Diller resigns from LNE board

ART FOR ART’S SAKE, MONEY FOR GOD’S SAKE: Barry Diller is no longer Chairman of the Board of Live Nation Entertainment. In a statement initially picked up by the Hollywood Reporter, Diller, ruler of IAC/InterActiveCorp and a longtime heavyweight, intimated that his role had been short-term by design, saying, "It's been almost a year, and I informed the board today that while there was no rush, the board should start the process now to appoint a new chairman." Despite Diller’s contention that his exit was part of the post-merger plan, rumors are flying about his motives, especially following a brutal summer tour season, or whether it was his idea to step down in the firtst place. The N. Y. Post speculates that there could be a difference of opinion about artist guarantees percentages between Diller and LNE Executive Chairman Irving Azoff, who also heads Front Line Management. Company Town guessed that the split resulted from a clash among Diller, Azoff and Michael Rapino about who was running the show. The Reporter threw out the possibility of Azoff assuming the post Diller is abandoning. (9/29a)