Editing Paramount Media Networks (section)

=== Launch as MTV Networks, Viacom gets full ownership (1984–2011) ===
On June 25, 1984, Warner Communications made the decision to divest it's assets to Warner-Amex Cable Entertainment and rebrand it as MTV Networks.<ref name="worldradio">{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=June 25, 1984|title=Warner takes MTV, Nickelodeon public|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/84-OCR/BC-1984-06-25-OCR-Page-0058.pdf#search=%22mtv%20networks%22|periodical=Broadcasting|publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc.|via=World Radio History|access-date=January 12, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/19/business/business-people-a-chief-is-named-by-mtv-networks.html |title=BUSINESS PEOPLE; A Chief Is Named By MTV Networks |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=July 19, 1985 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=June 1, 2014}}</ref> A year later, Warner would acquire the 50% stake from American Express.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=August 12, 1985|title=Warner to buy out American Express; MTV to go private (page 29)|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-08-12.pdf|periodical=Broadcasting|publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc.|via=World Radio History|access-date=January 13, 2022}}</ref>

On August 27, 1985, Warner sold 31% of MTV Networks to Viacom, with Warner also selling 19% of its Showtime/The Movie Channel, Inc. joint to Viacom as well.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=August 27, 1985|title=Viacom to Buy Warner Stake In Cable Units|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1985/08/27/viacom-to-buy-warner-stake-in-cable-units/f9a17068-093d-4d39-be78-e7b0a0724ac4/|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=September 2, 1985|title=Viacom gets its MTV (page 50)|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1985/BC-1985-09-02.pdf|periodical=Broadcasting|publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc.|via=World Radio History|access-date=January 13, 2022}}</ref>

In November 1985, Viacom announced that it had plans to buy the remaining 69% of MTV Networks from Warner for $326 million,<ref>{{Cite news|last=Fabrikant|first=Geraldine|date=1986-09-17|title=VIACOM CHIEF LEADS GROUP'S BUYOUT BID (Published 1986)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/17/business/viacom-chief-leads-group-s-buyout-bid.html|access-date=2021-01-23|issn=0362-4331|quote=In November 1985, Viacom acquired MTV Networks for $326 million in cash and warrants. One-third of MTV was publicly owned; the rest was owned by Warner Communications and the American Express Company. At the same time, Viacom bought 50 percent of Showtime, the pay television service, that it did not already own for $184 million.}}</ref> and the acquisition was completed on May 20, 1986.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=May 20, 1986|title=Viacom has bought MTV and Showtime/TMC|url= https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/86-OCR/BC-1986-05-26-OCR-Page-0045.pdf#search=%22viacom%20mtv%20networks%22|periodical=Broadcasting|publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc.|via=World Radio History|access-date=January 24, 2022}}</ref>

In 1988, the company partnered with fellow Viacom subsidiary [[Viacom Productions|Viacom Enterprises]] to handle advertising sales of ''[[Superboy (TV series)|Superboy]]'', a syndicated television series.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 18, 1988 |title=Superboy barter |pages=61 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]] |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/88-OCR/BC-1988-07-18-OCR-Page-0061.pdf |access-date=November 2, 2023}}</ref> The division was later evolved into One World Entertainment in the early 1990s, who partnered to launch a [[VH1]] syndicated series.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Rich |date=October 5, 1992 |title=VH-1 looks for syndication hit |pages=32 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]] |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/92-OCR/BC-1992-10-05-OCR-Page-0032.pdf |access-date=November 2, 2023}}</ref> In 2003, MTV Networks assumed full ownership of [[Comedy Central]] from [[WarnerMedia|AOL Time Warner.]]

On December 31, 2005, the remnants of MTV Networks and Showtime Networks were separated following Viacom's split into two entities: [[CBS Corporation]], which retained [[CBS]], [[UPN]], [[Simon & Schuster]] and Showtime Networks ([[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]], The Movie Channel, and [[Flix (TV network)|Flix]]), and a spun-off company under the [[Viacom (2005–2019)|Viacom]] name, which took ownership of [[Paramount Pictures]], [[BET Networks]] and MTV Networks (Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH1).