COMPANY TOWN ANNEX

Diller Presses Case to Paramount Shareholders: QVC Network Inc. Chairman Barry Diller pressed his case in the five-month, $10-billion takeover battle for the Hollywood studio and publisher, according to knowledgeable sources. Diller, in meetings with big Paramount shareholders, argued the merits of QVC’s offer and hinted that QVC’s largest shareholder, BellSouth Corp., might buy more stock in QVC to help boost the value of its tender offer against rival bidder Viacom Inc. Both QVC and Viacom face a Monday deadline, when Paramount shareholders must tender their stock to either company. The winning bidder must be tendered 50.1% of Paramount’s stock.