Date: 5th December 2000

Diller Dealing Again


Barry Diller is looking to sell his 13 television stations or bring them into a joint venture with another broadcaster.

Following a talk to a New York media investment conference Monday, he told reporters that he expects to announce a deal by the end of the year. Diller acquired the stations, most of which are on the fringes of major markets, when he bought the Home Shopping Network and Silver King Communications in the mid 1990s, forming his USA Networks in the process. Must-carry rules that required cable operators in those markets to carry his stations allowed Diller to build his USA Channel, which has become one of the most successful cable operations in the industry. (He later acquired the Sci-Fi Channel.) However, the Diller broadcast group itself continues to be a money loser.

Source: Studio Briefing