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Rupert Murdoch: Media Titan
by Gabby Hyman
Business Programs Columnist
From the day Australian-born Rupert Murdoch took over his father's small-town newspaper, he began building a media marketing empire spanning three continents. His business training happened largely on the job, following his graduate work at Oxford University.
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Rupert Murdoch is a marketing giant who parlayed ownership of a small-town Australian newspaper into one of the world's most powerful media groups. Born in Melbourne, Australia and now a naturalized American citizen, Murdoch received his formal business training at Oxford University. His influential, often controversial media group, The News Corporation, today owns the UK Sun, the New York Post, 20th Century Fox, Fox Television Studios, Festival Records, DIRECTV, and Harper Collins Publishers. Murdoch is said to be worth almost $7 billion.
Where did Rupert Murdoch pursue his business training?It surprises many when they learn that Murdoch attended the prestigious Oxford University Bachelor of Arts program at Worcester College. He went on to earn a master's degree in arts from the same school. His formal journalism education included media management and business training.
How did Murdoch start in business?When his father Sir Keith Murdoch -- a media executive -- died in 1952, Rupert flew back from England to assume management of the Adelaide News. He manipulated a series of rapid media acquisitions into a moderate Australian empire when he bought Sydney's Daily Mirror and the Sydney Morning Herald. Shortly thereafter, he returned to London where he made his fortune buying the fast-selling, sensationalist tabloids read daily by millions of commuters.
What was the turning point in Murdoch's media marketing empire?
In 1995, Murdoch was sued in a titanic media ownership case that claimed News Corp, as an Australian company, could not own the Fox Network. Following a long struggle, Murdoch succeeding in convincing the Federal Communications Commission that his ownership was in the "public's best interests." Buoyed by his victory, Murdoch established Fox News, which has now surpassed Ted Turner's CNN as the most-watched 24/7 cable news channel.
Rupert Murdoch Fast Facts:-
Quote: "I'm a catalyst for change … You can't be an outsider and be successful over 30 years without leaving a certain amount of scar tissue around the place."
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Net Worth: $6.9 billion
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Age: 72
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Hometown: California
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Education: Oxford University, Bachelor of Arts / Science; Oxford University, Masters of Arts
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About the Author
Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.
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