January 2005: Named president of creative affairs and development for King World Productions and Paramount Domestic TV.



November 2002: Promoted to executive VP of programming for Paramount Domestic Television.



November 2001: Named senior VP of programming for Paramount TV Group’s domestic TV division.



November 1998: Leaves Harpo Entertainment to join Paramount Domestic TV as VP of programming.



October 1996: After eight years at CBS News, Terry Wood joins Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Entertainment as executive director of development.



CBS Paramount

September 2006: “Rachael Ray” scheduled to debut.



January 2006: CBS Corp. rebrands Paramount TV, creating CBS Paramount TV.



June 2005: The Viacom board votes to carve the company into two parts: CBS. Corp., which includes CBS, UPN and the conglomerate’s TV syndication properties; and Viacom Inc., which includes the Paramount film division and cable network properties.



September 2004: “The Insider” debuts.



September 2002: “Dr. Phil” debuts to higher ratings than any other talk show since “The Oprah Winfrey Show” launched in 1986.



June 2001: Paramount, King World and Harpo close the deal to produce “Dr. Phil.”



November 1999: CBS and King World Productions merge.



September 1999: Paramount’s parent company Viacom and CBS Corp. announce they are merging; the deal is completed eight months later.



June 1999: Paramount buys Spelling Entertainment Group and Big Ticket. “Judge Judy” distributor Worldvision is absorbed by Paramount.



February 1998: Oprah Winfrey wins a defamation lawsuit filed by Texas cattlemen after she airs an episode warning viewers of the danger bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease. Trial consultant Phil McGraw helps her case. Mr. McGraw makes his first appearance on Ms. Winfrey’s show soon after.



December 1997: After selling off its manufacturing assets, Westinghouse Electric Corp. changes its name to CBS Corp.



September 1997: Production company Big Ticket debuts its syndicated courtroom series “Judge Judy.”