Fox News announced that Chairman Rupert Murdoch is stepping down from his post at the company. Replacing the longtime executive will be his son Lachlan Murdoch. The Hollywood Reporter obtained a copy of his farewell letter to staff. In November, the full transition to Murdoch’s successor will begin as the annual company meetings begin. That goes for both Fox Corporation and their news division. While the executive argued that both his companies and his own health are “robust,” there is some surprise at the decision in some circles. It’s been a period of change as increasing controversies surround Fox News. Also the writers and actors strikes have affected Fox’s programming like most of the entertainment world.
“Dear Colleagues, I am writing to let you all know that I have decided to transition to the role of Chairman Emeritus at Fox and News,” Murdoch wrote. “For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams and a passionate, principled leader in Lachlan who will become sole Chairman of both companies.”
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Change on The Horizon
With both the broadcast network over at FOX and the news division as part of the news cycle as it is, this announcement will trigger some comments about the path forward for all the companies under that umbrella. The true scope of Murdoch’s holdings are expansive and surprising if you don’t pay attention to the “inside baseball” nature of media holdings in the United States and abroad. His son Lachlan Murdoch wants to assure people that things are still going great. But, all this effusive confidence is peculiar to read on the page.
“On behalf of the Fox and News Corp boards of directors, leadership teams, and all the shareholders who have benefited from his hard work, I congratulate my father on his remarkable 70-year career,” Lachlan Murdoch wrote in a statement. “We thank him for his vision, his pioneering spirit, his steadfast determination, and the enduring legacy he leaves to the companies he founded and countless people he has impacted. We are grateful that he will serve as Chairman Emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies.”
FOX Network Re-Ups on Some Favorites
Amidst all this change, FOX Entertainment chugs away with trying to fill the airwaves amidst the dual strikes. Earlier this year, the company decided to renew two popular programs in Accused and Alert: Missing Persons Unit. A lot of the fall programming schedule has been tossed out because of the writers strike and actors strike. FOX has a massive slate of reality shows that it hopes will pass the time. Check out what they had to say about two of their heavy-hitters down below.
“Accused and Alert stand out as two of this season’s new broadcast and multi-platform success stories,” Michael Thorn, President, Scripted Programming, of FOX Entertainment, said in a statement. “Looking to 2023-24, we’ll continue to deliver on the powerful storytelling coming from both series, building on our incredible partnership with Sony and further solidifying FOX’s strong slate of dramas, giving our schedule tremendous season-to-season stability.”
Are you surprised by this news? Let us know down in the comments.
