Bad week for Rupert, Bad week for James?
Rupert and James Murdoch have both suffered this past fortnight. Rupert’s bad week started with him admitting he was “shocked” and caught off guard by John Malone’s plan to increase Liberty Media’s stake in News Corp. The week culminated in Murdoch proposing a “poison pill” share defence because of the perceived threat from Malone, frequently dubbed the “Darth Vader” of US cable. Malone’s Liberty Media (market cap $29bn) has built up his “entirely friendly” stake in News Corp (potentially increasing voting shares from 9% to 17%, he already holds 22.3% of Non-voting stock) and to such an extent that the Murdoch family saw it as a threat to their own position and 29.5% control over the ‘family firm’.

Also in this issue;

9% of SES changes hands
Orbital: making right moves
Euro pay-TV back on track
Canal+ Netherlands sold
Egypt says “Open Up”
100 up for MTV
Massive fine for UK ch
Another India