CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA: In a strategic move aimed at capitalising on the overall strength of the Sony brand, Sony Pictures Entertainment has renamed its domestic and international television operations. "Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (CTDT) and Columbia TriStar International Television (CTIT) will now operate under the names Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) respectively," says Sony Pictures Entertainment, chairman and CEO, John Calley.

"By more closely aligning our television operations with the Sony name, we will be able to leverage the power of one of the world's most recognised and respected brands.This move further enforces our commitment to television production, distribution and syndication around the world," says Calley. write story here

Currently, SPE's television divisions produce or distribute approximately 60 programs worldwide, spanning all formats and genres with local programming in eight languages. SPE also grants licensing rights to its large library of television programs and motion pictures to network affiliates and independent stations in the United States and to international television stations and other broadcasters throughout the world.

Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has over 30 channels which reaches more than 140 million viewers worldwide. SPTI has offices in France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Spain and the United Kingdom. It currently oversees production in eight countries, yielding some 2,300 hours of television. SPE's television library includes over 35,000 television episodes, 275 television series and more than 22,000 episodes of game show programming from 50 years of television history, including such TV classics as, The Three Stooges, I Dream Of Jeannie, Bewitched, All In The Family, The Jeffersons, Charlie's Angels, Diff'rent Strokes and Married ... With Children.