Collection 72-M

CBS Inc. Film and Television Collection

CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS) is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. The name is derived from the initials of Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name.

The network has its origins in United Independent Broadcasters Inc., a collection of 16 radio stations that was bought by William S. Paley in 1928 and renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System. Under Paley's guidance, CBS would first become one of the largest radio networks in the United States and then one of the big three American broadcast television networks. In 1974, CBS dropped its full name and became known simply as CBS, Inc. The Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired the network in 1995 and eventually adopted the name of the company it had bought to become CBS Corporation. In 2000, CBS came under the control of Viacom, which coincidentally had begun as a spin-off of CBS in 1971. In late 2005, Viacom split itself and reestablished CBS Corporation with the CBS television network at its core. CBS Corporation and the new Viacom are controlled by Sumner Redstone through National Amusements, the parent of the two companies.

The CBS Inc. Television and Film Music Collection consists of music manuscripts, logs, books, printed music, sound recordings and business papers relating to documentaries, features films, mini series, television programs and made for television movies. The productions fall under the CBS Television Network, CBS Entertainment Division, CBS Productions Network, and, in a few cases, earlier manifestations of these divisions.

Included in the collection are materials by composers such as Jeff Alexander, Bill "Rocky" Conti, Jerry Goldsmith, Bernard Herrmann, Henry Mancini, Lyn Murray, Alex North, Fred Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin, Franz Waxman, and John Williams.

Productions represented include TV series such as Gilligan's Island, Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, Hawaii 5-0, Perry Mason, Rawhide, Twilight Zone, and Wild Wild West. The collection also includes music for feature films such as The April Fools, Little Big Man, The Reivers, Rio Lobo, and Table For Five. Also included are many scores for live Playhouse 90 dramas.

The collection is in the midst of being processed. The finding aid will be updated periodically.

The collection includes materials in the form of: manuscript scores, parts, and select Ozalid masters of both scores and parts for film and television productions; printed sheet music and folios of popular music; publishers catalogs, brochures; financial and business records, recording logs, and sound recordings.

For additional information about this collection consult:

Catalog record
Finding aid

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