Rupert Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch (1931- ), Australian-born media magnate, chairman and chief executive of News Corporation. He was born in Melbourne, Australia, on March 11, 1931, and educated at Oxford University. He became a United States citizen in 1985.

After earning his degree at Oxford University, Murdoch remained in Britain to work as a junior editor for the Daily Express. His father had been chief executive of Australia’s largest newspaper chain, and his family inherited a remote radio station and the weakest papers of the group, the Adelaide News and Sunday Mail. Murdoch returned to Australia in 1954 and took charge of the Adelaide News (sold in 1987 and closed in 1992), a marginally profitable afternoon daily paper. Applying his Daily Express experience, he created the giant sensationalized headlines that were to become his trademark, and the paper’s readership soared.

Murdoch started building his media empire with the purchase of a Perth Sunday newspaper in 1956, and in 1960 he entered the Sydney market by acquiring the Sydney Daily and Sunday Mirror. His hard-sell promotions and lurid stories boosted the circulations of both papers. In 1964 Murdoch founded Australia’s first national newspaper, The Australian, which featured national and international news, investigative reporting, and local issues. He later added magazines and broadcasting stations to his holdings.

Murdoch then bought control of two British tabloids, the sensationalist Sunday paper, the News of the World, and the foundering daily The Sun, a stodgy liberal paper. Murdoch applied his tabloid mix of sex, crime, and sport topped with huge headlines. Circulation soared, and he went on to purchase other British newspapers and broadcasting interests. In 1973 he made his first US acquisition with the purchase of the San Antonio News. This was followed by the founding of the National Star (later shortened to the Star), a supermarket tabloid. Murdoch’s next inroad into American journalism was his purchase of the New York Post in 1976 (sold in 1988), quickly followed by the takeover of a company that published New York magazine, the Village Voice, and New West. Back in Britain, in 1981 he acquired The Times and Sunday Times, but in 1991 he sold most of his American magazine holdings because of huge debts.

His holdings expanded to include Fox Broadcasting, for which he assumed the chairman and chief executive roles in 1992. By 1989 Murdoch’s empire included newspapers, television stations, a film studio, publishing houses, magazines, and large shares in news services. He entered the satellite television broadcasting market in Britain through his company Sky TV, which merged with its chief rival to become British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). In 1993 Murdoch’s News Corporation acquired the Hong Kong-based Star TV, a satellite television service reaching 38 countries, as part of a far-reaching push into emerging Asian media markets. In 1995 Murdoch closed the Today newspaper. His creation of a Super League for rugby league the same year, with exclusive coverage on BSkyB for many games, indirectly hastened the end of amateurism in rugby union.

In 1998 there was a furore over a decision by the Murdoch-owned publisher HarperCollins to drop a book containing strong criticism of China by the former governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten. It was believed that Murdoch’s motives were to protect his television interests in China. Having been given permission by state authorities in 2001 to broadcast directly for the first time to cable viewers in Guangdong province, News Corporation made further inroads into the Chinese market in 2002 by agreeing a partnership deal with Hunan Broadcasting Group to show its programmes on Chinese state-owned television. In 2003 Murdoch achieved his long-held ambition to gain a foothold in the United States satellite television market, with the acquisition of the DirecTV network.

By the end of September 2003, BSkyB had reached its target of 7 million subscribers three months ahead of schedule, due in large part to the success of its digital television service launched in 1998 and exclusive contract with the Premiership to broadcast live football. In spite of shareholder protests (Murdoch has only a 35 per cent stake in BSkyB), Murdoch’s son James was appointed chief executive of BSkyB in 2003. Murdoch’s takeover of Dow Jones, publisher of the influential American business paper, The Wall Street Journal, was agreed in 2007.