Big Wave Pictures

Big Wave Pictures (also known as Big Wave Entertainment and Big Wave Communications Group, Inc. was an American independent production, distribution, and (in its final years as an autonomous entity) multimedia company. It was founded in 1969 by Robert K. Friedman and Gary Friedman as Big Wave Pictures, Ltd., a producer and distributor of motion pictures, eventually expanding into television production in 1984. Big Wave eventually expanded into broadcasting with the acquisition of six television stations in 1991, with the broadcasting unit expanding through additional purchases made during 1995.

Paramount Pictures (then owned by Viacom) became a major investor in 1995 and purchased the company outright in 1996.

Although no longer in operation, it continues to exist as holding companies within the CBS Corporation corporate structure along with various regional subsidiaries (e.g. "Big Wave Communications of Los Angeles").