Shareholders FAQ

Stock History FAQs

Q01 When was CBS Corporation formed?
Q02 Have there been any stock splits?
Q01 When was CBS Corporation formed?
A01 The company now known as CBS Corporation was previously known as Viacom Inc. and was originally formed in June 1971 when Viacom International was spun off from its parent, CBS Inc., as a result of a then FCC prohibition on TV broadcast networks' owning cable or other television programming distribution businesses. Upon Viacom International's acquisition by National Amusements in June 1987, shareholders were given the option of exchanging each share of Viacom International for common shares (and various other merger consideration) in the newly-merged Viacom Inc. Since 1987, Viacom went on to acquire the assets of Paramount, CBS, Infinity and various other media and entertainment properties. At the end of 2005, Viacom Inc. was separated into two companies, creating a new company named Viacom Inc. (or referred to as “New Viacom”), and the existing company was renamed “CBS Corporation” at the time of the separation.
Q02 Have there been any stock splits?
A02 Not under the current name, CBS Corporation, or stock CUSIPs; however, under the prior name, Viacom Inc., and CUSIPs, in 1990, Viacom’s Class B common stock was spun off, one-for-one, from the original issue of common stock (subsequently named "Class A" common stock). On March 31, 1999, shares of both Class A common stock and Class B common stock split two-for-one. Additionally, at the time of the separation of Viacom Inc., each share of Viacom Inc. common stock was converted into the right to receive 0.5 of a share of “New Viacom” common stock and 0.5 of a share of CBS Corporation common stock.

Contact Info

If you have any shareholder-related questions, please contact CBS Investor Relations Department at 1-877-CBS-0787 (1-877-227-0787) or 212-975-6450 or emailing investorrelations@cbs.com