Communications And Entertainment Limited
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Communications and Entertainment Limited (CEL) was an Australian
home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...
cassette distributor in the 1980s. They were originally known as Publishing and Broadcasting Video, a unit of
Publishing & Broadcasting Limited Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) was one of Australia's largest corporations. With interests primarily in media and gambling, for the entirety of its existence it was largely controlled by the Packer family. History Predecessors PB ...
.


History

The company was originally formed in 1980 by
Kerry Packer Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer (17 December 1937 – 26 December 2005) was an Australian media tycoon, and was considered one of Australia's most powerful media proprietors of the twentieth century. The Packer family company owned a controlling ...
as Star Video, a subsidiary of
Publishing & Broadcasting Limited Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) was one of Australia's largest corporations. With interests primarily in media and gambling, for the entirety of its existence it was largely controlled by the Packer family. History Predecessors PB ...
, who began selling movies to videocassette. The company was introduced to the rental market in September 1981, and began expanding, sorting out agreements with Inter-Ocean Film Sales, and Filmways International, and the company would later reorganize as Publishing and Broadcasting Video, with other subsidiaries, like Video Channel, and The Duplication Center. The company went on to be expanding in 1982 to start a partnership with the
South Australian Film Corporation South Australian Film Corporation (SAFC) is a South Australian Government statutory corporation established in 1972 to engage in film production and promote the film industry, located in Adelaide, South Australia. The Adelaide Studios are managed ...
to form Australian Video, with Breaker Morant becoming the first movie to be issued on videocassette. Another piece of expansion came later that year when the company set up its own label Storytime Collection, whose titles were marketed to children from pre-school to 12, starting with a double feature set of videocassettes. In 1983, Star Video/PBV signed a pact with
Henson Associates The Jim Henson Company, Inc., formerly known as Muppets, Inc., Henson Associates, Inc., and Jim Henson Productions, Inc. (commonly referred to as Henson), is an American entertainment company located in Los Angeles, California. The company is kn ...
subsidiary Muppet Home Video to release Muppet-oriented children's titles, starting with the Muppet television specials in time for the Easter season. PBV began expanding to launch a label specifically for exploitation and erotica films, Playaround Video in June 1983, with its original batch being double feature sets of 90-minute films. A month later, Publishing and Broadcasting Video launched another label devoted to art films, called Star Video Film World Festival, which also focused on foreign language films, award-winning films, classic films and the like. The final piece of expansion came a month later when PBV licensed titles from top leaders Embassy Home Entertainment and MGM/UA Home Video to release its titles under two new labels, covering two major studios. By the time PBV had become CEL, many of the labels were discontinued, or moved to another company (MGM/UA's releases were through
Warner Home Video Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment, Inc. (doing business as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment; formerly known as Warner Home Video and WCI Home Video and sometimes credited as Warner Home Entertainment) is the American home video distribution ...
). CEL's labels included the aforementioned Muppet Home Video, Kidspics, and Thames Video (although this appears to be non-exclusive; some of Thames' video releases were through Pickwick Video). CEL also released RCA-Columbia Pictures Home Video releases prior to the joint venture with
Hoyts The HOYTS Group of companies in Australia and New Zealand includes HOYTS Cinemas, a cinema chain, and Val Morgan, which sells advertising on cinema screens and digital billboards. The company was established by dentist Arthur Russell in Melbo ...
. In early 1984, Publishing and Broadcasting Video was reorganized, and its subsidiaries of Publishing and Broadcasting Limited were combined to form a new company, Communications and Entertainment Ltd., with Consolidated Press and Holdings Ltd. obtaining a stake in the company. In 1984, Communications and Entertainment Limited entered into an agreement with West Germany's licensor EuroVideo, in order that EuroVideo will distribute CEL's product in the West Germany market. Also that year, Communications and Entertainment Limited launched the film production and distribution agent Starscreen, and signed an agreement with Australian film distributor Greater Union Film Distributors, whereas
Greater Union Greater Union Organisation Pty Ltd, trading as Event Cinemas, Greater Union, Moonlight Cinema and Birch Carroll & Coyle (BCC Cinemas), is the largest movie exhibitor in Australia and New Zealand, with over 140 Multiplex (movie theater), cinema c ...
will handle the film distribution theatrically via joint venture project, and CEL would handle home video rights to the Starscreen titles. In 1986, CEL posted an increase in sales and an 81% rise on the company, which already held titles under the CEL Entertainment Revolution banner and decided to fight in their space with the launch of ''
A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...
'', a theatrical release that was exhibited on major theatrical screens. That year, on 30 July 1986, Communications and Entertainment Limited decided to return to the rental market, after abandoning it in 1985 in favor of turning to the full-priced field. On 27 August 1986, Communications and Entertainment Limited decided to expand on the New Zealand market in order to buy its privately owned production house, and a 30% stake in another Kiwi facility of the studio. On 29 October 1986 Les Smith, who had spent several years at the U.K. as head of Cannon Screen Entertainment (formerly Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment) had returned to Australia, this time at Communications and Entertainment Limited, to serve as head of its home entertainment division, and had to double out its efforts to make ''
A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...
'', a rental release offered by CEL Home Video a winner. In 1987, Communications and Entertainment Limited decided to link its entertainment interests of the
Virgin Group Virgin Group Ltd is a British multinational venture capital conglomerate founded by Richard Branson and Nik Powell in February 1970. Virgin Group's date of incorporation is listed as 1989 by Companies House, who class it as a holding compa ...
to acquire the Rome Theater for $8.3 million, which was in association with
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
backer Leon Fink as part of a $20 million entertainment complex of which details were disclosed. Also that year, the prospect of a Virgin-CEL merger decided that they chose to list "international buying power for theatrical, homevideo and television product, the Virgin name and international support, and the influx of Virgin titles", and the UK outfit decided to inherit CEL's established distribution structure and marketing muscle, and sent the partner of two entertainment interests in various countries that was originated in different regions, that enhanced the bottom line. The merger attempt was then aborted on 20 May 1987, and CEL is searching for a partner. In late June 1987, it attempted to sell the entire group to Taft-Hardie Group Pty. Ltd, which bid $42 million, but it never realised . That year, in early October 1987, a Melbourne-based company who was financing for the investment and the management groups, Quatro, following a last-minute $48 million bid for the company, won the bid to acquire the Communications and Entertainment Limited group, who supplanted a $42 million offer from the
Taft-Hardie Group Endemol Australia, formerly known as Southern Star Group, Southern Star Productions, Southern Star/Hanna-Barbera Australia and Taft-Hardie Group Pty Ltd, was a major Australian independent television production, distribution, and syndication com ...
and saw Quatro played as a major player in the entertainment industry, and partner company Pro-Image Group increasing its production slate for the drama genre. CEL had also bought Sundowner Film and Video Productions Pty Ltd. The company was publicly listed on the
Australian Securities Exchange Australian Securities Exchange Ltd (ASX) is an Australian public company that operates Australia's primary Exchange (organized market), securities exchange, the Australian Securities Exchange (sometimes referred to outside of Australia as, or c ...
, but was delisted in 1989 for failing to pay annual fees to the ASX. The company continued for a few years until 1999, when it filed for bankruptcy.


References

{{Authority control Companies formerly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange Home video distributors Home video companies of Australia Home video companies established in 1980 Home video companies disestablished in 1999 1980 establishments in Australia 1999 disestablishments in Australia