Litton Entertainment

Litton Entertainment
Private
Industry Television
Genre Television Programming
Educational entertainment
Founded 1988 (1988)
Founder Dave Morgan
Headquarters Charleston, South Carolina
Number of locations
 5 [1]
Area served
 Worldwide
Services distribution
media sales
Divisions Litton Worldwide Distribution
Litton Media Sales
Litton News Source
Website www.litton.tv

Litton Entertainment (formerly Litton Syndications) is an American media and production company based in Charleston, South Carolina, with four additional offices in Boston, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Burbank, California. Many of Litton's programs comply with federally mandated educational and informational requirements.

History

The company was founded in 1988 by President and CEO Dave Morgan in Baltimore.[2] Its first syndicated productions were a series of one-off, sports-related specials.[1] The programs were bought from other companies.[2]

In the 1990s, seeing a growing market for educational programs due to the enactment of the Children's Television Act, requiring television stations to air a weekly quota of educational programs, Litton began to syndicate Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures.[1] In 1993, the company was moved to Charleston. Most programs were produced in Burbank, California.[2]

Adding to its outside syndication library that included Baywatch in May 2007, Litton purchased from Peace Arch Entertainment Group syndication rights to 85 movies in the Castle Hill library. The low budget films were bundled into 4 groups and was the company's first move into syndicating movies.[3] By 2008, LE had syndicated rights to three off-MTV shows, Cribs, Pimp My Ride and Date My Mom, while adding that year, Storm Stories, off The Weather Channel. Being in Fall 2009, Litton offered first run show Street Court.[1]

In May 2011, following the announcement of plans to discontinue the ABC Kids Saturday morning block, Litton reached a deal with ABC's affiliate board to syndicate a block of live-action, E/I-compliant programming, known as Litton's Weekend Adventure. The block premiered on September 3, 2011.[4][5]

On September 28, 2013, Litton introduced its second Saturday morning network television block, CBS Dream Team, for CBS; focusing on teenagers 13 to 16 years old, the block replaced CBS's previous block, Cookie Jar TV.[6] Recipe Rehab was one preexisting program Litton moved over from its ABC block.[7]

The company planned to double its productions by adding production facilities in South Carolina. Litton began renting and renovation a North Charleston studio used with "The Inspectors" being its first show produced there. [2] LE's first movie production in that studio will be "Ivy League Farmer", with filming beginning in September. Additional, Litton planned to build its own studio complex with multiple stages some where in the state. Most of Litton's productions should move there too.[8]

In 2014, "Ocean Mysteries With Jeff Corwin", one of its Weekend Adventure shows, won two Daytime Emmy Awards in the "Outstanding Travel Program" category and for "Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary/Travel Program."[2] On October 4, 2014, Litton introduced its third Saturday morning block, One Magnificent Morning, for The CW, replacing Saban Brands' Vortexx block,[9]which also marked the end of Saturday morning cartoons on terrestrial television in the United States.

For the 2016 season, Litton launched two additional E/I programming blocks. On April 27, 2015, Litton announced the launch of Go Time syndicated block.[10] On February 24, 2016, Litton and NBC announced the formation of a new Saturday morning E/I block, The More You Know. The block launched on October 8, 2016, replacing NBC Kids.[11]

Divisions

Litton has five operating divisions:[12]

First run syndicated

Programming blocks

Go Time

Go Time is a syndicated E/I-compliant block launched separately from the networks. The block has 80 percent clearance in the US.[13]

The block is three hours in length. Sony Pictures Television is the block's exclusive advertising sales representative.[14]

On April 27, 2015, Litton announced the launch of Go Time syndicated E/I-compliant block to premiere during Fall 2016 with CBS-owned independent stations as the launch group. Litton reached subsequent deals with other station groups such as Gray Television and Sinclair Broadcast Group to carry the block.[10]

Station groups carrying the block are 5 CBS Television Stations (WLNY-TV, KCAL-TV, KTXA-TV, WSBK-TV and WBFS-TV), Sinclair Broadcast Group, Gray Television, Cowles Company, Cox Media Group, Media General, Meredith Corporation, News-Press & Gazette Company, Northwest Broadcasting, E. W. Scripps Company, Tribune Broadcasting and Weigel Broadcasting.[13]

Go Time programming

Stand alone programs

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Albiniak, Paige (August 29, 2008). "A Small Syndicator's Big Success". Broadcasting and Cable. NewBay Media, LLC. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Darlington, Abigail (July 20, 2014). "Setting the stage: Litton Entertainment to build network of film industry professionals in Charleston". The Post and Courier. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Dempsey, John (May 25, 2007). "Little Litton serves up movies". Variety. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  4. ↑ "ABC Orders Saturday Kids Block From Litton". TVNewsCheck. May 24, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  5. 1 2 Albiniak, Paige (May 24, 2011). "ABC to Premiere ABC Weekend Adventure on Sept. 3". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  6. 1 2 James, Meg (July 24, 2013). "CBS partners with Litton Entertainment for Saturday teen block". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Former Greenbrier chef now stars in 'Recipe Rehab'". Associated Press. September 7, 2013. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  8. ↑ Darlington, Abigail (July 21, 2014). "Litton Entertainment to bring TV production, film jobs to S.C.". The Post and Courier. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
  9. 1 2 James, Meg (July 24, 2013). "CBS partners with Litton Entertainment for Saturday teen block". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 Albiniak, Paige (April 27, 2015). "It's 'Go Time' for Litton Entertainment". Broadcasting & Cable. p. 22. (subscription required (help)).
  11. 1 2 Middleton, Richard (February 26, 2016). "NBC, Litton prep factual block". C21Media. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 Chris, Pursell (April 16, 2007). "Litton Maintains Its Independence". Television Week. Retrieved May 26, 2011. Freely accessible here
  13. 1 2 "Genius Brands sings a new tune; behind the Masks with eOne Family chief Dumont; it's Go Time for Sony Pictures Television". Cynopsis. April 20, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  14. ↑ "TV One grabs Empire; History star jumps ship; TNT tells Tales from the Crypt". Cynopsis. April 15, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  15. ↑ Hatched - Season 2 Promo (Steve). Litton Entertainment. Vimeo. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  16. ↑ Shows. Extreme Reach (Pathfire.com). Retrieved September 14, 2016.

External links

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