Down to Business English Rupert Murdoch: a retrospective of a media mogul
Oct 18, 2023
Rupert Murdoch, founder of global media empire News Corp and Fox Broadcasting, announces his retirement after a 70-year career. Skip and Dez discuss Murdoch's early career, his media empire expansion, and potential challenges for his successor.
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Early Inheritance And Turnaround
- Rupert Murdoch inherited News Corp at age 21 after his father died in 1952 and faced heavy debts.
- He sold key assets and focused on a single Adelaide paper to rescue and rebuild the business.
Tabloid Formula Fueled Expansion
- Murdoch refined the modern tabloid by emphasizing sensational headlines and celebrity scandal.
- This tabloid formula drove rapid circulation growth and international expansion.
Move Into US Print And TV
- Murdoch entered US media in the 1970s with newspaper acquisitions like the San Antonio News and Chicago Sun-Times.
- He then bought 20th Century Fox in 1985 and launched Fox Broadcasting and later Fox News.