Barry Diller: Successful in Old and New Media

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture, join the Newhouse School for a conversation with entertainment industry executive Barry Diller as he reflects on his storied career.

Diller, an industry leader who has created programming and movie innovations for ABC, Paramount and Fox, will review the transition of his “traditional” media career to his role as creator, chairman and principal shareholder of InterActive Corp., a holding company for many successful media enterprises.

From the famed William Morris Agency, to ABC, to Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, and to the dominating presence of InterActive Corp., Barry Diller has been integral in broadening the role of media and has led many companies to industry- and culture-defining success. Broadcast series like “Laverne & Shirley,” “Taxi” and “Cheers,” and motion pictures such as “Grease,” “Beverly Hills Cop” and the first installments of the Indiana Jones saga, along with an expanding brand portfolio that includes Match.com, Tinder and Expedia, are just a few examples of his unique acumen and inspired shepherding. In addition to paradigmatic content and brands that structure the contemporary experience of the everyday, Diller’s continuing and mounting influence is evident in the many creators and executives he has inspired or mentored, and who are currently leading the industry.

He will be joined in conversation by Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center, Ed Bleier, former president of Warner Bros. Television, and Shelly Palmer, advanced media professor in residence at the Newhouse School.