Rupert Murdoch
Co-founder 2019Background
Rupert Murdoch built the broader News Corp and Fox media empire that preceded the 2019 Fox Corporation spin-off.
Role at Fox Corporation
Fox Corporation possesses a complex, historic founding story, representing the calculated, multi-generational culmination of a global media empire built entirely by one of the most powerful and feared men in modern history. The foundational origins of the corporation trace back to 1952 in Adelaide, Australia, when a 21-year-old Rupert Murdoch inherited a small, struggling regional newspaper (The News) following the sudden death of his father, Sir Keith Murdoch. Rupert Murdoch was a brilliant, intensely aggressive newspaperman. He utilized sensationalized journalism (tabloids) to rapidly expand his influence, acquiring newspapers across Australia and eventually conquering Fleet Street in the UK (acquiring The Sun and The Times). However, his world-altering pivot occurred in the 1980s when he entered the United States market. Recognizing the power of American television, Murdoch utilized his newspaper profits to execute an audacious strategy. In 1985, he acquired the 20th Century Fox film studio. More importantly, he bought up independent television stations across the US, combining them to launch the Fox Broadcasting Company in 1986. This was a risky gamble; it was the first successful attempt to challenge the entrenched oligopoly of the 'Big Three' American networks (ABC, CBS, NBC). Murdoch succeeded by broadcasting edgy, controversial programming (like The Simpsons and Married.. with Children) and securing NFL broadcast rights in 1994. In 1996, he launched Fox News, revolutionizing American cable news. The modern Fox Corporation, created from the 2019 Disney sell-off, represents the streamlined, protected core of Murdoch's globe-spanning legacy.