Hearst Media Production Group

The company was founded in 1988 as Litton Syndications by Dave Morgan in Baltimore.{{cite news|last1=Darlington|first1=Abigail|title=Setting the stage: Litton Entertainment to build network of film industry professionals in Charleston|url=http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140720/PC05/140729994|access-date=March 8, 2016|work=The Post and Courier|date=July 20, 2014}} Its first syndicated productions were a series of one-off, sports-related specials.{{cite news|last1=Albiniak|first1=Paige|title=A Small Syndicator's Big Success|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/news-articles/small-syndicators-big-success/85106|access-date=June 9, 2014|work=Broadcasting and Cable|date=August 29, 2008|publisher=NewBay Media, LLC }} The programs were bought from other companies.

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. In 1993, the company was moved to Charleston, South Carolina, while maintaining a production base in Burbank, California. Litton has maintained a long-time business relationship with Columbus Zoo and Aquarium director emeritus Jack Hanna and his family with three more later series throughout the 2000s and 2010s, only ending actively in 2021 with Hanna's retirement after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's; HMPG will continue to distribute his shows indefinitely.

In 2005, the company changed its name from Litton Syndications to Litton Entertainment. 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.{{cite news|last1=Dempsey|first1=John|title=Little Litton serves up movies|url=https://variety.com/2007/tv/features/little-litton-serves-up-movies-1117965847/|access-date=March 8, 2016|work=Variety|date=May 25, 2007}} 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 from The Weather Channel. In 2009–10, Litton offered the nontraditional court show Street Court.

In January 2011, Litton distributed the hip-hop newsmagazine Direct Access (hosted by Darian "Big Tigger" Morgan) from WDCW/Washington, D.C. to fellow Tribune Broadcasting stations and Weigel Broadcasting's WCIU-TV/Chicago.{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Mark K. |date=January 25, 2011 |title=Litton And Tribune Offering "Direct Access' |url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/48612/litton-and-tribune-offering-direct-access |newspaper=TVNewsCheck }}

File:Litton Entertainment logo.png

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 (educational and informative) compliant programming, known as Litton's Weekend Adventure. The block premiered on September 3, 2011.{{cite news|title=ABC Orders Saturday Kids Block From Litton |url=http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/2011/05/24/51447/abc-orders-saturday-kids-block-from-litton |access-date=May 24, 2011 |newspaper=TVNewsCheck |date=May 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204120253/http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/51447/abc-orders-saturday-kids-block-from-litton |archive-date=December 4, 2013 }}{{cite news|last=Albiniak|first=Paige|title=ABC to Premiere ABC Weekend Adventure on Sept. 3|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/468736-ABC_to_Premiere_ABC_Weekend_Adventure_on_Sept_3.php|access-date=May 24, 2011|newspaper=Broadcasting & Cable|date=May 24, 2011}}

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 succeeded CBS' previous block, Cookie Jar TV.{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-cbs-litton-entertainment-saturday-teen-block-20130724,0,7010894.story|title=CBS partners with Litton Entertainment for Saturday teen block|last=James|first=Meg|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 24, 2013|access-date=July 25, 2013}} Recipe Rehab was one preexisting program Litton moved over from its ABC block.{{cite news|title=Former Greenbrier chef now stars in 'Recipe Rehab'|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/former-greenbrier-chef-now-stars-recipe-rehab|access-date=June 9, 2014|agency=Associated Press|date=September 7, 2013|archive-date=July 14, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714195340/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/former-greenbrier-chef-now-stars-recipe-rehab|url-status=dead}}

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 its first-ever scripted production, The Inspectors, also being its first series produced there. LE's first film produced in that studio was the independent film The Ivy League Farmer, which began filming in September. Additionally, Litton planned to build its own studio complex with multiple stages somewhere in the state. Production of most of Litton's productions should move there also.{{cite news|last1=Darlington|first1=Abigail|title=Litton Entertainment to bring TV production, film jobs to S.C.|url=http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140721/PC16/140729955|access-date=March 8, 2016|work=The Post and Courier|date=July 21, 2014}}

In 2014, Ocean Mysteries With Jeff Corwin won two Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for Outstanding Travel Program and Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary/Travel Program. On October 4, 2014, Litton introduced its third Saturday morning block, One Magnificent Morning, for The CW, succeeding Saban Brands' Vortexx block.{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-cbs-litton-entertainment-saturday-teen-block-20130724,0,7010894.story|title=CBS partners with Litton Entertainment for Saturday teen block|last=James|first=Meg|work=Los Angeles Times|date=July 24, 2013|access-date=September 28, 2013}}

For the 2016–17 season, Litton launched two additional E/I programming blocks. On April 27, 2015, Litton announced Go Time, a syndicated block of E/I programming drawn largely from reruns of programming from its other network blocks, which launched on October 1, 2016.{{cite news|title=It's 'Go Time' for Litton Entertainment|url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/distribution/it-s-go-time-litton-entertainment/140267|last=Albiniak|first=Paige|work=Broadcasting & Cable|date=April 27, 2015|page=22|url-access=subscription }} On February 24, 2016, Litton and NBC announced The More You Know, which launched on October 8, 2016, succeeding NBC Kids.{{cite news|last1=Middleton|first1=Richard|title=NBC, Litton prep factual block|url=http://www.c21media.net/nbc-litton-prep-factual-block/|access-date=March 7, 2016|publisher=C21Media|date=February 26, 2016}}

On January 6, 2017, Hearst Television, a division of Hearst Communications and a former employer of company founder Dave Morgan, announced that it had acquired a majority stake in Litton for an undisclosed amount, a deal closed on February 1, 2017.{{cite web|title=Hearst Invests in Media Entertainment Production Company|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvspy/hearst-invests-in-media-entertainment-production-company/183796|website=TVSpy|date=6 January 2017 |access-date=9 January 2017}}{{cite web|title=Hearst Acquires Majority Stake in Independent Distributor Litton Entertainment|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/hearst-entertainment-litton-acquires-syndication-1201954104/|website=Variety|date=6 January 2017 |access-date=9 January 2017}} On January 25, 2017, Litton and Tribune Media announced a deal for the 2017–18 season where they will provide E/I content for Tribune's Antenna TV network.{{cite press release|title=TRIBUNE BROADCASTING AND LITTON ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE NEW E/I BLOCK FOR ANTENNA TV|publisher=Litton Entertainment|date=25 January 2017|url=http://www.litton.tv/in-the-news-1/2017/1/25/tribune-broadcasting-and-litton-entertainment-announce-new-ei-block-for-antenna-tv|access-date=27 February 2017}} In the 2017–18 season, NBC's The More You Know block also began to be carried on NBC's classic television subchannel network, Cozi TV. On January 6, 2018, Telemundo's block, MiTelemundo, was relaunched to carry programs from NBC's The More You Know block, in Spanish. The block, however, kept its original name.{{Cite news|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Telemundo-Kicks-Off-2018-with-the-New-Mi-Telemundo-Programming-Block-20180104|title=Telemundo Kicks Off 2018 with New 'Mi Telemundo' Programming Block|access-date=2018-02-17|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.litton.tv/in-the-news-1/2018/1/4/litton-entertainment-telemundo-kick-off-2018-with-the-new-mi-telemundo-kids-programming-block-premiering-jan-6|title=Litton Entertainment & Telemundo Kick Off 2018 with the new "Mi Telemundo" Kids Programming Block Premiering Jan. 6|work=Litton Entertainment|access-date=2018-02-17|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-06-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603064350/http://www.litton.tv/in-the-news-1/2018/1/4/litton-entertainment-telemundo-kick-off-2018-with-the-new-mi-telemundo-kids-programming-block-premiering-jan-6|url-status=dead}}

On September 7, 2021, after fully acquiring Litton's balance that year, Hearst Television announced that the former would be moved under a new unified banner for the latter's outside productions, including Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien. The combined unit was officially renamed Hearst Media Production Group on January 28, 2022.{{cite web|title=Litton becomes Hearst Media Production Group with new logo, production card|url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2022/01/28/litton-rebranding/|last=Hill|first=Michael P.|website=NewscastStudio|date=January 28, 2022|access-date=May 9, 2022}}

On March 3, 2022, HMPG made an agreement with Toonz Media Group in which the former will co-produce animated productions with the latter, including Paddypaws, Sunnyside Billy, Kingdom of None and Aliens in My Backpack, and distribute them in the United States.{{cite web|title=Hearst Media and Toonz Media Enter Into Strategic Partnership for NA Market|url=https://www.anbmedia.com/news/2022/03/hearst-media-toonz-media-partnership-na-market/|last=Media|first=aNb|website=aNb Media, Inc.|date=March 3, 2022|access-date=May 9, 2022}}

Litton formerly had three operating divisions:{{cite web|first=Pursell|last=Chris|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-162376452.html|title=Litton Maintains Its Independence|publisher=Television Week|date=April 16, 2007|access-date=May 26, 2011}}{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Freely accessible [https://web.archive.org/web/20120316220322/http://www.litton.tv/StationSupport/Press/041607-20YRS.pdf here]

• Litton Worldwide Distribution
• Litton Media Sales
• Litton News Source provides stations with reports and features from Consumer Reports magazine, Consumer Reports TV and Consumer Alert News Network (Hearst itself had previously partnered with Consumer Reports in the 90s and 2000s for national wire stories). Previous programming included Brighter Living With Jill Cordes, BusinessWeek Reports From Wall Street, Standard & Poor's Customized Reports, Consumer Reports "Good Housekeeping Reports" and seasonal specials, "Solutions With Jill", "BusinessWeek Custom Wall Street Reports", "S&P Custom Market Indices"

• Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures (1993–2008), half-hour nature show; continued in reruns until 2020
• The Wildlife Docs (2013–18), half-hour exotic animal vet show
• Animal Exploration with Jarod Miller (2007–10), half-hour nature show
• NASCAR Angels, inspirational automotive rehabilitation reality show co-produced with NASCAR
• BusinessWeek TV, half-hour financial news, discontinued with purchase of magazine by Bloomberg L.P.
• Home Team, inspirational time-compressed home improvement project reality show
• Ask Rita, a comedy based talk show strip hosted by comedian Rita Rudner
• Storm Stories, syndicated distribution of Weather Channel weather event series
• Ready, Set, Pet, hosted by Phil Torres

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{official website|https://www.hearst.com/litton-entertainment}}

{{Hearst}}

Category:Hearst Communications assets

Category:Hearst Television

Category:Television production companies of the United States

Category:Companies based in Charleston, South Carolina

Category:American companies established in 1988

Category:Mass media companies established in 1988

Category:Television syndication distributors

Category:1988 establishments in Maryland

Category:2017 mergers and acquisitions