LOS ANGELES COUNTY - News from Oct. 29, 1986

Stephen D. Silbert, a lawyer and longtime spokesman for financier Kirk Kerkorian, on Tuesday was named president and chief operating officer of MGM/UA Communications. Kerkorian is the controlling shareholder with about 80% of the stock of the movie and television firm, which is descended from the former Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and, later, MGM/UA Entertainment.

Silbert, 43, became a director of a new United Artists after Kerkorian sold MGM/UA Entertainment to Atlanta broadcaster Ted Turner last March and simultaneously bought UA from Turner. Then, last June, Turner broke up MGM by selling its historic Culver City studio property to Lorimar-Telepictures and its film production and distribution businesses back to the new UA. It was recently renamed MGM/UA Communications.

The new chief operating officer previously has been a senior partner of the Wyman, Bautzer, Rothman, Kuchel & Silbert law firm here.

Lee Rich, the chairman and chief executive picked by Kerkorian to succeed Jerry Weintraub six months ago, said that he first approached Silbert to be president and chief operating officer “at the beginning” but that Silbert did not accept because of other commitments. After interviewing a number of candidates, Rich said, he decided to try Silbert again. This time he took on the job, which will be “running the operating end of the company on a day-to-day basis.” Silbert will report to Rich.

Silbert said he was looking forward to “being involved at a senior operating level at a company with which I have had a longstanding association.”