Meredith Bid for Time Inc. Said to Be Backed by Koch Brothers

Meredith Bid for Time Inc. Said to Be Backed by Koch Brothers
Earlier this year, Meredith was said to have been among parties interested in buying Time
Inc. Those discussions ended when Time Inc. said it did not want to sell itself.
Time Inc. is said to be in talks to sell itself to the Meredith Corporation, in a deal backed by Charles G.
and David H. Koch, the billionaire brothers known for supporting conservative causes.
The latest talks between Meredith and Time Inc. show the Koch brothers’ willingness to give their
media ambitions another shot after they explored purchasing the Tribune Company in 2013.
Talks between Time Inc., the publisher of Time and People,
and Meredith, the publisher of Family Circle and Better Homes and Gardens, fizzled this year.
In 2013, a deal collapsed when the two publishers could not agree on which magazines Meredith would buy.
It is not clear how much influence — if any — the Kochs would have on a Meredith-owned Time Inc. if the deal were to go through.
The new round of negotiations, motivated by the surprise entry of the Kochs,
could lead to a quick deal, according to people involved in the discussions.