In Focus

Rupert Murdoch... Sly as a Fox

NOTE: All this month in the Chicks' Eye View we will be featuring the richest of the rich from the Forbes List of the World's Richest People. Just who are they and how'd they get to be so filthy rich?

When the Presidential Election was being held last year, I was so incredibly grateful for Fox News Network. Finally, a network that seemed to lean a little more to the right than to the left. It had seemed for years that no matter where I turned, the liberal-bias of the media was screaming at me. It had gotten so I was spending more time trying to decipher the truth from what was being reported than I was anything else. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm all for fair and balanced. It's just that reality bites and honey; there ain't no such thing. So Fox was my savior and I watched them throughout the whole election situation. I was thrilled at the prospect of writing a bit about the owner of Fox, Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch graces the Forbes wealthiest list, too, and in line with the rest of the crew on the list, he's just as fascinating to learn about.

Born in Australia back in 1931, Rupert Murdoch studied at Oxford and eventually found his way back to the family business. He took a small newspaper, The Adelaide, and turned it into a tremendously successful operation. Realizing he'd found his niche, he went on to work for and turn around several newspapers from Australia to England. When he came to the United States he continued along that same path, and today owns several organizations, including the well-known news organization, News Corporation, Ltd, or NewsCorp. Now his repertoire includes owning Harper-Collins, Fox, The New York Post, Times of London, 20th Century Fox, L.A. Dodgers, National Rugby League, Broadsystems and Fox Interactive, among others.

Rupert Murdoch is not always viewed in a favorable light. His highly publicized and on-going war with Ted Turner drew even more attention when Turner openly challenged Murdoch to a round in a boxing ring. Being conservative has caused him much grief as well, where the majority of the media frowns upon anyone who steps outside that realm. Being an anti-Soviet and an anti-Communist, Murdoch's invincibility was put to the test when he decided to buy Star Television in Asia, assuming he could get around the issue of control of information. But just as you would expect, the Chinese Government went on to ban satellites, costing Murdoch loads of money. Then in 1991, he was almost forced to declare bankruptcy after purchasing TV Guide during a recession and a time when interest rates were sky-high. Fortunately for him, lenders everywhere had faith he would prevail, just as I'm sure he did, and kept him out of court.

People remembering Murdoch as a child recount his desire to make money by killing rabbits in his parent's back yard. He would then pass them along to his sister to skin, and then sell them. Even today, Murdoch is not shy about his desire to make money. His interests are solely about politics, business, and money, and he views them as synergistic. As a manager, he is considered ruthless and will only appoint people with his exact philosophies into positions of power. If anyone should be so bold as to contradict Mr. Murdoch, they'll promptly be dismissed. It's his way, or the highway. and with $5.3 billion dollars, he can do that. One of Murdoch's employees describes him like this:

Most company boards meet to take decisions. Ours meets to ratify Rupert's. For much of the time, you don't hear from Rupert. Then, all of a sudden, he descends like a thunderbolt from hell to slash and burn all before him. Since nobody is ever sure when the next autocratic intervention will take place (or on what subject), they live in fear of it and try to second guess what he would want, even in the most un-important of matters. It is a clever way of keeping his executives off balance: they live in perpetual state of insecurity. Everybody in the company is obsessed with him, he is the main topic of conversation, even among executives who have not heard from him for months. --Richard Searby, Murdoch's Australian chairman. [Read more.]

Can you imagine trying to work for this guy? This Chick would last about a day. And although I appreciate the conservative nature of his Fox News Network, I personally question the choices the Fox Channel has made in airing certain programs. It has seemed that oftentimes the philosophy is the racier, the better. Apparently a large number of folks have vocalized their belief that Murdoch is nothing but a hypocrite. and I can see where they are coming from. But one thing the man is not is a liar. It's all about money. and his questionable television line-up has earned him plenty of it.

Anyway, that is the scoop on Rupert Murdoch, owner of NewsCorp, et al, and most notably Fox. an appropriate name if there ever were one.