James Murdoch (media executive)

James Murdoch (born 1972) is the chief executive officer of British Sky Broadcasting and younger son of billionaire media tycoon Rupert Murdoch. He was formerly an executive vice-president of News Corporation, the controlling shareholder of BSkyB, and served on the boards of directors of News Datacom and of News Corporation. He is married to Kathryn, with whom he has two children.

James Murdoch attended Horace Mann School in New York City and graduated in 1991. He then studied music at Harvard University, leaving in 1995.

In 1995, with Brian Brater and Jarret Meyer, he set up Rawkus Records, an independent record label hip hop record label. In 1996, he joined News Corporation and in May 2000 he was appointed chairman and chief executive of subsidiary Star Television.

On 13 February 2003, he became a director of BSkyB. Later that year, he controversially became CEO of BSkyB, in which News Corporation owns a controlling minority stake. Some analysts and shareholders felt that the job had not been opened to outsiders and tha Murdoch was too young and inexperienced to run one of the UK s top companies (on appointment he was by far the youngest chief executive of a FTSE 100 company). However as of August 2005 his performance in the job is generally regarded quite favourably. Following the resignation of his brother Lachlan Murdoch from his executive positions at News Corporation on 29 July 2005, James is now viewed as his father s heir-apparent.