COMPANY TOWN ANNEX

Viacom in TV Deal: Viacom Productions has teamed up with talent managers Messina Baker Entertainment to produce a six-episode comedy sketch series for cable TV network Comedy Central. Viacom, which owns 50% of Comedy Central, hopes the deal will yield either talent or characters that later could be developed into full-fledged TV series, movies or--the latest synergy product--CD-ROMs and video games. Messina Baker specializes in comedy talent management and counts among its clients Tim Allen. The deal is similar in concept to one announced last week by Capital Cities/ABC and managers Bernie Brillstein and Brad Grey.