary activities undertaken by The Walt Disney Company to achieve such, putting NAI on arrear in general – , it was on  officially announced that the split was to be undone with the reunited entity to be called "ViacomCBS Inc.", which in essence constituted the resurrection of the original Viacom.

See also
Star Trek corporate history

External link
 
Conglomerates