MUMBAI: News Corporation has made two senior management appointments for the new News Corporation, the proposed global publishing entity to be formed as part of the company?s intended separation into two independent, publicly traded companies.

Anoushka Healy, currently Group Managing Editor of The Times and Sunday Times in London, has been named Chief Strategy Officer and will help shape the new News Corporation and fashion its strategic direction. She will also be responsible for sharing best practices across the organization, implementing new projects and supporting talent around the company?s businesses.

William Lewis has been appointed Chief Creative Officer. He will be responsible for the new company?s creative strategy and will have a central role in developing new commercial opportunities, including product launches, digital initiatives and acquisitions.

Lewis joined News Corporation as Group General Manager of News International in London in September 2010 and became an executive member of News Corporation?s Management and Standards Committee in July 2011.

"Both Healy and Lewis will be based in New York and report to Robert Thomson, Chief Executive Officer of New News Corporation.

"Will and Anoushka will be at the very heart of the new company, expanding our digital and global reach and building new businesses. Anoushka is a fully certified organizational genius and master of motivation. Will has an innate understanding of audiences and how their needs are changing. He is as diligent as he is digital," said Thomson.

MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch?s News Corporation will become the majority shareholder in Sky Deutschland with a 54.5 per cent stake in the loss making German media company.

News Corporation, which holds 49.9 per cent stake in Sky Deutschland, has reached an agreement with the company and its new bank syndicate to support both a new financing structure and the issuance of ?438 million of new equity.

The new bank financing, which will be guaranteed by News Corporation, will replace Sky Deutschland?s current bank debt facilities.

As a result of this transaction Sky Deutschland will become a consolidated entity of News Corporation, the company said in a statement.

Under the new financing structure, News Corporation has committed to provide a guarantee to Sky Deutschland?s lending banks and to act as guarantor to the German Football League (DFL) for Sky Deutschland?s new Bundesliga broadcasting license for the 2013-17 seasons in an amount of up to 50 percent of the license fee per season.

"We have always believed in Sky Deutschland?s ability to transform the pay TV experience in Germany and Austria and this new financing structure further validates that longstanding commitment," said News Corporation President and COO Chase Carey.

"News Corporation?s continued investment underscores the value we see in Sky Deutschland and the significant market opportunities it faces, and reflects our confidence in its management team and their strategies for growth."

The move comes as the company is in the process of splitting its profitable media and entertainment business from the loss making publishing business. The M&E entertainment company will be known as Fox Group while the publishing entity will retain the name News Corporation.

Earlier, Rupert Murdoch?s News Corp, which owns 39.1 per cent in BSkyB, had made a failed attempt to taking full control of the UK pay-TV operator due to the phone hacking scandal.

MUMBAI: Rupert Murdoch-promoted News Corporation has said in its regulatory filing that its publishing arm on a standalone basis would have lost $2.08 billion in the last fiscal year compared to $678 million a year earlier.

The loss includes an impairment charge of around $2.6 billion due to closure of the News of the World and lower revenues at its Australian papers.

The company?s revenue from publishing business fell to $8.65 billion in fiscal year 2012, from $9.1 billion a year earlier.

News Corp has initiated the process of splitting the company into two independent, publicly-traded companies by filing an initial Form 10 Registration Statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Earlier, this month News Corp had decided to name its media and entertainment company as Fox Group with the publishing entity retaining the name News Corporation.

News Corporation, the new publishing arm, will comprise a range of market-leading brands in newspapers, information services and integrated marketing services, digital real estate services, book publishing, digital education, as well as sports programming and pay-TV distribution in Australia.

Fox Group, the film and television businesses, will comprise Fox Broadcasting, Twentieth Century Fox Film, Twentieth
Century Fox Television, Fox Sports, Fox International Channels, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FX, Star Network, the National Geographic Channels, Shine Group, Fox Television Stations, BSkyB, Sky Italia and Sky Deutschland.

"The filing of the Form 10 is another important step forward in the evolution of our company and in the establishment of two independent global leaders in Fox Group and the new News Corporation," said Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of News Corporation.

"Today we are pleased to provide further details on the new News Corporation - a global diversified media and information services company uniquely positioned to take advantage of exciting growth opportunities and new business models."

MUMBAI: $335 million. That?s the price Rupert Murdoch-controlled News Corp has to fork out to buy The Walt Disney Company-owned ESPN?s 50 per cent stake in their Asian joint-venture ESPN Star Sports (ESS).

Murdoch, keen to take full control of the sports broadcasting empire in Asia, will not have ESPN as the guarantor for $800 million of payment obligations of ESS towards rights acquired for sports events. News Corp will, thus, be the sole guarantor for the rights payment obligations now.These include payments that are to be made for the remaining tenure of the cricket properties like ICC (including World Cup) and Champions League.

"The value News Corp is paying is for gaining market strength in countries like India. The profit of the JV comes from the rest of Asia business. But India is a bigger bet for Murdoch," says a media analyst.

Walt Disney will recognise a gain of approximately $220 million ($165 million after tax) in the first quarter of 2013.

On 7 November, the company sold its 50 per cent equity interest in ESS, which operates 25 television networks and three broadband networks covering 24 markets in Asia.

News Corp had in June announced that it will take full control of ESS following ESPN?s decision to sell its 50 per cent stake in the JV which was formed 17 years back.

Before the JV was formed, ESPN competed with News Corps? Star Sports in India and Asia which saw the bids for sports rights spiral out of control. Hence the decision to come together and exploit the opportunities together in the nascent Asian market.

The stake sale marks the exit of ESPN from the Asian market due to a two-year non-compete clause. However, the company continues to be invested in Asia through its digital business which includes ESPNCricinfo, ESPNFC and ESPN Mobile.

Murdoch has expressed sudden aggression in the sports broadcasting business in the US as well. Gearing up to give ESPN a fight in the US, News Corp acquired in November 49 per cent stake in Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (Yes), the cable network channel owned by baseball team New York Yankees and its partners.

MUMBAI: News Corporation has decided to name its media and entertainment company as Fox Group while the publishing entity will retain the name News Corporation following the company?s intended separation into two independent, publicly traded companies.

News Corp has also appointed Chase Carey as President and Chief Operating Officer of Fox Group, with James Murdoch continuing in his capacity as Deputy Chief Operating Officer.

The company confirmed that Dow Jones Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor of The Wall Street Journal Robert Thomson will be the CEO of the new proposed publishing entity.

As part of the restructuring, Tom Mockridge, who has served as Chief Executive Officer of News International since July 2011, will leave the company at the end of the year to pursue outside opportunities. Rupert Murdoch will serve as Chairman of the new News Corporation and Chairman and CEO of Fox Group.

Under their collective leadership, Fox Group will continue to strengthen its creative content businesses and distribution assets, including enhancing its sports portfolio through key investments in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

"This is an incredibly exciting time, for me personally, and for our companies? ambitious futures," said Rupert Murdoch. "The challenges we face in the publishing and media industries are great, but the opportunities are greater."

Murdoch continued, "Under Robert?s leadership at News Corporation, we will build on our traditional mission to inform, entertain and enhance the lives of readers and viewers around the world, and relentlessly drive global growth by promoting excellence and investing in our businesses.

"At Fox Group, what began with the acquisition of a modest film studio over 25 years ago has grown into one of the world?s most successful media companies of all times, defying conventional wisdom at every turn by pursuing excellence in creativity and innovation. Fox Group is perfectly positioned to deliver even more inspiring stories that engage audiences through film, television, sports and digital platforms, driving not only financial results but a lasting imprint on the millions of people who enjoy our various services, in every corner of the world."

Robert Thomson, who has served as Editor-in-Chief of Dow Jones and Managing Editor of The Wall Street Journal since 2008, will begin his work as incoming CEO of the publishing company on 1 January. Thomson commented, "Rupert has been the driving force behind the renaissance of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones - which have enjoyed readership and revenue growth in a complicated and evolving media market -- and we intend to lead a broader revenue renaissance for quality content. I am looking forward to working with him and our colleagues around the world to use the company?s esteemed past as a platform for the future. The global value of content is growing as the means of digital distribution multiply, providing us with a remarkable opportunity to profit from our employees? ingenuity and integrity. We have a collection of extremely successful companies, and our goal is to make the new News Corp far more than the sum of its distinguished
parts."

Murdoch and Thomson have announced the following key executives joining the publishing Company:

• Bedi Ajay Singh, who most recently served as President, Finance and Administration & CFO for MGM Studios, will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer. Previously, Singh served as CFO at Gemstar-TV Guide, Novartis Pharmaceuticals and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Prior to 2000, he held a number of positions at News Corporation, including senior finance roles at News International and 20th Century Fox. Singh is a Fellow of the UK Institute of Chartered Accountants and started his business career with Arthur Andersen in London.
• Paul Cheesbrough, currently News Corporation?s Chief Technology Officer, will serve in the same capacity for the new publishing company. Cheesbrough was previously the Chief Information Officer at News International, where he was responsible for the organization?s technology strategy, delivery, transformation programs and digital products. Before joining News International, Cheesbrough served as Chief Information Officer at the Telegraph Media Group, and prior to that was Controller of Digital Media for the BBC.
• Keisha Smith will serve as director of Human Relations. She previously served in various management roles at Morgan Stanley, most recently as the Global Head of Recruiting and Chief Diversity Officer for the Firm. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Smith worked at the Financial Times where she led the staffing initiative for the launch of the FT.com venture.

In addition, Gerson Zweifach, currently General Counsel of News Corporation, will serve in a dual role as both General Counsel of Fox Group, and, for a period of one year following the separation, also of the new News Corporation.

News Corporation also announced that Gerard Baker, currently Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Wall Street Journal, will succeed Robert Thomson as Editor-in-Chief of Dow Jones and Managing Editor of The Wall Street Journal, effective 1 January. Following a thorough review and interviews with news staff and Company executives, Baker?s appointment was unanimously endorsed by the Dow Jones Special Committee.

News Corporation also announced that effective immediately, Jesse Angelo, the founding Editor-in-Chief of The Daily and long-time Executive Editor of The New York Post, will assume the role of Publisher of The New York Post.

As part of a digital restructuring initiative, the company will cease standalone publication of The Daily iPad app on 15 December, though the brand will live on in other channels.

Technology and other assets from The Daily, including some staff, will be folded into The Post. Paul Carlucci, who has served as Publisher of The New York Post since 2005 will focus exclusively on his role as Chairman of News America Marketing where he continues to generate important profits.

Greg Clayman, Publisher of The Daily, will oversee the Company?s global digital strategy, new digital investments and distribution partnerships, working with CTO Paul Cheesbrough.

As previously announced, Tom Mockridge, who has served as CEO of News International since July 2011, will leave the Company at the end of the year to pursue other opportunities. Mockridge will be replaced by Mike Darcey, who has served as Chief Operating Officer of BSkyB since 2006.

News Corp had on 28 June announced that it intends to pursue the separation of its publishing and its media and entertainment businesses into two distinct publicly traded companies. The global publishing company that would be created through the proposed transaction would consist of the Company?s publishing businesses, its education division and other Australian assets. The global media and entertainment company would consist of the Company?s cable and television assets, filmed entertainment, and direct satellite broadcasting businesses.

The global publishing company that would be created through the proposed transaction would consist of the Company?s current publishing businesses, as well as its education division. Following the separation, each company would maintain two classes of common stock:

Class A Common and Class B Common Voting Shares. The separation is expected to be completed in approximately one year.

MUMBAI: Close on the heels of buying a 49 per cent stake in New York Yankees cable channel, News Corp-owned Fox Sports is believed to be close to signing a 25-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers worth $6-7 billion to retain the television rights till 2038.

The baseball team could see its broadcast rights contract jump from $40 million that Fox pays it annually to an average $280 million a year, which would make it one of the richest broadcast contract in sports history.

Fox Sports holds the broadcast rights for Dodgers games till 2013 season.

The offer is three times what Dodgers got from its new owners to come out of bankruptcy. The MB team was bought by a consortium led by legendary Laker Magic Johnson?s bidding group for the Dodgers and Dodger Stadium for $2.15 billion, making it one of the costliest purchases ever paid for a North American sports franchise.

"The Dodgers and Fox have been long-time partners and we?re in discussions now to extend that relationship well into the future," Fox said in a statement. "We?re working hard to reach an agreement that achieves the goals of Dodgers ownership and also makes sense for our business. The discussions are private and ongoing so, out of respect for the process, we?re not going to comment further."

The broadcast rights fee has jumped due to intense competition for local sports programming in Southern California which saw Fox Sports vying with Time Warner Cable (TWC) for the right.

Earlier, Fox had acquired a 49 per cent stake in Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (Yes), the cable network channel owned by baseball team New York Yankees and its partners. The Yes Network also announced a media rights agreement that will keep Yankees baseball on the Yes Network through 2042.

The News Corp-owned Fox Sports is planning to launch a national cable sports channel to rival ESPN. With Yankees rights already in its pocket, a deal with Dodgers would give Fox the perfect launch pad for the new channel.