SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) September 16, 1997
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KING WORLD PRODUCTIONS, INC.
_____________________________________________________
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
Delaware 1-9244 13-2565808
___________________________________________________________________
(State or Other Jurisdiction (Commission (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation) File Number) Identification No.)
1700 Broadway, New York, New York 10019
___________________________________________________________________
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (212) 315-4000
______________
12400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90025
___________________________________________________________________
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
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Item 5. Other Events.
_____________
On September 16, 1997, King World Productions, Inc. (the "Compa-
ny"), issued a press release announcing the settlement of its litigation
with Sony Pictures Entertainment over the production and distribution of a
new version of the game show "Hollywood Squares." Under the terms of the
settlement, the Company and Columbia TriStar Television will produce, and
the Company will distribute, Hollywood Squares in first-run syndication,
for launch as a five-day-a-week strip series premiering in the fall of
1998.
The Company also announced that it had obtained three-year
commitments from eleven CBS owned-and-operated stations to broadcast the
series in the access or early fringe time periods through the 2000-2001
broadcast season.
Copies of the press releases containing the foregoing announce-
ments are filed herewith as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2.
Item 7. Financial Statements, Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhib-
its. ________________________________________________________________
____
(c) Exhibits.
99.1 Press Release of the Company dated September 16,
1997 concerning the settlement of the Hollywood
Squares litigation.
99.2 Press Release of the Company dated September 16,
1997 concerning the licensing of Hollywood
Squares.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
KING WORLD PRODUCTIONS, INC.,
By: /s/Steven A. LoCascio
Name: Steven A. LoCascio
Title: Senior Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Date: September 17, 1997
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INDEX TO EXHIBITS
Exhibit Description
_______ ___________
99.1 Press Release of the Company dated September 16,
1997 concerning the settlement of the Hollywood
Squares litigation.
99.2 Press Release of the Company dated September 16,
1997 concerning the licensing of Hollywood
Squares.
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EXHIBIT 99.1
King World and Sony Pictures Entertainment Settle Pending Litigation;
'Hollywood Squares' Set for a Fall 1998 Launch
NEW YORK, Sept. 16 -- King World Productions, Inc. and Sony Pictures Enter-
tainment today announced that they have settled their pending litigation in
California Superior Court. Under the settlement, King World and Columbia
TriStar Television will produce a new version of HOLLYWOOD SQUARES for
first-run syndication. King World will distribute the program, which will
launch as a five-day-a-week strip for premiere in the Fall of 1998.
``Today, we begin a major, new chapter in our partnership with Sony
Pictures,'' declared King World Vice Chairman & CEO Michael King. ``We have
agreed to bring back one of the most popular, successful and longest-runn-
ing shows in the history of television. HOLLYWOOD SQUARES is a treasure,
and the prospect of producing and distributing a new version of it is
tremendously exciting for us, as I know it will be for the viewing pub-
lic.''
``We're pleased to move forward on HOLLYWOOD SQUARES,'' stated Jon
Feltheimer, President of the Columbia TriStar Television Group and Execu-
tive Vice President of Sony Pictures Entertainment. ``The success we've
enjoyed with WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! has set a benchmark in the
world of game show production and distribution. HOLLYWOOD SQUARES has the
potential of becoming another franchise for our companies.''
King World is the leading worldwide distributor of first-run programming,
including WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JEOPARDY! and THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, the three
highest-rated, first-run strips in syndication. The Company produces and
distributes INSIDE EDITION and AMERICAN JOURNAL, and distributes THE
GERALDO RIVERA SHOW, the MR. FOOD insert and a library of feature films and
television programs. It will also co-produce and distribute THE ROSEANNE
SHOW, which is scheduled to premiere in September 1998. The Company's
barter subsidiary, Camelot Entertainment Sales, Inc., sells national
advertising time in King World and other TV programming. Another subsid-
iary, King World Direct, is a worldwide, full-service, direct marketing
company. WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! are produced by Columbia TriStar
Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
is produced by HARPO Productions, Inc. THE GERALDO RIVERA SHOW is produced
by Tribune Entertainment.
Sony Pictures Entertainment's global operations encompass motion picture
production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home
video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities,
development of new entertainment technologies and distribution of filmed
entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on
the World Wide Web at http://www.spe.sony.com.
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EXHIBIT 99.2
King World Signs Three-Year Deals for 'Hollywood Squares' on CBS Owned &
Operated Stations
NEW YORK, Sept. 16 -- On the heels of announcing an agreement with Sony
Pictures Entertainment Inc. to co-produce a new version of HOLLYWOOD
SQUARES for premiere in Fall '98, King World Productions, Inc. (NYSE:KWP),
which is distributing the show, today announced that eleven CBS owned-and-
operated stations, representing 30% of the U.S. (including New York, Los
Angeles and Chicago), have made a three-year commitment to the new produc-
tion for broadcast in the access or fringe time period through the
2000-2001 broadcast season.
King World is the leading worldwide distributor of first-run programming,
including WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JEOPARDY! and THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, the three
highest-rated first-run strips in syndication. The Company produces and
distributes INSIDE EDITION, AMERICAN JOURNAL and distributes THE GERALDO
RIVERA SHOW, the MR. FOOD insert and a library of feature films and
television programs. It will also co-produce and distribute THE ROSEANNE
SHOW, which is scheduled to premiere in September 1998. The Company's
barter subsidiary, Camelot Entertainment Sales, Inc., sells national
advertising time in King World and other TV programming. Another subsid-
iary, King World Direct, is a worldwide, full-service, direct marketing
company. WHEEL OF FORTUNE and JEOPARDY! are produced by Columbia TriStar
Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
is produced by HARPO Productions, Inc. THE GERALDO RIVERA SHOW is produced
by Tribune Entertainment.
Sony Pictures Entertainment's global operations encompass motion picture
production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home
video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities,
development of new entertainment technologies and distribution of filmed
entertainment in 67 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on
the World Wide Web at http://www.spe.sony.com.
