Editing Norman Lear (section)

===1980–1999===
In 1980, Lear founded the organization [[People for the American Way]] for the purpose of counteracting the [[Christian right]] group [[Moral Majority]] which had been founded in 1979.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 25, 1981 |title=Lear TV Ads to Oppose The Moral Majority |language=en-US|newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/25/arts/lear-tv-ads-to-oppose-the-moral-majority.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=January 7, 2024|issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=May 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150524083526/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/06/25/arts/lear-tv-ads-to-oppose-the-moral-majority.html}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In the fall of 1981, Lear began a 14-month run as the host of a revival of the classic game show ''[[Quiz Kids]]'' for the CBS Cable Network. In January 1982, Lear and Jerry Perenchio bought [[Avco Embassy Pictures]] from Avco Financial Corporation. In January 1982,  after merging  with company with T.A.T. Communications, the Avco was dropped, and the combined entity  was renamed as Embassy Communications, Inc.<ref>{{Cite news|date=January 5, 1982|title=Avco Embassy|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/05/business/avco-embassy.html|access-date=September 25, 2021|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=September 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925033401/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/01/05/business/avco-embassy.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Embassy Pictures was led by [[Alan Horn]] and Martin Schaeffer, later co-founders of [[Castle Rock Entertainment]] with [[Rob Reiner]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/alan-horn-disney-chairman-1201749971/|title=Disney's Alan Horn Uses Low-Key Approach, Keen Creative Vision to Find Hits of the Future|last=Rainey|first=James|date=April 11, 2016|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=December 6, 2023|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220182244/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/alan-horn-disney-chairman-1201749971/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In March 1982, Lear produced an ABC television special titled ''[[I Love Liberty]]'',  as a counterbalance to groups like the [[Moral Majority]].<ref name=liberty82>{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=John J. |title=TV Weekend; LEAR'S 'I LOVE LIBERTY' LEADS SPECIALS (Published 1982) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/19/arts/tv-weekend-lear-s-i-love-liberty-leads-specials.html?mcubz=3 |website=The New York Times |date=March 19, 1982 |access-date=September 6, 2017 |archive-date=August 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830194334/http://www.nytimes.com/1982/03/19/arts/tv-weekend-lear-s-i-love-liberty-leads-specials.html?mcubz=3 |url-status=live }}</ref> Among the many guests who appeared on the special was conservative icon and the 1964 U.S. presidential election's Republican nominee [[Barry Goldwater]].<ref name=liberty82 />

On June 18, 1985, Lear and Perenchio sold Embassy Communications to [[Columbia Pictures]] (then owned by [[The Coca-Cola Company]]), which acquired Embassy's film and television division (including Embassy's in-house television productions and the television rights to the Embassy theatrical library) for $485&nbsp;million of shares of The Coca-Cola Company.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://normanlear.com/backstory_press.html |title=Coke Buys Embassy & Tandem |author=Michael Schrage |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=June 18, 1985 |access-date=January 25, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502052811/http://www.normanlear.com/backstory_press.html |archive-date=May 2, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://normanlear.com/backstory_press_2.html|title=Lear, Perenchio Sell Embassy Properties|author=Al Delugach|date=June 18, 1985|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|access-date=January 25, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518112723/http://www.normanlear.com/backstory_press_2.html|archive-date=May 18, 2013|author2=Kathryn Harris}}</ref> The brand [[Tandem Productions]] was abandoned in 1986 with the cancellation of ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'', and Embassy ceased to exist as a single entity in late 1986, having been split into different components owned by different entities.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ryan|first=Joal|title=Former Child Stars: The Story of America's Least Wanted|location=United Kingdom|publisher=[[ECW Press]]|year=2000|isbn=9781550224283|page=150|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=11AdAQAAIAAJ|access-date=June 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220622152728/https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Former_Child_Stars/11AdAQAAIAAJ|archive-date=June 22, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> Coca-Cola sold the film division to Dino De Laurentiis and the home video arm to Nelson Holdings (led by Barry Spikings).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-11-16-ca-2810-story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230419052301/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-11-16-ca-2810-story.html|archive-date=April 19, 2023|title=De Laurentiis Rejoins the Ranks – at Embassy|last=Friendly|first=David T.|date=November 16, 1985|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-06-fi-1406-story.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210630052156/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-06-fi-1406-story.html|archive-date=June 30, 2021|title=Coke Will Sell Embassy Unit for $85 Million: Nelson Entertainment Gets Co-Production Deal|last=Harris|first=Kathryn|date=August 6, 1986|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> The TV properties continued under the [[Columbia Pictures Television]] banner.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-14-fi-3719-story.html|title=Columbia TV on a Spending Binge for Talent|last=Lippman|first=John|date=October 14, 1990|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=December 6, 2023|url-access=limited|archive-date=December 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206195622/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-10-14-fi-3719-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lear's [[Act III Communications]] was founded in 1986 and in the following year, [[Thomas B. McGrath]] was named president and chief operating officer of ACT III Communications Inc after previously serving as senior vice president.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Los Angeles County|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-12-fi-6601-story.html|date=December 12, 1987|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419000322/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-12-fi-6601-story.html|archive-date=April 19, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Executive Changes|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/14/business/executive-changes-913987.html|date=December 14, 1987|website=[[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426215224/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/14/business/executive-changes-913987.html|archive-date=April 26, 2022|url-access=subscription|url-status=live}}</ref> On February 2, 1989, Norman Lear's Act III Communications formed a joint venture with Columbia Pictures Television called ''Act III Television'' to produce television series instead of managing.<ref name="Knoedelseder">{{Cite web|title=Norman Lear, Columbia Form Joint TV Venture|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-02-fi-2616-story.html|date=February 2, 1989|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=William K. Jr.|last=Knoedelseder|author-link=William Knoedelseder|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123021020/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-02-fi-2616-story.html|archive-date=January 23, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Lear Joins With Columbia To Produce TV, Not Manage|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/02/business/lear-joins-with-columbia-to-produce-tv-not-manage.html|date=February 2, 1989|website=[[The New York Times]]|first=Richard W.|last=Stevenson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308122206/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/02/business/lear-joins-with-columbia-to-produce-tv-not-manage.html|archive-date=March 8, 2021|url-access=subscription|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Act III Communications purchased several business journals, including ''Channels'' magazine that had been founded by [[Les Brown (journalist)|Les Brown]], former ''New York Times'' TV correspondent. ''Channels'' closed in 1990, by which time Act III and Brown published and edited ''Television Business International'' (''TBI'').<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/08/business/channels-magazine-to-publish-final-issue.html|title=Channels Magazine to Publish Final Issue|last=Carmody|first=Dierdre|date=December 8, 1990|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=December 6, 2023|archive-date=March 31, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331154535/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/08/business/channels-magazine-to-publish-final-issue.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://newspapers.com/article/daily-news-channels/136379638/|title=Scrambled Channels|newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York|page=6|date=December 11, 1990|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=December 6, 2023|archive-date=December 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206195631/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-channels/136379638/|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Norman lear 2014.jpg|thumb|Norman Lear was at the [[Texas Book Festival]] in 2014.]]
In 1997, Lear and Jim George produced the [[Kids' WB]] series ''[[Channel Umptee-3]]''. The cartoon was notable for being the first television show to meet the [[Federal Communications Commission]]'s then-new educational programming requirements.<ref name="Variety 1997">{{cite news|title=WB's 'Umptee-3' has Norman Lear's signature|url=https://variety.com/1997/tv/news/wb-s-umptee-3-has-norman-lear-s-signature-1116677702/|access-date=May 28, 2011|newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=September 15, 1997|archive-date=April 20, 2019|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420032642/https://variety.com/1997/tv/news/wb-s-umptee-3-has-norman-lear-s-signature-1116677702/}}</ref>