▁Produ ctions ▁and ▁created ▁a ▁television ▁distribution ▁company ▁called ▁Tele V ent ures . ▁ ▁Columbia ▁Pictures ▁Entertainment ▁era ▁( 1 9 8 7 – 1 9 8 9 ) ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁Tri - Star ▁Pictures , ▁Inc . ▁was ▁renamed ▁to ▁Columbia ▁Pictures ▁Entertainment , ▁Inc . ▁when ▁Co ke ▁sold ▁its ▁entertain ment ▁business ▁to ▁Tri - Star ▁for ▁$ 3 . 1 ▁billion . ▁Both ▁stud ios ▁continued ▁to ▁produce ▁and ▁dist ribute ▁films ▁under ▁their ▁separate ▁names . ▁On ▁April ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁C PE ▁sp un ▁off ▁Tri - Star ▁Pictures , ▁Inc . ▁as ▁a ▁reform ed ▁company ▁of ▁the ▁Tri - Star ▁studio . ▁ ▁Sony ▁era ▁( 1 9 8 9 – present ) ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁Columbia ▁Pictures ▁Entertainment , ▁Inc . ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁Sony ▁Corporation ▁of ▁Japan , ▁who ▁merged ▁Columbia ▁and ▁Tri - Star , ▁but ▁continued ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁separate ▁labels . ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁Tri - Star ▁Pictures ▁dissol ved ▁and ▁sold ▁its ▁vent ure ▁in ▁Tele V ent ures ▁to ▁Stephen ▁J . ▁C ann ell ▁Produ ctions ▁and ▁Tele V ent ures ▁became ▁C ann ell ▁Distribution ▁Co . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁series ▁and ▁the ▁Tri - Star ▁film ▁packages ▁that ▁were ▁distributed ▁by ▁Tele V ent ures ▁were ▁transferred ▁to ▁Columbia ▁Pictures ▁Television ▁Distribution . ▁Sony