KECO Entertainment
Encyclopedia
Kings Entertainment Company (KECO) owned and/or operated six theme parks
around the world. The company was originally owned by Taft Broadcasting
and in the mid 1980s was purchased by a few top-level executives of Taft's.
In 1992, the company was sold to Paramount Communications (formerly Gulf+Western, and later acquired by Viacom
), then the parent of Paramount Pictures
, which changed the name of the parks by adding "Paramount's" in front of their names. The park in Australia was not purchased by Paramount and was sold to a local company.
The company was renamed Paramount Parks
in 1994, around the time of the Viacom purchase, and remained in existence until 2006. As part of the 2005 Viacom
split, ownership of Paramount Parks was transferred to the CBS Corporation
.
CBS, in turn, sold the parks to the Sandusky, Ohio
-based amusement park management company Cedar Fair Entertainment Company on June 30, 2006 (CBS decided that the parks would not fit a new corporate strategy that they were implementing). As of January 2007, Cedar Fair has begun dropping the Paramount name from the individual parks and restoring their original KECO names with new Cedar Fair logos. This transaction also returned the parks to Ohio-based ownership, as Taft was once headquartered in Cincinnati (meanwhile, Gulf+Western was once headquartered in one of Ohio's neighboring states, Michigan).
The company owned:
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
around the world. The company was originally owned by Taft Broadcasting
Taft Broadcasting
The Taft Broadcasting Company, also known as Taft Television and Radio Company, Incorporated, was an American media conglomerate based in Cincinnati, Ohio....
and in the mid 1980s was purchased by a few top-level executives of Taft's.
In 1992, the company was sold to Paramount Communications (formerly Gulf+Western, and later acquired by Viacom
Viacom (1971–2005)
Viacom , stylized as VIACOM in its current logo, was an American media conglomerate. It was the owner of CBS, Nickelodeon & MTV, among others. Effective December 31, 2005, this corporate entity changed its name to CBS Corporation...
), then the parent of Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, which changed the name of the parks by adding "Paramount's" in front of their names. The park in Australia was not purchased by Paramount and was sold to a local company.
The company was renamed Paramount Parks
Paramount Parks
Paramount Parks was an operator of theme parks and attractions, which annually attracted about 13 million patrons. Viacom had assumed control of the company as part of its acquisition of Paramount Pictures in 1994....
in 1994, around the time of the Viacom purchase, and remained in existence until 2006. As part of the 2005 Viacom
Viacom
Viacom Inc. , short for "Video & Audio Communications", is an American media conglomerate with interests primarily in, but not limited to, cinema and cable television...
split, ownership of Paramount Parks was transferred to the CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation is an American media conglomerate focused on commercial broadcasting, publishing, billboards and television production, with most of its operations in the United States. The President and CEO of the company is Leslie Moonves. Sumner Redstone, owner of National Amusements, is CBS's...
.
CBS, in turn, sold the parks to the Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
-based amusement park management company Cedar Fair Entertainment Company on June 30, 2006 (CBS decided that the parks would not fit a new corporate strategy that they were implementing). As of January 2007, Cedar Fair has begun dropping the Paramount name from the individual parks and restoring their original KECO names with new Cedar Fair logos. This transaction also returned the parks to Ohio-based ownership, as Taft was once headquartered in Cincinnati (meanwhile, Gulf+Western was once headquartered in one of Ohio's neighboring states, Michigan).
The company owned:
- Canada's Wonderland, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(sold to Paramount, now owned by Cedar Fair) - Great America, Santa Clara, CaliforniaSanta Clara, CaliforniaSanta Clara , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. The city is the site of the eighth of 21 California missions, Mission Santa Clara de Asís, and was named after the mission. The Mission and Mission Gardens are located on the...
(Sold to Paramount, now owned by Cedar Fair) - Kings IslandKings IslandKings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio. Opened in 1972 by Taft Broadcasting Company and now owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, Kings Island is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the U.S...
, Mason, OhioMason, OhioMason is an affluent city in southwestern Warren County, Ohio, United States, 22 miles away from Cincinnati . As of the 2010 census, Mason's population was 30,712. Mason has experienced fast growth, with its historic Main Street remaining at the center of the community...
(Sold to Paramount, now owned by Cedar Fair) - Carowinds, Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
(Sold to Paramount, now owned by Cedar Fair) - Kings Dominion, Doswell, VirginiaDoswell, VirginiaDoswell is an unincorporated community in Hanover County in the Central Region of the U.S. state of Virginia. Originally called Hanover Junction, it was located on the Virginia Central Railroad, which later became part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at a crossing of the Richmond,...
(Sold to Paramount, now owned by Cedar Fair) - Australia's WonderlandWonderland SydneyWonderland Sydney was a theme park in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The park was the largest one in the southern hemisphere. It remained open for almost nineteen years and was the premier theme park in New South Wales for much of its life, but it closed in 2004...
, SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Sold to Sunway GroupSunway GroupSunway Group also known as Sunway Holdings Incorporated Berhad commenced operations in 1986, mainly to develop the Bandar Sunway township in Petaling Jaya...
, now defunct) - Hanna Barbera Land, Houston, TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
(sold to Six FlagsSix FlagsSix Flags Entertainment Corp. is the world's largest amusement park corporation based on quantity of properties and the fifth most popular in terms of attendance. The company maintains 14 properties located throughout North America, including theme parks, thrill parks, water parks and family...
and reopened as SplashtownSplashtownSplashtown is a name used by the following water parks in the United States:* Splashtown at Darien Lake, a water park in Darien, New York* SplashTown Waterpark Houston, a water park north of Houston in Spring CDP, unincorporated Harris County...
) - Marineland of the PacificMarineland of the PacificMarineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula coast in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Architect William Pereira designed the main structure. It was also known as Hanna-Barbera's Marineland during the late 1970s and early 1980s...
, Palos Verdes, California (sold to Harcourt Brace Jovanovich then owner of SeaWorldSeaWorldSeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
and promptly closed)