Medstar Television
Encyclopedia
Medstar Television Inc. is a television production company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania
.
in 1981 by Paul Dowling and William Ferretti to produce medical news and health information. From the start, Medstar financed, produced and distributed all of its own productions. One of its first was Health Matters, a program on health and lifestyle issues, produced in cooperation with hospitals throughout the United States, which sponsor the program in their local areas with local and national content, along the same lines as PM Magazine
. Health Matters was syndicated
to various commercial and PBS
stations during the 1980s.
Medstar later expanded to produce two medical news products, "MedstarSource" and "MedstarAdvances" syndicated to commercial television stations in the United States. Production of these segments ended in August 2011.
In 1990, Medstar began to produce programming for cable television including the Discovery Channel
, HBO and TLC
.
In 1995, the company created the Medical Detectives series on forensic science, which premiered on TLC in April of 1995. It was the first reality based forensic series on television and used a 'murder mystery' approach to documentary storytelling. In 2000, the Medical Detectives series moved to the CourtTV network (now TruTV) where it was re-titled Forensic Files
and quickly became the networks highest rated television series. Internationally, the series was sold to stations and networks in over 142 countries where it remains enormously popular. Peter Thomas narrates the series which is still in production, with more than 400 episodes. In 2002, Forensic Files would appear on NBC
as the first prime time television series originally produced for cable to air on a commercial network, as a summer replacement series.
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
.
History
Medstar was incorporated in the state of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1981 by Paul Dowling and William Ferretti to produce medical news and health information. From the start, Medstar financed, produced and distributed all of its own productions. One of its first was Health Matters, a program on health and lifestyle issues, produced in cooperation with hospitals throughout the United States, which sponsor the program in their local areas with local and national content, along the same lines as PM Magazine
PM Magazine
PM/Evening Magazine was a television series with a news and entertainment format. It was syndicated to stations throughout the United States...
. Health Matters was syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
to various commercial and PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
stations during the 1980s.
Medstar later expanded to produce two medical news products, "MedstarSource" and "MedstarAdvances" syndicated to commercial television stations in the United States. Production of these segments ended in August 2011.
In 1990, Medstar began to produce programming for cable television including the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
, HBO and TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
.
In 1995, the company created the Medical Detectives series on forensic science, which premiered on TLC in April of 1995. It was the first reality based forensic series on television and used a 'murder mystery' approach to documentary storytelling. In 2000, the Medical Detectives series moved to the CourtTV network (now TruTV) where it was re-titled Forensic Files
Forensic Files
Forensic Files is an American documentary-style series which reveals how forensic science is used to solve violent crimes, mysterious accidents, and even outbreaks of illness. The show is broadcast on truTV, narrated by Peter Thomas, and produced by Medstar Television, in association with truTV...
and quickly became the networks highest rated television series. Internationally, the series was sold to stations and networks in over 142 countries where it remains enormously popular. Peter Thomas narrates the series which is still in production, with more than 400 episodes. In 2002, Forensic Files would appear on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
as the first prime time television series originally produced for cable to air on a commercial network, as a summer replacement series.