Uhhhhh… and how much independent opinion do you imagine exists in the “vertically integrated” mediasphere ? News Corporation10000 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90067Voice (310) 369-7540 www.newscorp.com
- Holdings
- Timeline
Molded under the watchful eye of Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. continues to evolve and serve as a model for the modern vertically integrated media conglomerate. Aided by the acquisition of 20th Century film studio, News Corp. went from primarily a newspaper company in Australia and England to an influential force in American media. The Fox Network broke ground in the late 1980s as the first successful broadcast network to break through against the powerful Big 3. Recently, viewership for its Fox News Network surpassed the once formidable CNN. This proved to be another sign that American viewers favor News Corp.'s irreverent style.
1915William Fox leads successful fight against Thomas Edison’s Motion Pictures Patents Company. The Patents Company is dissolved in the face of anti-trust legislation.1931 (March 11)Rupert Keith Murdoch is born in Australia. Father, Keith Murdoch, is an established newspaper man in the country1935Century Pictures and Fox Film merge to form 20th Century-Fox1952Murdoch inherits Adelaide News, an Australian mid-size daily, and the Adelaide Sunday Mail1960Murdoch’s Australian newspaper holdings increase with the acquisition of Cumberland Newspapers, and Mirror Newspapers, Ltd., publishers of Sydney’s Daily and Sunday Mirror1964Murdoch launches The Australian as the first national newspaper 1969Murdoch takes over News of the World and launches London Sun1972Murdoch purchases Sydney Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph1973Murdoch purchases his first newspaper in the U.S. San Antonio Express and News1974Enters the supermarket tabloid business by launching The National Star1977Murdoch buys New York Post for $30 million from liberal socialite Dorothy Schiff. He continues his New York buying spree by purchasing New York magazine, Village Voice and New West from Clay Felker1979Diversifies by acquiring Ansett Transport Industries which owns Melbourne TV station, Channel 10. Australia modifies media ownership laws to allow the deal. Critics call the move "The Murdoch Amendments"1980News Corp. forms1981Takes over Times and Sunday Times in London1982Buys the Boston Herald-American and changes the name to Boston Herald. News Corp. also buys Australian book publisher Angus & Robertson1983Sky, the first satellite TV channel launches. News Corp. buys Chicago Sun Times for $90 million1984Murdoch and News Corp. make take over bid of Warner Brothers but are thwarted1985Murdoch becomes United States citizen in order to purchase more American media outlets. Sells Village Voice. News Corp. buys TCF Holdings Inc., parent company of Twentieth Century Fox Film. In a related deal, News Corp. purchases seven television stations from Metromedia for $1.55 billion (WNEW-TV, New York; KTTV-TV, Los Angeles; WFLD-TV, Chicago; WTTG-TV, Washington, DC; KNBN-TV, Dallas; KRIV-TV, Houston, WFXT-TV in Boston. These stations reach 22% of all television households in the United States. These two deals help to form backbone of a new broadcast television network 1986Fox Broadcasting Company is established. News Corp. moves its UK newspaper printing operations to new plant in Wapping. A protracted labor strike ensues. Murdoch sells Chicago Sun-Times1987Takes control Melbourne Herald and Weekly Times, Australia’s largest media group. News Corp. becomes world’s largest newspaper publisher. News Corp. also purchases the South China Morning Post, UK newspaper Today and United States book publisher Harper and Row. Murdoch now controlled approximately sixty percent of Australian newspapers and thirty-five percent of UK newspapers1988Purchases Triangle Publications (main holding TV Guide) from Walter Annenberg for $3 billion. Sells off New York Post1989Harper Collins is formed after newly acquired William Collins Publishing is merged with Harper and Row. The Simpsons becomes Fox Network’s first hit program. Satellite television provider Sky TV is launched.1990- BSkyB is formed after Sky merges with British Satellite Broadcasting. Accumulation of large debts leads News Corp. down the road to bankruptcy. Citibank, the company’s prime lender, takes active role in saving News Corp.1991News Corp. undergoes massive sell off to help lower corporate debt. The properties sold off include: New York, Seventeen, Soap Opera Digest, Soap Opera Weekly, Premiere, and Daily Racing Form1992Buys broadcasting rights for the Premier League, an Australian rugby league, for $300 million1993Gains controlling interest in Asian satellite television service, Star TV. Acquires the right to broadcast NFL games. The move shakes up American sports television as it leaves the NBC network without football coverage. Obtaining the NFL broadcasting rights costs over $1 billion but seen as a necessary investment to help promote fledging Fox Network. News Corp. reacquires New York Post1996HarperCollins sells its education unit to Pearson 1997Acquires Los Angeles Dodgers and Dodgers stadium from the O’Malley family for $311 million1998Orders HarperCollins to squash the memoirs of Chris Patten, Hong Kong’s last governor and vocal critic of the Communist China government1999Acquires William Morrow and Avon Books in a deal with Hearst 2001Sells stake in Fox Family Network to Disney. Duopolies established in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., and Houston2002Duopolies established in Chicago and Orlando2003Puts LA Dodgers up for sale. Spends $6.6 billion for stake in Hughes Electronic, the parent company of DirecTV2004Los Angeles Dodgers sold to real estate developer Frank McCourt for $430 millionTelevisionFox Broadcasting CompanyFox Television StationsWNYW - New York CityWWOR - New York City KTTV - Los AngelesKCOP - Los AngelesWFLD - Chicago WPWR - Chicago KMSP - Minneapolis WFTC - Minneapolis WTXF - Philadelphia WFXT - Boston WTTG - Washington D.C.WDCA - Washington D.C. KDFW - Dallas KDFI - Dallas WJBK - Detroit KUTP - Phoenix KSAZ - Phoenix WUTB - Baltimore WRBW - Orlando WOFL - Orlando WOGX - Ocala WAGA - Atlanta KRIV - Houston KTXH - Houston WJW - Cleveland WTVT - Tampa KDVR - Denver KTVI - St. Louis WITI - Milwaukee WDAF - Kansas City KSTU - Salt Lake City WHBQ - Memphis WGHP - Greensboro WBRC - Birmingham KTBC - Austin DBS & CableFOXTELBSkyBStarDirecTVSky ItaliaFox News Channel Fox Movie Channel FX FUELNational Geographic ChannelSPEED Channel
Fox Sports Net
FSN New England (50%)FSN Ohio FSN FloridaNational Advertising PartnersFox College SportsFox Soccer ChannelStats, Inc.Film20th Century Fox Fox Searchlight Pictures Fox Television Studios Blue Sky StudiosNewspapersUnited StatesNew York Post United KingdomNews International News of the World The Sun The Sunday Times The Times AustraliaDaily Telegraph Fiji Times Gold Coast Bulletin Herald Sun Newsphotos Newspix Newstext NT News Post-Courier Sunday Herald Sun Sunday Mail Sunday Tasmanian Sunday Territorian Sunday Times The Advertiser The Australian The Courier-Mail The Mercury The Sunday Telegraph Weekly Times MagazinesInsideOut donna hay SmartSource The Weekly Standard TV Guide (partial)BooksHarperMorrow PublishersHarperMorrowGeneral Books GroupAccessAmistadCaedmonAvon EccoEosFourth EstateHarperAudioHarperBusinessHarperCollinsHarper Design InternationalHarperEntertainmentHarperLargePrintHarperResourceHarperSanFranciscoHarperTorchPerennialPerfectBoundQuillRayoReganBooksWilliam MorrowWilliam Morrow CookbooksChildren’s Books GroupAvonGreenwillow BooksJoanna Cotler BooksEosLaura Geringer BooksHarperAudioHarperCollins Children’s BooksHarperFestivalHarperTempestKatherine Tegen BooksTrophyZondervanHarperCollins UK HarperCollins CanadaHarperCollins AustraliaOther Los Angeles Kings (NHL, 40% option) Los Angeles Lakers (NBA, 9.8% option) Staples Center (40% owned by Fox/Liberty) News Interactive Fox Sports Radio Network Sky Radio DenmarkSky Radio GermanyBroadsystem Classic FMFestival Records Fox Interactive IGN Entertainment Mushroom RecordsMySpace.comNational Rugby League NDS News Outdoor Nursery WorldScout Medialast updated 06/12/07
