Echo Makes News

James Murdoch's move from CEO of BSkyB to take charge of his father's NewsCorp media empire in Europe and Asia renewed the charges of nepotism that greeted his Sky appointment in 2003. However, his four years in charge were widely acknowledged to have transformed the broadcaster into a multi-media company and "must-have service" (The Business, 8 Dec). Despite grumbles that the move contravenes corporate governance guidelines, it is clear that the Murdoch empire is being prepared for an inevitable succession, and Murdoch senior is "an old man in a hurry" (Michael White's Guardian blog, 10 Dec) as he prepares to transform his latest purchase, Dow Jones' flagship Wall Street Journal.

Despite an unlikely start, dropping out of Harvard to run a hip-hop record label, James Murdoch has finally eclipsed his elder brother Lachlan, and sister Elizabeth, and is now the 'heir-apparent" at NewsCorp (Observer, 9 Dec). His "green credentials" (Management Today, 7 Dec) and "free market spirit" (Guardian, 10 Dec) appear to position him closer to David Cameron than Gordon Brown. Murdoch's move was part of a "high-profile executive merry-go-round" (Guardian, 8 Dec) that left BSkyB with the "same organ grinder, different monkey" (Chris Tryhorn, Guardian Unlimited, 7 Dec).