Diller, chairman of Interactive Corp, told delegates at the Casbaa convention that "contraction is good for online", pointing out that the medium's measurability gave it significant advantages over traditional media. "I think there is going to be an awful lot of chaos as scarcity is replaced by plentiful options."
Diller also touched upon his recent legal battle with key shareholder Liberty Media chief John Malone, following Diller's decision to break up the IAC conglomerate into smaller units. "Thankfully, they lost," said Diller. "So the relationship is quite good now."
Diller defended his decision to break up IAC, pointing out that the conglomerate model is "inefficient" and, for example, could be blamed for the stagnant nature of the US film industry. "I really do believe that focus and simplicity of management lines and business structures is the best way to operate businesses."
The media titan also sounded a note of caution for many of the organisations that dominate the Casbaa agenda. "When there is no barrier between publishing to the world and the consumer, then all of the people who have been in publishing are going to be challenged."
Diller’s career includes stints at ABC, Paramount and Fox. IAC owns online brands such as Match.com and Ask.com. It was founded in 1995.
