Diller Blocking Gore's Cable Buy

http://www.nypost.com/business/10767.htm


DILLER BLOCKING GORE'S CABLE BUY

November 14, 2003 --

Al Gore is having serious trouble getting on TV.

The former vice president has desperately been trying to buy a small cable news channel for $70 million but is getting blocked by mogul Barry Diller.

Diller holds veto power over any sale of the channel, News World International, and says he wants to hold up the deal, but only for business reasons.

Gore intends to create a liberal cable news channel for young people.


SNIP

Former AOL Time Warner COO Bob Pittman is said to be advising Gore on creating his youth-oriented channel. The advice ranges from how to pick a studio to what kind of music to play.

Gore's advisers are reportedly bickering over where to locate the network. Joel Hyatt, a big-time Democratic Party fundraiser and Gore's main financial backer, wants the channel in San Francisco, while others want New York. Two names for the channel are being debated: "The Indie Channel" and "VTV."

Orville Schell, an adviser to the group and the dean of the University of California's Graduate School of Journalism, told TVGuide.com that the network targets "young people interested in the world who don't want their news dumbed down."Paul Tharp

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Note on spin: Post writer says it's a "liberal news channel" while the Schell quote...and others we've seen before...say it's a news channel for youth and truth, NOT a liberal station per se.....

What utter crap. They just can't stand the thought of a liberal outlet, can they? The Right has to own everything!

At this time the Gore camp does not have a definitive vision... ultimately for the company to succeed in the way he wants it too...which I hope it does.......it will have to appeal to much more than just youth...as youth get old....and it must appeal to more progressive ideals than just being a liberal we respect everyone channel....

television is a medium of continuity.... a youth channel will get old... a "liberal" channel will get old... like wise....FOX/CNN deny being conservative...and infact are often refered to as the liberal media... so the trick is.......DELETED

to stick ur head in this game means u need a real vision....not some marketing idea.

i can be contacted by my agent....

thanks.
RK

Hardly.

For one thing, it's a Murdoch outlet. For another, other coverage has simply stated that Diller is a factor, not that a decision has been made.

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=218851

I'm locking this thread. Interested DUers are welcome to continue discussing this in the referenced thread.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation,
TahitiNut - DU moderator