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Viacom (1971–2005) facts for kids

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This page is about the original Viacom that was created in 1971. For the current state of the company, see CBS Corporation. For the Viacom after 2005, see Viacom.
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Viacom Inc.
Public
Industry Broadcasting and Publishing
Fate Assets divided between CBS & new Viacom
Successor CBS Corporation
Viacom (Spin off)
Founded May 3, 1971
Defunct December 31, 2005
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
Area served
 Nationwide
Owner Columbia Broadcasting System (1971-1973)
independent (1973-1986)
National Amusements (1986-2005)
Number of employees
 38,350 (2006)
Divisions CBS
UPN
CBS Radio

Viacom was a big media company that started in New York City in 1971. Its name, Viacom, was short for Video & Audio Communications. This company made many popular TV shows and ran several TV channels. It existed until the end of 2005.

What Was Viacom?

Viacom was a major player in the world of television. It owned and operated many well-known TV networks. These networks aired shows that many kids and families watched every day.

How Viacom Started

Viacom began its journey on May 3, 1971. At first, it was part of a larger company called Columbia Broadcasting System. However, in 1973, Viacom became its own independent company. This meant it could make its own decisions.

Later, in 1986, another company called National Amusements bought Viacom. National Amusements owned movie theaters and other entertainment businesses.

Popular TV Channels

Viacom was known for owning many channels you might recognize. These included:

These channels offered a wide range of entertainment. They had everything from music videos to cartoons and game shows.

The Big Split

In March 2005, Viacom made a big announcement. It decided to split into two separate companies. This split happened on December 31, 2005.

The original Viacom company changed its name to CBS Corporation. A brand new company was then created, and it was also named Viacom. This new Viacom continued to run many of the entertainment channels. The CBS Corporation focused more on broadcasting and publishing.

This split allowed both parts of the company to grow in different directions.

See also

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