Company Overview
Highlights
Reaches more than 440 million households in 165 territories with its programming, which is offered in 25 languages.
Operates the Know HIV/AIDS program with CBS and the Kaiser Family Foundation, producing public service announcements and short films to educate the public about the disease.
When the media conglomerate Viacom split in two in 2005, one of the companies formed was the one currently known as Viacom, which comprises the old Viacom’s film production and cable TV businesses. Its primary film brand is Paramount; on TV it is the force behind BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH1, among others. Its Paramount Pictures division got a big boost in 2006 with the purchase of film studio DreamWorks SKG for $1.6 billion. Although DreamWorks had already spun off its animation division in 2004, the deal gave Paramount lucrative distribution rights to DreamWorks Animation’s films, making up for an otherwise lackluster year. Viacom is also growing increasingly involved in new media. It purchased the Internet film archive iFilm in 2005, and in 2007, the company announced an agreement with Apple to begin selling Paramount films through the online iTunes Store. It also operates the entertainment site Neopets. Another area of growth is in diversity media: New MTV offshoots in 2005 included MTV Desi (for Indian-Americans), MTV Chi (Chinese-Americans), and Logo (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people).