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     overview

The US Paxson group is a television broadcaster in which the GE/NBC group has a significant interest.

     the group

Paxson Communications Corporation owns and operates "the nation's largest broadcast television station group" (ie by number of stations) and PAX TV, a broadcast television network launched in August 1998 and as of 2004 claimed to reach 88% of US television households via broadcast television, cable and satellite distribution systems. Paxson owns and operates 61 stations. In 2001 revenues were US$308 million, with earnings of US$18 million.

Establishment of the network reflected US broadcast deregulation during the 1990s. It claims to emphasise "quality programming with family values, free of excessive violence, free of explicit sex and free of foul language". Founder and majority shareholder Lowell Paxson found God - perhaps appropriately - in a hotel room in Las Vegas.

He was earlier involved in establishment of the Home Shopping Network (HSN), Silver King Communications (both later vehicles for Barry Diller) and Christian Network Inc.

The group formerly operated one of the larger US radio networks, with some 46 stations sold to Clear in the 1990s. In 1999 NBC paid US$415 million for a 32% stake in Paxson.

Disagreements with NBC were reflected in the 2003 announcement that NBC had exercised its right to request that Paxson redeem, by payment in cash, all of the preferred stock held by NBC (for approximately US$549 million).

     studies

There is no major study of Paxson or its founder, awarded the Crystal Teddy Bear Award from the Christian Film & Television Commission in 2002.

Perspectives are provided by the latter's Threading the Needle (New York: HarperBusiness 1998) and the less edifying The Barry Diller Story: The Life & Times of America's Greatest Entertainment Mogul (New York: Wiley 1997) by George Mair or Barry Diller: The Life and Times of a Media Mogul (Secaucus: Carol 1998) by Jerome Tuccille.

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