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{{Short description|Defunct American home video company (1978–1993)}}
'''Media Home Entertainment''' was a [[home video]] company headquartered in [[Culver City, California]] and established in [[1978]] by filmmaker [[Joseph Wolf]]. The company released many videos from 1978 until 1992 , which were mainly various independent films and some films from the [[Cannon Films]] library. Videos from Media Home Entertainment were also distributed overseas in the United Kingdom and Australia by VPD (Video Program Distributors) and [[Video Classics]] respectively.
{{more citations needed|date=March 2018}}
Their last releases were distributed by [[Fox Video]] (now [[20th Century Fox Home Entertainment]]). The company ceased full operations in 1992.
{{Infobox company|
| name = Media Home Entertainment Inc.
| type = [[Division (business)|Division]]
| logo = Media Home Entertainment logo.png
| fate = Ceased operations
| successor = [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]]
| foundation = {{start date and age|1978}}
| founder = [[Charles Band]]
| defunct = {{end date and age|1993}}
| location = [[Culver City, California]]
| industry = [[Home video|Home entertainment]]
| products = [[VHS]]
| parent = [[Heron Communications]]
| subsid = [[Hi-Tops Video]] (1986–1992)<br>Fox Hills Video (1986–1989)<br>[[Snuff Garrett|The Nostalgia Merchant]] (1985–1989)
| website =
}}
'''Media Home Entertainment Inc.''' was a [[home video]] company headquartered in [[Culver City, California]], originally established in 1978 by filmmaker [[Charles Band]].


Media Home Entertainment also distributed video product under additional labels — [[Snuff Garrett|The Nostalgia Merchant]] (very old or classic films; Media bought this company in 1984)<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Zuckerman|first=Faye|date=July 14, 1984|title=Media Home Entertainment Buys Nostalgia Merchant|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1984/1984-07-14-Billboard-Page-0004.pdf|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref>, [[Hi-Tops Video]] (children's videos), Condor Video (Spanish-language tittles, including Spanish dubs of films Media owned video rights to)<ref>{{Cite news|date=March 25, 1987|title=Media Home's Hispano Division, Condor, To Release 124 Titles|page=148|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>, and Fox Hills Video (a sell-through label, devoted to special-interest videos including NFL Films Video releases, some obscure B-movies and low-profile Cannon pictures). The "Fox Hills" name was derived from a geographical location near the company's headquarters at 5700 Buckingham Parkway.
Some releases from the company included the original ''[[Halloween 1|Halloween]]'', early ''[[Peanuts]]'' videos, ''The Adventures of the Wilderness Family'' and all of the ''[[Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' films in the 1980s.


Videos from the Media Home Entertainment library were also distributed overseas in the [[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] by VPD (Video Program Distributors) and [[Video Classics]] and in [[Japan]] by [[Tohokushinsha Film]], respectively. Some releases by Media Home Entertainment and its associated sublabels were distributed in [[Canada]] by Astral Video, a now-defunct subsidiary of the present-day [[Astral Media]] (now part of [[Bell Media]]).
Beginning in 1984, Media Home Entertainment was affiliated with Heron Communications, although the company's releases are now distributed by Fox, [[New Line Cinema|New Line Home Entertainment]], or [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]].


== History ==
They also distributed two other labels-- The Nostalgia Merchant (very old films), and Hi-Tops Video (kids stuff)
The company got off to a rocky start when [[ABKCO Records]] successfully sued them for releasing [[The Rolling Stones]]' [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] concert on [[Betamax]] and [[VHS]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=KyUEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Media+Home+Entertainment%22 Billboard, March 3, 1979]</ref> followed by a successful suit against it, [[VCI Home Video]], and [[Video Tape Network]] filed by [[Northern Songs]] for releasing [[Beatles]] material (Media's tapes included ''[[Around The Beatles]]''—featuring the Beatles and the [[Rolling Stones]] as backup singers, with performers such as [[Long John Baldry]]—a [[John Lennon]] solo concert, ''[[Magical Mystery Tour (film)|Magical Mystery Tour]]'', a [[Shea Stadium]] concert, ''[[Sextette]]''—featuring Beatles member [[Ringo Starr]]—and a [[Tokyo]] concert),<ref>[http://www.rarebeatles.com/photopg5/vidmedia.htm The first Beatles tapes and the resulting lawsuits]</ref> but would eventually become one of the largest independent video distributors in the U.S., relying on acquired films, television programs, and children's programs to establish a library of product. Some releases from the company included the original ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'', the majority of the ''[[Peanuts]]'' specials (up to 1984)<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 25, 1984|title=Media Home Entertainment Grabs Cassette Rights to 'Peanuts' Specs|page=41|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>, ''[[The Adventures of the Wilderness Family]]'', ''[[Enemies, a Love Story (film)|Enemies, A Love Story]]'', ''[[I Come in Peace]]'', some films from the [[The Cannon Group, Inc.|Cannon Films]] library<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=McCullaugh|first=Jim|date=September 14, 1985|title=Media Getting 32 Films from Cannon Group|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1985/1985-09-14-Billboard-Page-0064.pdf|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref>, [[CineTel Films|Cinetel Films]] releases<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 18, 1984|title=Media Signs Development Pact for First Turndown with Cinetel|page=29|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>, [[Troma Entertainment]] films like [[Troma's War|''Troma's War'']]<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 22, 1987|title=Heron Obtains 9 Troma Films For HV And Inks With Cox For Madefors |page=44 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>, the theatrical releases of rival video label [[Trans World Entertainment (film company)|Trans World Entertainment]]<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bierbaum|first=Tom|date=April 2, 1986|title=Heron Feeds Media's Pic Hopper; Antes $16-Mil For 8 TWE Films|page=39|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 2, 1987 |title=TWE Deals With Heron But Future Could See Firm Going Solo Route |pages=46, 48 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>, and content from [[New Line Cinema]], namely all of the ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise)|Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' films in the 1980s (1984–1989), the first two ''[[Texas Chain Saw Massacre]]'' films (1974's original and 1986's second, "2", both [[Tobe Hooper]]'s direction) and 1976's ''[[Assault on Precinct 13 (1976 film)|Assault on Precinct 13]]''. ''[[Santa Claus: The Movie]]'' was licensed by Media directly from the Salkind family.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Bierbaum|first=Tom|date=March 14, 1984|title=MHE Pays $2.6-Mil Advance for 'Santa' Vid Rights, Pre-Shoot|page=6|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>


In December 1983, Media Home Entertainment was bought by [[Heron Communications|Heron Communications Inc.]], a subsidiary of [[Gerald Ronson]]'s [[Heron International]]; Heron had previously expanded into the British video market earlier in the year by way of the UK video company Videoform, which Heron purchased controlling interest in earlier that year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 May 1983 |title=British Financier Ronson Takes Over Video Distrib |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1983/1983-05-28-Billboard-Page-0009.pdf |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=World Radio History}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=24 December 1983 |title=Media Home to U.K.'s Heron |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1983/1983-12-24-Billboard-Page-0114.pdf |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=World Radio History}}</ref>
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[[Category:Home video]]

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[[Category:Companies established in 1978]]
Rumors swirled throughout 1987 that Media Home Entertainment was for sale by Heron ([[Carolco Pictures|Carolco]], part-owners of rival video label [[Artisan Entertainment|International Video Entertainment]], were interested), but ultimately no sale happened at the time.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Melanson|first=James|date=April 2, 1987|title=Media Home Ent. Reportedly On The Homevid Sales Block; Carolco An Interested Bidder?|pages=43–44|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Melanson |first=James |date=April 29, 1987 |title=Heron Intl. Sez No Sale On MHE; Ups Its Commitment By $100-Mil |page=39 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>
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[[Category:1992 disestablishments]]

{{US-company-stub}}
In March 1988, Heron forged a licensing deal with budget distributor [[Video Treasures]] to release sell-through copies of Media releases.<ref>[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1988/1988-03-12-Billboard-Page-0034.pdf#search=%22heron%20video%20treasures%22]</ref> Not long after, Media picked up the home video rights to the [[Morgan Creek Productions]] library.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Harmetz|first=Aljean|date=April 25, 1989|title=Producer Defies Rules, and Succeeds|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/25/movies/producer-defies-rules-and-succeeds.html|access-date=October 18, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Media also picked up rights to [[Viacom Productions|Viacom Pictures]] telefilms in early 1990, by which point the deal with Video Treasures had expanded.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCullaugh |first=Jim |date=20 January 1990 |title=Handleman Buys Rights To 1,500 Media Video Titles |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1990/BB-1990-01-20.pdf |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=World Radio History}}</ref>

The death knell for Media came in early 1991, when parent [[Heron International]] opted to put Media up for sale, having already begun to sell Hi-Tops Video to [[Western Publishing]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lichtman |first=Irv |date=20 July 1991 |title=Inside Track |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-07-20.pdf |access-date=26 July 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McCullaugh |first=Jim |date=8 August 1991 |title=Western Publishing On The Fast Track With Hi-Tops Slate |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-08-03.pdf |access-date=26 July 2023 |website=World Radio History}}</ref>; Heron indicated a reason for the sale was because it saw the video operations as not being relevant to either Heron's European operations or the gradual wind-down of Heron's other US assets (which largely consisted of financial and real-estate businesses). As a result, Media formed a distribution pact with [[20th Century Home Entertainment|FoxVideo]], with the latter company handling distribution of Media's non-sell-through titles (Video Treasures continued to handle sell-through titles from Media's catalog).<ref>{{Cite web |last=McCullaugh |first=Jim |date=30 March 1991 |title=Parent Wants To Sell Media Home Entertainment |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1991/BB-1991-03-30.pdf |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=World Radio History}}</ref> In hindsight, the sale may have been motivated by Heron's financial issues after Ronson was convicted in the [[Guinness share-trading fraud|Guinness share frauds scandal]], which sent Heron into a financial tailspin by 1994.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1994-04-02 |title=Heron Group lurches deeper into crisis |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/heron-group-lurches-deeper-into-crisis-1367625.html |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>

Media Home Entertainment ceased final operations in 1993, described as being under "caretaker management"; Video Treasures retained rights to portions of the Media library for several years afterwards.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldstein |first=Seth |date=12 December 1992 |title=Picture This |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/90s/1992/Billboard-1992-12-12.pdf |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=World Radio History}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Goldstein |first=Seth |date=30 January 1993 |title=Video Treasures Polishes Up; Stevens To Focus On Acquisitions |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1993/1993-01-30-Billboard-Page-0121.pdf |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=World Radio History}}</ref> After it shut down, MHE's [[Kathy Smith (fitness personality)|Kathy Smith]] titles moved to [[Warner Music Vision|A*Vision Entertainment]] under the then-new BodyVision label.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Applefield|first1=Catherine|last2=Goldstein|first2=Seth|date=February 13, 1993|title=A*Vision Works Out Label Deal With Kathy Smith|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1993/1993-02-13-Billboard-Page-0006.pdf|access-date=October 17, 2021}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Home video companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct mass media companies of the United States]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies based in California]]
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[[Category:Mass media companies established in 1979]]
[[Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 1993]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in California]]
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[[Category:1993 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:Defunct companies based in Greater Los Angeles]]

Latest revision as of 00:45, 6 May 2024

Media Home Entertainment Inc.
Company typeDivision
IndustryHome entertainment
Founded1978; 46 years ago (1978)
FounderCharles Band
Defunct1993; 31 years ago (1993)
FateCeased operations
SuccessorAnchor Bay Entertainment
HeadquartersCulver City, California
ProductsVHS
ParentHeron Communications
SubsidiariesHi-Tops Video (1986–1992)
Fox Hills Video (1986–1989)
The Nostalgia Merchant (1985–1989)

Media Home Entertainment Inc. was a home video company headquartered in Culver City, California, originally established in 1978 by filmmaker Charles Band.

Media Home Entertainment also distributed video product under additional labels — The Nostalgia Merchant (very old or classic films; Media bought this company in 1984)[1], Hi-Tops Video (children's videos), Condor Video (Spanish-language tittles, including Spanish dubs of films Media owned video rights to)[2], and Fox Hills Video (a sell-through label, devoted to special-interest videos including NFL Films Video releases, some obscure B-movies and low-profile Cannon pictures). The "Fox Hills" name was derived from a geographical location near the company's headquarters at 5700 Buckingham Parkway.

Videos from the Media Home Entertainment library were also distributed overseas in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand by VPD (Video Program Distributors) and Video Classics and in Japan by Tohokushinsha Film, respectively. Some releases by Media Home Entertainment and its associated sublabels were distributed in Canada by Astral Video, a now-defunct subsidiary of the present-day Astral Media (now part of Bell Media).

History[edit]

The company got off to a rocky start when ABKCO Records successfully sued them for releasing The Rolling Stones' Hyde Park concert on Betamax and VHS,[3] followed by a successful suit against it, VCI Home Video, and Video Tape Network filed by Northern Songs for releasing Beatles material (Media's tapes included Around The Beatles—featuring the Beatles and the Rolling Stones as backup singers, with performers such as Long John Baldry—a John Lennon solo concert, Magical Mystery Tour, a Shea Stadium concert, Sextette—featuring Beatles member Ringo Starr—and a Tokyo concert),[4] but would eventually become one of the largest independent video distributors in the U.S., relying on acquired films, television programs, and children's programs to establish a library of product. Some releases from the company included the original Halloween, the majority of the Peanuts specials (up to 1984)[5], The Adventures of the Wilderness Family, Enemies, A Love Story, I Come in Peace, some films from the Cannon Films library[6], Cinetel Films releases[7], Troma Entertainment films like Troma's War[8], the theatrical releases of rival video label Trans World Entertainment[9][10], and content from New Line Cinema, namely all of the Nightmare on Elm Street films in the 1980s (1984–1989), the first two Texas Chain Saw Massacre films (1974's original and 1986's second, "2", both Tobe Hooper's direction) and 1976's Assault on Precinct 13. Santa Claus: The Movie was licensed by Media directly from the Salkind family.[11]

In December 1983, Media Home Entertainment was bought by Heron Communications Inc., a subsidiary of Gerald Ronson's Heron International; Heron had previously expanded into the British video market earlier in the year by way of the UK video company Videoform, which Heron purchased controlling interest in earlier that year.[12][13]

Rumors swirled throughout 1987 that Media Home Entertainment was for sale by Heron (Carolco, part-owners of rival video label International Video Entertainment, were interested), but ultimately no sale happened at the time.[14][15]

In March 1988, Heron forged a licensing deal with budget distributor Video Treasures to release sell-through copies of Media releases.[16] Not long after, Media picked up the home video rights to the Morgan Creek Productions library.[17] Media also picked up rights to Viacom Pictures telefilms in early 1990, by which point the deal with Video Treasures had expanded.[18]

The death knell for Media came in early 1991, when parent Heron International opted to put Media up for sale, having already begun to sell Hi-Tops Video to Western Publishing[19][20]; Heron indicated a reason for the sale was because it saw the video operations as not being relevant to either Heron's European operations or the gradual wind-down of Heron's other US assets (which largely consisted of financial and real-estate businesses). As a result, Media formed a distribution pact with FoxVideo, with the latter company handling distribution of Media's non-sell-through titles (Video Treasures continued to handle sell-through titles from Media's catalog).[21] In hindsight, the sale may have been motivated by Heron's financial issues after Ronson was convicted in the Guinness share frauds scandal, which sent Heron into a financial tailspin by 1994.[22]

Media Home Entertainment ceased final operations in 1993, described as being under "caretaker management"; Video Treasures retained rights to portions of the Media library for several years afterwards.[23][24] After it shut down, MHE's Kathy Smith titles moved to A*Vision Entertainment under the then-new BodyVision label.[25]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Zuckerman, Faye (July 14, 1984). "Media Home Entertainment Buys Nostalgia Merchant" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  2. ^ "Media Home's Hispano Division, Condor, To Release 124 Titles". Variety. March 25, 1987. p. 148.
  3. ^ Billboard, March 3, 1979
  4. ^ The first Beatles tapes and the resulting lawsuits
  5. ^ "Media Home Entertainment Grabs Cassette Rights to 'Peanuts' Specs". Variety. April 25, 1984. p. 41.
  6. ^ McCullaugh, Jim (September 14, 1985). "Media Getting 32 Films from Cannon Group" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "Media Signs Development Pact for First Turndown with Cinetel". Variety. April 18, 1984. p. 29.
  8. ^ "Heron Obtains 9 Troma Films For HV And Inks With Cox For Madefors". Variety. July 22, 1987. p. 44.
  9. ^ Bierbaum, Tom (April 2, 1986). "Heron Feeds Media's Pic Hopper; Antes $16-Mil For 8 TWE Films". Variety. p. 39.
  10. ^ "TWE Deals With Heron But Future Could See Firm Going Solo Route". Variety. September 2, 1987. pp. 46, 48.
  11. ^ Bierbaum, Tom (March 14, 1984). "MHE Pays $2.6-Mil Advance for 'Santa' Vid Rights, Pre-Shoot". Variety. p. 6.
  12. ^ "British Financier Ronson Takes Over Video Distrib" (PDF). World Radio History. 28 May 1983. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Media Home to U.K.'s Heron" (PDF). World Radio History. 24 December 1983. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  14. ^ Melanson, James (April 2, 1987). "Media Home Ent. Reportedly On The Homevid Sales Block; Carolco An Interested Bidder?". Variety. pp. 43–44.
  15. ^ Melanson, James (April 29, 1987). "Heron Intl. Sez No Sale On MHE; Ups Its Commitment By $100-Mil". Variety. p. 39.
  16. ^ [1]
  17. ^ Harmetz, Aljean (April 25, 1989). "Producer Defies Rules, and Succeeds". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  18. ^ McCullaugh, Jim (20 January 1990). "Handleman Buys Rights To 1,500 Media Video Titles" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  19. ^ Lichtman, Irv (20 July 1991). "Inside Track" (PDF). Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  20. ^ McCullaugh, Jim (8 August 1991). "Western Publishing On The Fast Track With Hi-Tops Slate" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  21. ^ McCullaugh, Jim (30 March 1991). "Parent Wants To Sell Media Home Entertainment" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Heron Group lurches deeper into crisis". The Independent. 1994-04-02. Retrieved 2024-05-06.
  23. ^ Goldstein, Seth (12 December 1992). "Picture This" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  24. ^ Goldstein, Seth (30 January 1993). "Video Treasures Polishes Up; Stevens To Focus On Acquisitions" (PDF). World Radio History. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
  25. ^ Applefield, Catherine; Goldstein, Seth (February 13, 1993). "A*Vision Works Out Label Deal With Kathy Smith" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved October 17, 2021.
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