CBS Studio Center

CBS Studio Center
Cbl62 (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	CBS Studio Center
Former names	Columbia Pictures Studios; Radford Studios; CBS Radford Studios
Location	Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Los Angeles
Coordinates	34°9′17″N 118°25′13″W
Opened	1928
Owner	Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS)
Acreage	40 acres
Notable productions	All in the Family, Seinfeld, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Simpsons, Mad Men, Friends

CBS Studio Center is a major television and film production campus in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. Originally developed in the late 1920s as a motion picture facility, the lot has hosted a succession of studios, producers, and landmark productions. The site is notable for its backlot streetscape, sound stages, and long association with television comedy, drama, and variety programming.

History

The lot was established in 1928 by the California Motion Picture Corporation interests and quickly became associated with the silent and early sound eras through companies such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and independent operators. In the 1930s ownership shifts involved entities like Columbia Pictures and later independent producers including Schlesinger Studios and executives tied to Harry Cohn. During the 1950s and 1960s, television’s expansion brought series production for networks including ABC, NBC, and CBS Broadcasting Inc. As the studio evolved, key industry figures—producers and showrunners who worked on programs for Desilu Productions, MTM Enterprises, and Lorimar Television—shaped the lot’s television identity. The 1970s and 1980s saw the property rebranded under names reflecting corporate tenants such as Radford Studios and eventually integrated into the corporate portfolios of conglomerates like Westinghouse Electric Corporation following mergers and acquisitions. In the 1990s and 2000s, the lot served as a production hub amid consolidation by media companies including Viacom and the merged ViacomCBS era, influenced by executives and legal frameworks under state-level California film incentives and unions such as Screen Actors Guild.

Facilities and Backlot

The campus comprises approximately 40 acres with multiple sound stages, production offices, and rehearsal spaces used by studios, production houses, and independent companies such as Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Television. The backlot includes modular streetscapes and store fronts used in location work for series and feature films associated with companies like Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures. Notable on-site technical facilities have supported post-production workflows tied to organizations like Technicolor SA and editorial suites used by editors who later worked on productions for HBO, Showtime, and Netflix. The lot’s stages have accommodated multi-camera sitcom sets as well as single-camera drama shoots requiring lighting grids and grip equipment supplied by vendors familiar to productions from 20th Century Studios and independent studios. Public-facing amenities include screened parking, craft services areas, and security collaboration with Los Angeles Police Department protocols for on-location shoots in nearby neighborhoods such as Sherman Oaks and Studio City, Los Angeles.

Productions and Notable Shows

The lot has hosted a wide array of television series, pilots, and feature films. Seminal sitcoms and comedies produced or taped there include programs associated with creators and performers from Norman Lear projects, productions involving Mary Tyler Moore, and later classics connected to comedians who worked with Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David. Dramas and single-camera series tied to showrunners who moved between networks—programs airing on CBS, NBC, and cable channels—also utilized the stages. daytime and variety shows produced by entities like MTM Enterprises and syndicated series distributed by companies such as King World Productions and Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution were filmed on the lot. Feature films using the backlot include projects financed by studios like Orion Pictures and indie producers releasing through distributors including Lionsgate. The studio’s association with animated production facilities and voice recording vendors has linked the campus indirectly to animated properties distributed by 20th Century Animation and Disney Television Animation.

Ownership and Corporate Structure

Ownership has transitioned through corporate hands reflecting broader media consolidation: early independent proprietors, studio-era holders such as Columbia Pictures, television-focused operators like Graham Productions, and corporate acquirers including Westinghouse Electric Corporation and later ViacomCBS (now Paramount Global). Corporate structuring has involved real estate holdings managed by subsidiaries and joint ventures with production service companies and investors such as private equity firms known to transact with Hollywood assets. The lot’s operations are governed by agreements with guilds and unions including Directors Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild‑American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and by licensing arrangements with distributors and licensors like CBS Studios and international sales arms handling syndication to networks such as BBC and CBC Television.

Cultural Impact and Preservation

The campus has cultural resonance through its role in creating programs that influenced American television aesthetics and popular culture, contributing to the careers of performers, writers, and producers associated with institutions like The Paley Center for Media and awards administered by bodies such as the Emmy Awards and the Peabody Awards. Preservation efforts have engaged local historic preservationists, municipal planning commissions in Los Angeles, and industry conservation initiatives modeled after other preserved sites like Paramount Pictures Studios and Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank. The backlot and sound stages have been subjects of tours, academic study at institutions such as University of Southern California and UCLA, and archival projects by libraries and museums including the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences collections. Adaptive reuse and landmarking debates have involved community groups in San Fernando Valley neighborhoods and stakeholders from heritage organizations focused on cinematic history.

Category:Television studios in Los Angeles Category:Paramount Global