On New Year's Day 2001, CTT folded CPT in a failed attempt to become a network television syndication division called Columbia TriStar Network Television. Columbia TriStar Television was officially incorporated on July 12, 1996. However, CPT and TriStar continued producing their own series until TriStar Television became in-name-only in 1999 and CPT folded in 2001. On June 4, 1994, CTT folded Merv Griffin Enterprises and took over the rights to Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, as part of an overall deal with Merv Griffin himself. With Columbia TriStar International Television (formerly 'Columbia Pictures International Television', now Sony Pictures Television International) already in operation since the early 1990s, all three became part of Sony Television Entertainment umbrella (which was later renamed to the Columbia TriStar Television Group in July 1995). It was founded on Februand the same day, SPE renamed Columbia Pictures Television Distribution to Columbia TriStar Television Distribution. Columbia TriStar Television was a merger of Columbia Pictures Television and TriStar Television (after the re-branding of Columbia TriStar Home Video).
