CBS Media Ventures is the new moniker of CBS’ syndication division, CBS Television Distribution, said Steve LoCascio, president of CBS Media Ventures, on Monday.
“Syndication has traditionally meant distribution, but as the media landscape has evolved so have we,” LoCascio said in a statement. “In addition to our core business of producing and distributing leading first-run series, we also have a robust ad sales and partnerships business, create digital content for multiple platforms and run the lifestyle network Dabl. This new name better reflects who we are and positions us for limitless opportunities in the future.”
The rebranded division will continue to oversee production, distribution, ad sales and partnerships.
Also Read: What TV Stations Really Want From Syndicators in 2021
Accompanying the name change is a new brand identity that aligns with CBS’ new overall brand strategy and unification program, developed by CBS President and Chief Marketing Officer Mike Benson and his team, with design support from Brooklyn, NY-based creative agency Gretel. The new branding for CBS Media Ventures aligns with the master CBS brand, which underwent its own rebrand in 2020.
The new branding features the iconic CBS Eye in a manner that's consistent with the new master CBS brand, but calls out key CMV business areas with the tagline: Production + Licensing + Ad Sales and Partnerships.
“It was important for us to evolve CBS Media Ventures’ name, look and feel under the new CBS brand strategy in a cohesive way,” Benson said in a statement. “The new brand identity of CMV will uniquely align with the other divisions of the company in a way that will emphasize our unified strength across all facets of the media industry.”
CBS Media Ventures produces and/or distributes 11 first-run syndicated TV series, including syndication’s top show in households, Judge Judy, as well as top games Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, both of which are produced by Sony Pictures Television. CMV also houses production for and distributes top talker Dr. Phil, and produces and distributes top two magazines Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition. Also produced and distributed by CMV are Rachael Ray, The Doctors, Hot Bench, DailyMailTV and rookier talker The Drew Barrymore Show.
Beyond its own shows, CMV also handles national barter advertising sales for third parties including Debmar-Mercury’s syndicated programming Family Feud and Wendy Williams and Fox’s first-run series 25 Words or Less and Divorce Court.
In addition, the division operates Dabl, a multiplatform, advertiser-supported lifestyle network that debuted on Sept. 9, 2019, and is cleared in 95% of the country.
