1980
Indian
Film Finance Corporation and Indian Motion Picture Export Corporation
merge to become National Film Development Corporation
laptop
computer invented
Sherry
Lansing becomes president of 20th Century Fox, first woman to head
a major studio
1981
launch
of Space Shuttle and MTV
first
Nintendo home video game
invention of the mouse
1982
Carmike
Cinema chain founded in US
Sky
Channel (first European satellite TV channel) launched
200
computers connected to the internet worldwide
CBS
and 20th Century Fox form joint venture to own/operate CBS San Fernando
studios
Tri-Star
Pictures formed by CBS television, HBO (Home Box Office) and Columbia
Pictures
Coca-Cola
buys Columbia Pictures
1983
number
of computers in US exceeds ten million
Bonnier
Group buys Svensk Filmindustri from Dagens Nyheter
Carlton
Communications founded
CGE
and Havas media group establish Canal+ pay television group
MGM
merges with United Artists as MGM/UA Entertainment
1984
AHL
buys 50% Greater Union Theatres stake held by Rank
20th
Century Fox sells interest in CBS San Fernando studios to Mary Tyler
Moore Enterprises (MTM)
Sky
TV, first UK satellite TV channel
Bonnier's
SF merges with Europa Film
1985
Murdoch
buys 20th Century Fox and Metromedia broadcasting stations
Blockbuster
video rental chain founded
UK
Films Act abolishes Eady Levy
AOL
founded
American
Multi-Cinema (AMC) launches first UK multiplex
Symbolic.com
becomes first registered dot-com domain
car-based
cellular phones in US
average
US TV viewing peaks at 7 hours 10 minutes per day
US
TV networks begin satellite distribution to affiliates
pay-per-view
channels open for business in US
20%
of US households have VCRs
1986
General
Electric buys RCA
merger
of DDB Needham and BBDO
Capital
Cities Communications buys American Broadcasting network for $3.5
billion to create Capital Cities-ABC
Jupiter
Communications founded
HBO
scrambles its signals
cable
shopping networks
Bertelsmann
Music Group (BMG) formed
Ted
Turner buys MGM/UA for film library, sells most of studio
1987
Columbia
Pictures merges with Tri-Star Pictures under the ownership of Coca-Cola
Goldcrest
sold to UK conglomerate Brent Walker
Sumner
Redstone's NAI buys majority interest in Viacom
Blockbuster
acquired by Wayne Huizenga
est.
1 million mobile phone subscribers in US
half
of US households receive cable television
Rupert
Murdoch buys Herald & Weekly Times group, Harper & Row and
South China Morning Post
Alan
Bond gives Kerry Packer $1 billion for Nine television network
Murdoch
sells Ten network to Frank Lowy for $842 million
1988
Blockbuster buys Video-Library chain, increasing its stores to 415
Sony
Corp purchases CBS Records' global business for $2 billion
AMC
sells its 19 UK multiplexes to United Cinemas International (UCI)
NAI/Viacom
opens its first UK multiplex
1989
Sony
buys Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures from Coca-Cola for
$3.4 billion
Sony
buys Loews cinema chain
Warner
opens its first UK multiplex
Steve
Cosser buys control of Ten Network from Lowy for $22 million
launch
of Murdoch's SkyTV in UK
Time
merges with Warner
AT&T buys cable giant TCI
<-
1970's + 1990's ->
