DirecTV Boss to Be Murdoch's New Vice-Chair

COO says it's 'too difficult to progress in this climate'

(NEWSER) - Rupert Murdoch's empire won't be expanding anytime soon: News Corp has announced it will abandon its bid to take full control of British Sky Broadcasting. President and COO Chase Carey cited the current "climate" as the reason for the scuttled deal. The Wall Street Journal has his statement. "We believed that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies, but it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate. News Corporation remains a committed long-term shareholder in BSkyB. We are proud of the success it has achieved and our contribution to it." Click to read about more scandal-fueled woes for Murdoch—like sinking circulation . More»

News Corp. memo says no deal in sight

(NEWSER) - Either News Corp. is getting a little careless with its memos, or it’s trying to ratchet up pressure for an 11th-hour deal. An internal letter from its COO to employees warns that no deal is in the offing with Time Warner ahead of tomorrow's midnight deadline regarding the Fox network. That means Fox channels in cities where Time Warner is the cable distributor could go dark, reports the Los Angeles Times . More»

MySpace co-founder denies rumors he's considering jumping ship

(NEWSER) - Rupert Murdoch is touting his own "contrarian" tendencies as what will see News Corp. through the current recession and the implosion of the print media business. “In the past, we have met downturns with vigor, often departing from the herd. We have emerged much stronger," he said in an internal memo aimed to calm anxieties over the departure of his top lieutenant, Peter Chernin, and fears that MySpace co-founders Chris De Wolfe and Tom Anderson will follow him out the door. More»

Murdoch bids adieu to top exec who ran Fox film and television

(NEWSER) - News Corp. President and COO Peter Chernin is parting ways with Rupert Murdoch when his contract runs out in June, the Wall Street Journal reports. The departure comes as the company's stock has plunged more than two thirds over the past year and the media business is in tatters. Chernin, 57, has been with News Corp. for a 2 decades, including 12 years directing Fox film and television production. More»

(NEWSER) - It won't surprise anyone that Rupert Murdoch managed to get his hands on an advance copy of Michael Wolff's upcoming biography of him, despite a strict embargo, or that he complained to the publisher over some of the contents. Murdoch gave Wolff more than 50 hours of interviews and access to everyone from his top execs to his 99-year-old mother, and he told them to be candid. The New York Times chronicles the ensuing brouhaha. More»