Television: Columbia TriStar Television Distribution is taking...

Television: Columbia TriStar Television Distribution is taking on an unusual joint-venture partner to sell a program to an equally unusual buyer. The partner: Children’s Television Workshop, producer of “Sesame Street.” The buyer: Corp. for Public Broadcasting, which is providing a $4.2-million grant to the partners to jointly produce 40 episodes of “Dragon Tales,” an animated musical adventure for preschoolers, and 13 episodes of “Show and Tell Me,” which teaches parents how to participate in their child’s learning. Columbia has been intent on broadening into children’s programming as well as on exploiting nontraditional syndication markets. Children’s Television Workshop has expertise in licensing and production but has been seeking strategic partners in these new markets.