Discovery to buy HowStuffWorks.com: report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Discovery Communications Inc., which owns cable television channels including Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, is to acquire the HowStuffWorks.com Web site for $250 million, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

A deal for HowStuffWorks.com, which reviews consumer products and explains scientific phenomenon, is expected to be announced today, the paper said, citing Discovery Chief Executive David Zaslav.

The deal for the site, whose investors include Carl Icahn, is evidence that established media companies are looking to expand their Web presence through acquisitions rather than building them from scratch, the paper said.