ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Liberty Media
Corporation (Nasdaq: LCAPA, LINTA, LMDIA) ("Liberty") today announced that its
board of directors has authorized its management to proceed with development
of a plan to distribute to the holders of Liberty Entertainment tracking stock
shares of a subsidiary that will hold the businesses and assets currently
attributed to the Liberty Entertainment group (Nasdaq: LMDIA). The
transaction would be effected as the redemption of all outstanding shares of
Liberty Entertainment tracking stock in exchange for shares of the subsidiary
and is intended to be tax-free to stockholders. The subsidiary, which would
become a separate public company, would be called Liberty Entertainment, Inc.
("Entertainment").
"We believe converting the Liberty Entertainment tracking stock to an
asset-backed security will create a stronger currency and allow greater
flexibility to pursue our strategic objectives," said Greg Maffei, president
and CEO of Liberty.
If the transaction is completed as currently contemplated, Entertainment
will be comprised of approximately 50% of The DIRECTV Group, Inc., 100% of
Starz Entertainment, FUN Technologies, and Liberty Sports Holdings, LLC, 50%
of GSN, LLC and 37% of WildBlue Communications, Inc. Entertainment will be
the obligor on approximately $2 billion in debt incurred to acquire 78.3
million DIRECTV shares in April 2008. The 3.25% exchangeable debentures due
2031 that are currently attributed to the Liberty Entertainment group will be
attributed to the Liberty Capital group together with an amount of cash
sufficient to compensate that group for the change in attribution of the
debentures. No other change in the attribution of Liberty's assets or
liabilities to the Liberty Capital group or the Liberty Interactive group is
anticipated. It is expected that the executive officers of Liberty also will
serve as the executive officers of Entertainment.
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking
statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other important factors that could cause the actual results,
performance or achievements of Liberty Media Corporation and subsidiaries or
industry results, to differ materially from any future results, performance or
achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such
risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others: the risks and
factors described in the publicly filed documents of Liberty Media
Corporation, including the most recently filed Form 10-K of Liberty Media
Corporation; general economic and business conditions and industry trends
including in the advertising and retail markets; the continued strength of the
industries in which we operate; uncertainties inherent in proposed business
strategies and development plans; rapid technological changes; future
financial performance, including availability, terms and deployment of
capital; availability of qualified personnel; changes in, or the failure or
the inability to comply with, government regulation, including, without
limitation, regulations of the Federal Communications Commission, and adverse
outcomes from regulatory proceedings; changes in the nature of key strategic
relationships with partners and joint venturers; competitor responses to
Liberty Media Corporation's products and services, and the overall market
acceptance of such products and services, including acceptance of the pricing
of such products and services. These forward-looking statements speak only as
of the date of this Release. Liberty Media Corporation expressly disclaims any
obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any
forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in Liberty
Media Corporation's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events,
conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
Nothing in this release shall constitute a solicitation to buy or an offer
to sell shares of the new Entertainment or any of the Liberty Media tracking
stocks described in this release. The offer and sale of such shares in the
proposed spin-off will only be made pursuant to an effective registration
statement. Liberty stockholders and other investors are urged to read the
registration statement to be filed with the SEC, including the proxy
statement/prospectus to be contained therein, because it will contain
important information about the transaction. A copy of the registration
statement and the proxy statement/prospectus, once filed, will be available
free of charge at the SEC's website (http://www.sec.gov). Copies of the proxy
statement/prospectus and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by
reference in the proxy statement/prospectus can also be obtained, without
charge, by directing a request to Liberty Media Corporation, 12300 Liberty
Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112, Attention: Investor Relations,
Telephone: (720) 875-5408.
The directors and executive officers of Liberty and other persons may be
deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of
proposals to approve the transaction. Information regarding Liberty's (and, if
formed, Entertainment's) directors and executive officers and other
participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and
indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be available in
the proxy materials to be filed with the SEC.
About Liberty Media Corporation
Liberty Media Corporation owns interests in a broad range of electronic
retailing, media, communications and entertainment businesses. Those interests
are attributed to three tracking stock groups: (1) the Liberty Interactive
group (Nasdaq: LINTA), which includes Liberty's interests in QVC, Provide
Commerce, Backcountry.com, BUYSEASONS, Bodybuilding.com, IAC/InterActiveCorp,
and Expedia, (2) the Liberty Entertainment group (Nasdaq: LMDIA), which
includes Liberty's interests in The DIRECTV Group, Inc., Starz Entertainment,
FUN Technologies, Inc., GSN, LLC, WildBlue Communications, Inc., and Liberty
Sports Holdings LLC, and (3) the Liberty Capital group (Nasdaq: LCAPA), which
includes all businesses, assets and liabilities not attributed to the
Interactive group or the Entertainment group including its subsidiaries Starz
Media, LLC, Atlanta National League Baseball Club, Inc., and TruePosition,
Inc., and minority equity investments in Time Warner Inc. and Sprint Nextel
Corporation.
CONTACT:
Courtnee Ulrich of Liberty Media LLC, +1-720-875-5420
SOURCE Liberty Media Corporation