Sorry this is a hit and run as I have a doctor's appointment later and have to visit an elderly neighbor to sort out her TV as we are about to go through our digital switchover.
Latest news is that James Murdoch has resigned as Chairman of the BSkyB board although he will remain a member. This is obviously another punishment from daddy for **cking up the News of the World and the subsequent phonegate scandal.
He said then (when he resigned from News International which publishes the Sun, Times and Sunday Times) he had moved to New York to work on News Corp's pay-TV business.
News Corp owns almost 40% of BSkyB and had wanted to buy the whole of the firm, but withdrew its bid under intense political pressure.
Sources told Robert Peston, BBC business editor, that it was James Murdoch's decision to leave and he did so in an attempt to pre-empt further criticism.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...
As of 13.50 BST he is still shown on the BSkyB corporate web site as Chairman.
James Murdoch
Chairman and Non-Executive Director
James Murdoch was appointed as a Director of the Company on 13 February 2003 and Chairman on 7 December 2007. Between November 2003 and December 2007 he was Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Company, a role he relinquished on his appointment as Non-Executive Chairman. Mr Murdoch is Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Chairman and CEO, International, at News Corporation and is a member of News Corporation's Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Between May 2000 and November 2003, he was Chairman and CEO of Star. Mr Murdoch was appointed a Non-Executive Director of GlaxoSmithKline plc in May 2009 and as a Non-Executive Director of Sotheby’s in May 2010
The
Sky News web site has it as breaking and gives further details (bold mine)
Mr Murdoch is due to attend a board meeting this afternoon when he is expected to stand down from his position as chairman with immediate effect.
Breaking the news, Sky News City editor Mark Kleinman said Mr Murdoch has decided it is "in the best interests" of BSkyB for him to resign.
It is understood that he will remain a non-executive director of the company, which owns Sky News.
Nicholas Ferguson, City grandee and currently deputy chairman of BSkyB, is expected to take over from Mr Murdoch.
Whether this will prevent OfCom from further consideration of whether News Corp is "fit and proper" to hold a major shareholding in the company remains to be seen.