Editing Mohamed Al-Fayed (section)

===Media interests===
In 1996 Al-Fayed established Liberty Publishing, with the goal of the company stated as "to launch and acquire or take strategic interests in significant media businesses".<ref name="fayed-publishing">{{Cite news|date=1 March 1996|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/news-al-fayed-sets-uk-publishing-arm-names-punch-editor/15918|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240921165915/https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/news-al-fayed-sets-uk-publishing-arm-names-punch-editor/15918|archive-date=21 September 2024|title=NEWS: Al-Fayed sets up UK publishing arm and names Punch editor|publisher=[[Campaign (magazine)|Campaign]]|access-date=21 September 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>

The chairman of Liberty Publishing was [[Stewart Steven]], the former editor of the ''[[Evening Standard]]'', with John Dux the chief executive, a former managing director of [[News International]].<ref name="fayed-publishing"/> Al-Fayed had failed in bids to buy the newspaper ''[[Today (UK newspaper)|Today]]'' from [[Lonmin|Lonrho]] in 1986 and from [[News International]] in 1995. Al-Fayed believed that the British government had put pressure on [[Rupert Murdoch]], CEO of News International not to sell the newspaper to him.<ref name="Bower 1998, p. 374">Bower 1998, p. 374.</ref> [[Andrew Neil]] was recruited by Liberty Publishing, and helped agree a £4 million takeover of [[LBC#London News Radio|London News Radio]]. The takeover later collapsed.<ref name="Bower 1998, p. 374"/>

Steven dined with [[Hugo Young]], chairman of the [[Scott Trust]] at the [[Garrick Club]], and offered a cheque for £17 million from Al-Fayed for ''[[The Observer]]'' newspaper. Young declined this offer, and another of £25 million.<ref name="Bower 1998, p. 376">Bower 1998, p. 376.</ref> A women-only radio station, Viva Radio, was bought for £3 million in May 1996.<ref name="Bower 1998, p. 376"/> Viva Radio was renamed [[Liberty Radio]], and broadcast commentaries of [[Fulham F.C.]]'s home and away games. The station was sold to [[UCKG]] in 2000. Due to debts of £6.5 million, Liberty Publishing was wound down by Al-Fayed's brother, Ali, in 1996. Steven, Dux and Mike Hollingsworth were fired, but Andrew Neil was retained as a consultant.<ref>Bower 1998, p. 408.</ref>