Murdoch, Rupert (redirected from Rupert Murdoch)

Murdoch, Rupert (Keith Rupert Murdoch), 1931–, Australian-American publishing magnate. Combining sensationalist journalism (often reflective of his generally hawkish, strongly conservative political views) with aggressive promotion, Murdoch established a worldwide communications empire, the News Corporation, that, among other assets, includes powerful holdings in Australia and New Zealand; the prestigious Times of London and other British papers; and, in the United States, HarperCollins book publishers, the New York Post, and TV Guide. He also acquired 20th Century Fox film studios and home video and built the Fox Television network, as well as television stations in Australia. His other communications ventures include direct-broadcast satellite television and cable networks, and he has purchased broadcast rights to major sports events in Britain, the United States, Australia, and India. He became a U.S. citizen in 1985.

Bibliography

See biography by N. Chenoweth (2002).

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Murdoch, (Keith) Rupert

(born March 11, 1931, Melbourne, Vic., Austl.) Australian-U.S. newspaper publisher and media entrepreneur. Son of a famous Australian war correspondent and publisher, he inherited two Adelaide newspapers in 1954 and boosted their circulation by emphasizing crime, sex, scandal, sports, and human interest stories, while taking an outspokenly conservative editorial stance. He used this approach with soaring success with papers bought in Australia, Britain, and the U.S. by his global media holding company, The News Corporation Ltd. He also acquired conventional and respected publications, including The Times of London. In the 1980s and '90s he expanded into book and electronic publishing, television broadcasting, and film and video production. His holdings include the New York Post; Fox, Inc. (see Fox Broadcasting Co.); HarperCollins Publishers; British Sky Broadcasting; Star TV, a pan-Asian television service; and Dow Jones & Co., publisher of The Wall Street Journal.