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April 1984, Columbus Circle, Manhattan. In a silver and black skyscraper that looms over Central Park, Barry Diller strides down the corridor towards the elevator doors. He's a stocky 42-year-old with deep frown lines etched into his brow. Close cropped hair hugs the sides of his otherwise bald head.
Diller runs Paramount, the Hollywood movie studio owned by Gulf and Western, a sprawl and conglomerate with interests in everything from auto parts to zinc. And right now, Diller is in a mad dash to leave Gulf and Western's headquarters. He reaches the elevator and jams the call button. Diller checks his watch as the elevator slowly crawls up to the executive floor. A corporate jet is waiting at the airport to whisk him back to L.A. He should have been on it hours ago.
迪勒经营着洛杉矶电影工作室帕拉蒙特,这是由拥有汽车零件到锌等各种行业利益的巨头企业Gulf and Western所有的集团公司。现在,迪勒急急忙忙地想离开Gulf and Western的总部。他到了电梯口并按下呼叫按钮。迪勒检查了一下手表,电梯缓慢地向执行楼层爬行。一架企业飞机已经在机场等候,准备将他带回洛杉矶。他本应该几个小时前就上了那架飞机。
Diller jabs the button over and over. Then a familiar voice interrupts. "Barry, you got a minute?" Diller grits his teeth and turns to face Martin Davis, the boss of Gulf and Western. Davis is 57 years old with immaculately groomed silver hair and thin framed glasses.
A year ago, they were allies. Diller helped Davis grab the top job when Gulf and Western's founder died. But that was then. Now, Diller thinks Davis is incapable of trusting anyone and can't stomach the risk-taking that brings success in the movie business. Davis believes Diller is overpaid and out to undermine him.
一年前,他们曾是盟友。当Gulf and Western的创始人去世时,Diller帮助Davis抓住了最高职位。但那是以前的事了。现在,Diller认为Davis不信任任何人,无法容忍在电影业中带来成功的冒险精神。Davis认为Diller薪水过高,有意削弱他的地位。
Diller glances at the elevator. "Can't it wait? I'm running late." "It won't take long," Davis pleads. Diller follows Davis into his office. Through the windows, he sees darkness in golfing central park as the daylight ebbs. Davis gestures to a chair. Diller shakes his head. "You said it'd be quick." "I'll get to it then. I want you to fire Michael Eisner."
Diller blinks. Eisner's his right-hand man. Together, they've made paramount the toast of Tinseltown. "Why would I fire him? He's got his finger on the pulse. Without him, there would have been no Raiders of the Lost Ark or Terms of Endearment."
"He isn't a team player. You said it yourself." "Oh, sure, we clash. But he's my guy. I want him gone." "What you want is idiotic. Answer's no." "Look, I run this company. Me. When I tell you to fire somebody, you damn well fire them. When I helped you get this job, as you said, Paramount would be my domain. So Eisner stays. I made no promises. Eisner goes."
The two butt heads over Eisner's future for hours. Eventually, Davis relents. But Diller knows it's only a temporary reprieve. Davis wants total control and Diller's in his way. He wants to cripple Diller by eliminating those loyal to him. And he won't stop until he gets his way.
Diller's days at paramount are numbered. And he knows it. He made it the hottest studio in Hollywood. Now Davis is taking it from him. But even when Davis gets his way, the bitterness won't fade. Instead, it'll fester fermenting for years before erupting in a multi-billion dollar showdown that will reshape Hollywood forever.
Diller 在派拉蒙的日子没几天了,他自己知道。他曾经将派拉蒙变成了好莱坞最热门的制片厂。现在,Davis 要从他手中接管它。即使 Davis 得逞了,这股苦涩的情绪也不会消失。相反,它会渐渐酝酿多年,最终爆发成一个价值数十亿美元的大战,彻底重塑好莱坞。
Hi, I'm Sarah Haggi, co-host of Wondery's Podcasts Scample Insers. In our recent two-part series, Three Weddings and a Funeral, we dive into the story of a German con man who built an entire life on fake names, lies, and schemes. And the unlikely true-kind twist that brought this decades-long charade crashing down. Listen to Scample Insers on Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts.
From Wondery, I'm David Brown and this is Business Wars. In 1993, Change was in the air. TV, phones, and computers were converging to create the connected world we live in today. In this new tomorrow, TV viewers would no longer passively observe TV programming. They would interact with their screens to access movies on demand.
Hundreds of TV channels, check their bank balance and do their shopping without ever leaving their sofa. In this new world of instant entertainment, power and profit would flow to those who control Hollywood's dream factories. The days when cable companies, TV stations, and phone companies could play the gatekeeper seemed numbered.
And that's why, in the fall of 1993, an unlikely battle was taking shape. The humble TV shopping channel QVC in a Philadelphia suburb was preparing to go to war over one of Hollywood's crown jewels, Paramount Pictures. But this $10 billion rumble wasn't just about business. It was also a clash of two gargantuan egos.
On one side was Barry Diller, a visionary known as Killer Diller for his volcanic temper. He wanted to fuse QVC in Paramount to build a retail and media empire similar to present-day Amazon. In his way, stood Viacom owner Sumner Redstone, a man with a relentless desire to win, who saw Paramount as the weight of supercharge his cable TV empire.
But in this grudge match, no quarter will be given. Allies will become enemies, friendships will burn, and billions will be splurged, and no one will walk off the battlefield unscathed.. This is Episode 1, Killer on the Loose.
Barry Diller floors his banana yellow jaguar convertible, racing down the treeline road. He blows past speed limit signs and scouts at every vehicle in his way. It's been five months since his dust up with Gulf and Western boss Martin Davis. Now, Davis is back on the attack. He flew in last night on a mission to make Diller kneel.
Barry Diller 喜欢开着他的香蕉黄色捷豹敞篷车,沿着路旁的树线狂奔。他不顾限速标志,一路超车,并留意着道路上的每一辆车辆。距离他和 Gulf 和 Western 的老板 Martin Davis 发生争执已经有五个月了,现在 Davis 又开始进攻了。昨晚他飞回来了,准备让 Diller 屈服。
Diller shoots across sunset Boulevard, then makes a sharp turn before screeching to a stop outside the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Davis stands by the entrance. He's wearing a dour pinstripe suit in an expression to match. Diller reaches over and opens the passenger door.
Diller 开车穿过落日大道,然后做出一个急转弯,然后尖叫着停在比佛利威尔希尔酒店门外。戴维斯站在入口处。他穿着一件严峻的细条纹西装,表情匹配。Diller 伸手打开了乘客门。
Welcome, Della, Marty. Davis frowns. He hates being called Marty. He gives Diller a where he look as he climbs into the passenger seat. You always drive like that?
Yep. Diller sets off for Paramount pictures, cutting off other drivers to get ahead. So, how long you gonna be in LA? All week. While I'm here, I want to meet all your top executives. Sure, I'll arrange you dinner party. We also need to make time to discuss your contract. You know it expires in under 30 days.
I'm not holding up the renewal. Yes, but first I want us to agree to the reorganization. What reorganization? I want Frank Mankuso reporting into you instead of Michael Eisner. Diller frowns. Mankuso is Paramount's marketing chief, and he's loyal to Davis. Diller decides to stamp on that idea quickly. Out of the question, Michael won't accept it. Davis pretends not to hear. We also need to discuss bonuses. You know, you and Eisner take 57% of Paramount's bonus pool. That's not team player behavior.
Marty, movies are a hit-driven business. Paramount success depends on which 12 movies Eisner and I green light each year. Those maker break calls are why we earn the big money. Davis frowns. He made less than $600,000 last year. Diller pocketed 2.5 million. He's the boss. But Diller is earning four times the money. Bottom line, you're overpaid. No, Marty, you're underpaid.
Both men fall silent as they pull up to the gates of Paramount pictures. Their final fight is looming. A week later, Gulf and Western headquarters Manhattan. In his corner office, overlooking Central Park, Martin Davis hunches over Paramount's latest financial projections. There are another reminder that times running out to renew Diller's contract. But Davis doesn't mind waiting. He's sure it'll strengthen his hand. One of Davis's secretaries pops her head around the door.
Mr. Davis, Barry Diller is on the line. Says it's urgent. Put him through. Davis reaches for the phone, then stops. He lets it ring a few times and then picks up. What you need, Barry?
I'm resigning. I'm going to run 20th century Fox. I see. I wanted to tell you in person, but Fox just told me the news is leaked. But I'll fly to New York tonight and we can... Don't, don't bother. There's no reason for you to get on a plane, Barry. We can handle everything from here. We don't need you. Goodbye, Barry.
Davis hangs up and smiles. With Diller gone, he can run Paramount his way. The next morning Paramount employees find a memo on their desks. It announces Diller's departure, but suggests he was fired. For Diller, it's a final slap in the face from Davis and deepens the bad blood between them. But for now, they've got bigger concerns than fighting each other. Davis is busy transforming Gulf and Western from an unfocused conglomerate into a lean entertainment giant. And Diller, he needs to turn around a struggling 20th century Fox. But their paths will cross again.
7 Years Later, 1991, the 20th Century Fox lot, Los Angeles. Barry Diller strides toward Rupert Murdoch's corner office with a look of determination on his face. Since he quit Paramount to run Fox, Diller's played a bad hand well. He got the ailing movie studio back on track, persuaded Murdoch to buy the company, and then built the Fox TV network from the ground up. But something's been bugging Diller for months, and he can't ignore it any longer.
He stops outside the Australian media tycoon's door and knocks. Murdoch smiles as Diller enters. Barry, what can I do for you? I wanted to talk about my future. What about it? I've contributed a lot to Fox. Yes, and I appreciate it. But I'm nearly 50, and I've been thinking about what I've done, where I'm going, and Murdoch interrupts. Spit it out, Barry. I don't need the preamble.
I'm sorry, Barry, but in this company, there's only one principle, and that's me. Diller is shocked. For years, he's felt and acted like the guy in charge of Fox. But Murdoch's just given him the ultimate reality check. Diller might be CEO, but he's still just a well-paid employee.. And at Fox, that's all he'll ever be.
And for Diller, that's not enough. He wants the final say to be the owner. So, in February 1992, he resigns. He leaves Fox with a $150 million severance package, and no idea of what's next.
But while Diller considers his options, his old nemesis Martin Davis, is also at a career crossroads. April 1992, Manhattan. In a corner of an upscale apartment, Martin Davis sips his white wine and wonders what to say to the man sitting with him. That man is Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric. They're looking to merge paramount and General Electric's TV network in BC, and it deals close.
But Welch senses that something's off. Is there something I'm missing, Marty? Paramount plus in BC makes total sense to me. Davis puts down his glass. Regulatory approval is a problem. Well, it's hard to get deal breaker. You do want this deal, don't you?
Davis isn't sure. He spent years fixing golf in Western. When he took charge, it was a lumbering giant weighed down by huge debts and delivering slim profits. Now, it's a lean profit machine with a billion dollars in the bank and a new name, paramount communications. And it's a business worth seven billion dollars. But there's a problem. Next to the competition, paramounts small. It's losing market share to giants like Sony and Time Warner.
Davis knows paramount must bulk up to stay competitive. He spent years searching for a company to buy or merge with, but he still hasn't found the right match. And tonight's no exception.
Are you serious? I don't know. Let's sleep on it. Talk in the morning. Welch shakes his head. He thought he had a deal. But he's actually just the latest person getting stood up at the altar by Davis.
Truth is, paramount is Davis's life's work and he can't bear to let go of it. At least not yet. But Davis also knows if he waits too long, paramount could become a takeover target. And there's something else knowing at him too. Barry Diller.
Diller's out there on the loose plotting something big. And Davis's instincts tell him that the moment will come when Diller will try to crash the gates of paramount.
迪勒正在外面密谋一些大事情,戴维斯的直觉告诉他,迪勒将会试图冲破派拉蒙的门。
Bad dates. We've all had them. Everyone can relate to them. And now it's time to celebrate them. I'm Drameter Jamil and each week I welcome my favorite comedian, celebrities, and funny friends to share the romantic misfires that they based on the road to love to shocking. Or both. We'll have guests like Roy Wood Jr. She has a place to live, I don't. So I'm on my whole bisexual shit and I'm over there. I'm bisexual. Yeah.
Nikki Glazer. I dated this guy and I really liked him. One date he said, cool beans, seriously. And I couldn't. And Conan fucking O'Brien. Let's just watch the swearing, okay? I'm yeah. Don't worry for that F-bomb. This whole thing would be suitable for children.
So come join us for bad date stories that will make you laugh a lot, cry a little, and cringe just enough. Follow bad dates wherever you get your podcast. You can listen early and add free on the Amazon Music or Wondering app.
July 1992, Westchester, Pennsylvania. A great BMW screeches to a halt outside of a suburban office building with no signs of life. At the wheel is Barry Diller. He tilts his sunglasses down and checks his map.
He's come to CQVC but can't believe this is the home of a billion dollar company. It's been six months since Diller quit Fox. Ever since he's been searching the country for something he can't explain a marriage of technology and media.
His passion for tech began after he bought an Apple laptop. Now he carries it with him everywhere. He's blown away by all the things he can do with it. And he thinks he can do more. He envisions a future where people at home have instant access to movies and TV shows.
He's toured Microsoft, had dinner with Steve Jobs, and now his search has brought him to CQVC's door. 20 minutes after arriving, a CQVC executive leads Diller to the sales floor.
On muted TV screens, a CQVC presenter is demonstrating an electric can opener. On the TV you can see the live feed of CQVC and behind you where the monitors showing the sales data graphs.
The executive points to a computer monitor with lines running across it. The line's spike and fall repeatedly. What am I looking at exactly? Well that's the live data from our sales. When the line is high it means customers are buying the product. We can see in real time how our audience responds to what's happening on screen.
Paragraph 1: Diller stares at the screen. He can't believe what he's seeing. That's the sales.. Really? And Holly would you have to wait days, sometimes weeks, for consumer feedback? We do things a little differently over here.
Paragraph 2: Here we immediately know how our audience is responding. Diller watches the data charts spike off the screen as thousands of QVC viewers rush to place orders on the phone. It's instant feedback that QVC can use to change up its live sales pitch on the fly to get even more sales.
Paragraph 3: Employees scramble to take orders. It's exhilarating. Diller's mesmerized. QVC is not just another TV channel broadcasting at its audience. It's a conversation between the television programmer and viewer.
Paragraph 4: The QVC executive snaps Diller back into reality. So what do you think? Diller is unable to get the words out. He's found what he's been looking for. The perfect marriage of media and technology. He doesn't know exactly how it works, but he does know it's the future.
Paragraph 5: He wants in badly. He's drunk with ambition. But there's only one thing stopping him. He needs to be his own boss, and QVC already has a CEO. He leaves both elated and deflated. QVC feels like the one. It's the first place he's visited where the promised convergence of television, communications, and computing is already happening. But being the guy in control of it, that seems like nothing more than a pipe dream.
Paragraph 6: September 1992. Four seasons hotel, Philadelphia. Father and son duo Ralph and Brian Roberts sit at the center table waiting for their guest. He's late, and they worry he won't show. Ralph Roberts is the patriarch. He founded cable TV provider Comcast in 1969. He brought Brian on as CEO years later. He now has 7.4 million subscribers. But with their systems about to be upgraded to offer subscribers hundreds of new channels to watch, the company is in desperate need of additional programming.
Paragraph 7: Ralph checks his watch. He's going to stand us up and I know it. He'll be here, dad. You got a lot of confidence in someone who's been dodging us for weeks. The pressure is on for the Roberts family. They need to prepare Comcast for the future. And this is the man to do it. But they're not sure if he'll want to.
Paragraph 8: Ralph relaxes when he sees Barry Diller walk through the front door. Sorry I'm late. Traffic is hell out there. A waiter fills their cups with water. Ralph lays his cards on the table. We're in the process of transferring to fiber optic cables. This will allow us to offer thousands of new channels, but they're worthless without programming. And Barry, that's where you come in.
Paragraph 9: Now look, I'm not looking to get back into programming. I'm looking to do something different. Ralph looks disappointed. Well, that's not what I was hoping to hear you say. What exactly are you looking to do then? You know, maybe there's something we can work on together. I want to work with media and technology. And I want ownership too.
Paragraph 10: Ralph looks at Ryan. He has an idea, but he isn't sure it's worth mentioning. Well, the closest we have to that is QVC. We're investors. Interesting, but I want ownership. Ryan leans forward. QVC's CEO is about to retire and cash out. You could buy his shares and take charge of the company. Nice idea, but I don't want to just take charge. I want to have the final say. Let me be clear. I want to be number one.
Paragraph 11: Ryan and Ralph look at each other. It's taken them months to get diller to meet them. And they're now utterly convinced that he's the programming genius they need to get Comcast ready for TV's coming technological revolution. And if they have to use their influence over QVC to get them, that's a small price to pay. In that case, we'll use our shares to back you. Will that give us a majority?
Paragraph 12: Ralph chimes in. No, and I think there's a guy who can help. November 1992, Denver. A conference room inside TCI headquarters. TCI CEO John Malone sits across the table from Barry diller and Comcast's Brian Roberts. As head of the largest cable TV company in the country, Malone wields enormous power.
Paragraph 13: So let me get this straight, Barry. You want to own QVC and Brian here's willing to back you up with Comcast shares? Diller nods. Right. But you also need my shares to gain the majority control, huh? That's right. And why would I do that? Malone has a reputation for his tough negotiation style. He harpoons every deal he comes across hoping for a whale.
Paragraph 14: It's not the deal he's interested in, but where the deal can take him. Roberts interjects. Look, we're both stakeholders at QVC. We both know the future of our companies will depend on programming. It doesn't matter how many channels we have, if there's nothing for people to watch, right? Barry is the guy who can help us solve that problem.
Paragraph 1: Malone sits back in his seat. He already owns stakes in several networks, including Turner Broadcasting, American Movie Classics, and BET. Diller's programming expertise would be an ice addition to his programming collection.
Paragraph 2: All right. I'm in. But how are we going to structure this? Diller leans in to make his pitch. I'm going to buy 3% of QVC for $25 million. Then you, Comcast, and I will pool our shares. That'll give us majority control over the business, and I'll run the company. With a handshake, Malone seals the deal. I wish all my business meetings were this easy. I spent months just talking to Martin Davis about buying a stake in Paramount.
Paragraph 3: Diller starts laughing uncontrollably. Malone frowns. Did I miss the joke? I worked for Martin Davis for years. I'm sorry, he's just not going to sell Paramount to you. I think you will. He trusts me. No, he doesn't. Davis doesn't trust anybody. Look, take my word on this. The only way to get Paramount is by a hostile takeover. Robert's chimes in. I'm up for that. Malone smirks. Whatever supports you guys needs for me. I'm here.
Paragraph 4: Malone's original plan was to acquire Paramount on his own. But this could work, too. It's not how he gets it that matters, but when. By joining forces with Comcast and Diller to take control of QVC, he can attack Paramount from both sides. He can continue friendly negotiations with Davis on his own, while also encouraging Diller to take Paramount by force, using Diller as a pawn in a larger game. Either way, Malone wins.
Paragraph 5: December 1992, Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles. The swanky bar is surprisingly crowded for a week day night. The glitterade flocked to the outdoor patio for happy hour. Tristan, a junior agent, sits at the bar waiting to order. He spots his friend Charlie from across the room.
Paragraph 6: Over here, Charlie pops down next to him. He tosses a newspaper down on the bar. Did you see the news about Barry Diller? It's terrible. No, did he, did he die? Worse, he runs QVC now. The home shopping network? Exactly that. What the heck does Barry Diller want with a glorified flea market? What he did at Fox and Paramount, that was legendary stuff now he's just a has been.
Paragraph 7: Diller's motivations may not be clear to the naked eye, but he's got a plan. First, take over QVC. Second, plant his flag on the mountain that is digital media. Then, slowly rip Paramount from the clutches of Martin Davis. A victory 10 years in the making. But only if he can outsmart a billion dollar threat from a hardened Hollywood warrior who takes no prisoners.
Paragraph 8: Spring 1993. Viacom headquarters Times Square. In an office decorated with photos of classic movie stars, Viacom 70 year old owners, some Norettoon lifts the phone receiver away from his ear. Barry Diller's on the line and he's pissed. You backstabber, I thought we were friends.
Paragraph 9: Rettstone stares at the phone with raised eyebrows. It's Rettstone's first encounter with Diller's infamous temper. Not that he's phased. Rettstone's endured way worse. In 1979, he survived a hotel fire by hanging from a third floor window with his right hand as the flames burned his flesh. The scars remain. As does his will to overcome. That same determination helped him turn his family's drive-in movie business into the chain of multiplexes that now owns Viacom, the TV giant behind MTV and Nickelodeon.
Paragraph 10: Rettstone brings the phone back to his ear. Diller's still ranting. If you wanted an MTV shopping channel, you could have come to me in QVC. Why partner with Home Shopping Network? Come on, you're helping my enemy. Rettstone cuts in. Barry, if you have a problem talked to John Malone, he's your partner at QVC and he controls the Home Shopping Network. He's the one who suggested that MTV could work with Home Shopping. So why don't you take it up with him?
Paragraph 11: Diller says nothing. He doesn't want to confront Malone about this. Rettstone takes that as a cue to answer his own question. Let me guess. Is it because Malone only ever does what's good for Malone? I never said that. But you know it. Malone plays both sides to get his way. Look, mark my words. He'll drop you like a stone for an extra dollar. Loyalty is not a word in his vocabulary. You must understand him.
第11段: Diller 沉默着。他不想跟 Malone 对抗这件事。Rettstone 拿这个当信号回答他自己的问题。让我猜猜。是因为 Malone 只为自己好吗?我没有这么说过。但你知道的。Malone 两面派以达到自己的目的。看,记住我的话。他会为了多赚一块钱就把你甩掉。忠诚这个词不在他的词汇表中。你必须了解他。
Paragraph 12: Hmm. Listen, I'm not interested in being part of some QVC Home Shopping Turf War engineered by Malone. You want to be MTV's partner? Work it out with him. Rettstone hangs up and looks at the photos of Jimmy Stewart and Judy Garland on the walls. They remind him that now is not the time to get sidetracked by a Malone Diller squabble. They're a bigger thing's at stake, like fulfilling his lifelong dream of owning a movie studio.
哼。听着,我可不想参与马隆精心设计的 QVC 家居购物领地战。你想成为 MTV 的合作伙伴?你就与他商量好了。雷特斯通挂断电话,看着墙上的吉米·斯图尔特和朱迪·嘉兰德的照片。他们提醒他现在不是被马隆和迪勒争执的事情所分心的时候。有更重要的事情在于,实现他拥有电影制片厂的终身梦想。
Paragraph 13: April 1993 Manhattan. In a private dining room inside investment bank Morgan Stanley, Redstone and Paramount boss Martin Davis are reminiscing.
Paragraph 1: Redstone runs a hand through his thin hair with the texture of cotton candy. He's sure sent those corporate raiders running for the hills. My, that was long ago. You were still a drive-in movie man then. Yeah. And now we're talking mergers..
Paragraph 2: Redstone's smile fades. He's been here with Davis before and he doesn't want to relive that experience. Marty before we go any further, I want to be upfront so we don't waste our time. I want Paramount but you must accept that Viacom will control the combined company. Unless I get absolute control, I'm not interested.
Paragraph 3: Redstone knows Davis fears surrendering control of Paramount. Paramount is Davis's world. His life's work. Redstone expects the talks will end right here. But instead, Davis leans forward. I know you need control and I'm reconciled to it. Really? I'm not talking control on paper here. I mean for real Viacom will control the board. I agree. But we'd still be partners in the operation, won't we?
Paragraph 4: Redstone smiles. He knows he must seduce Davis to get Paramount. Absolutely. You'll be my CEO. You could even put your desk in my office and work by my side. Provided I have control. Davis relaxes. Reassured he's got a future. Then we're getting somewhere. Is anyone going to get between us? Very Diller maybe? No, Dillers don't threat. Guys and egotists. Think he's better than he is. I think he's one of the smartest guys in the business. He's more sizzle than substance. Malone worries me more. That guy's a snake.
Paragraph 5: Malone wants Paramount? Oh yeah. I've been talking with him for months but I won't do a deal with him. I'm just keeping him close so I can keep tabs on him. I got him right where I want him. Maybe. Listen, this dinner's been productive. Let's get our people around the negotiating table and see if they can make this merger happen.
Paragraph 6: The two media moguls grin. They've been here before but this time it feels different. Davis just hopes he can get the merger done before Malone or Dillers strike. June 1993 Paramount headquarters Manhattan. In his 42nd floor office Paramount legal chief Don Orsman stands at the window and peers through his binoculars.
Paragraph 7: The 68-year-old smiles as he scans the skies around Central Park. Where are you? Where? Where? Ah, there you are. Through the binoculars Orsman sees a goss hawk slowly flapping its wings high above the city streets. Orsman recognizes that flight pattern. Ah, you're defending your territory. So what's the threat?
Paragraph 8: But before Orsman can find out, his phone rings. He puts down the binoculars and answers the call. Don, it's Jerry from TCI. Can you talk? Jerry is capable giant TCI's chief attorney. They've talked regularly ever since Malone began sniffing around Paramount. Sure. Great. Now I shouldn't tell you this, but QVC's board has just given Barry Diller permission to make a run at Paramount.
Paragraph 9: Orsman feels the blood drained from his face. What? I don't understand. We're in friendly talks, and Malone's on QVC's board. Why didn't he block this? Diller in con cast forced it through. That's all I can tell you. Orsman hangs up and races out of his office down the long corridor and into the office of Paramount chairman Martin Davis.
Paragraph 10: Davis sees the concern on Orsman's face and rises from his chair. What's wrong? Malone's lawyer just called. Barry Diller's persuaded QVC's board to okay a hostile move against us. Davis grimaces. That piece of **** coming for me? Huh. Let him try. I'll knock him over. And what's Malone's game? We're in merger talks with him. He's on QVC's board. Why is he sitting by? Diller in con cast overruled him. Oh crap. Malone's up to something.
Paragraph 11: But why is he tipping us off? His lawyer won't have said Jack without Malone's say-so. What if it's the truth? Maybe it's all Diller. The two men go quiet as they try to decipher the game Paramounts just become upon him. Malone's helping Barry Diller mount a hostile takeover of Paramount. But at the same time, he's going behind Diller's back and alerting Paramount of the coming attack.
Paragraph 12: Davis can't even tell who the real threat is. Is it Diller they should fear? Or Malone? Or maybe both? On the next episode Paramount seeks protection in Viacom Malone trips up QVC, and Barry Diller heads into enemy territory.
Paragraph 13: From Wondry, this is episode one of the Battle for Paramount Pictures for Business Wars. A quick note about recreations you've been hearing: in most cases, we can't know exactly what was said. Those scenes of dramatizations. But they're based on historical research.
Paragraph 14: If you'd like to read more about Barry Diller, we recommend the Barry Diller story by George Mayer. I'm your host David Brown. Tristan Donovan wrote this story, additional writing by Sharday Sellers, voice acting by Michelle Philippi. Karen Lo is our senior producer and editor. Edited and produced by Emily Frost, sound designed by Jason Freeman. Our producer is Dave Shelling. Our executive producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman and Marshall Lue. Created by Ernan Lopez for Wondry.