News Broadcasting
Murdoch is not the largest shareholder in NewsCorp
MUMBAI: Media baron Rupert Murdoch has been, thus far, known as the biggest share holder of NewsCorp. Turns out that he shall not be the title-holder henceforth.
According to the media reports, Murdoch no longer owns the larger economic stake in News Corp. Liberty Media’s John Malone’s, popularly known as Cable-TV magnate, is the larger share holder.
Though the NewsCorp executives may jocularly say that Murdoch runs the company as if it is his mom-and-pop’s sweet shop, the company has been publicly traded for 24 years and has more than five billion shares outstanding and a market value exceeding $31 billion. The misconception has been prevalent so far as the septuagenarian owner has an iron grip on the company for almost 49 years. Both his authority and his strategic vision has ever been challenged.
News Corp being a U.S. public media companies has voting and nonvoting classes of stock. Under the entity Cruden Investments Pty, the Murdoch family owns 624 million, or 29.8 per cent, of the voting stock. In addition to that Murdoch and Cruden owns 220 million ‘preferred’ shares, or 6.8 per cent of the nonvoting stock. Malone on the other hand owns nonvoting shares.
When both the classes of shares are combined, the results show that Malone controls 18 per cent of the stock outstanding while Mr. Murdoch controls 17 per cent. That makes Malone the largest shareholder.
However as of now there aren’t signs of friction between Messrs. Malone and Murdoch. Malone has always refused a board seat as it would put him in potential conflict with other investments of his, such as AOL Time Warner and Viacom.
The distinction isn’t as important today, but there are several doubts raised as to who will inherit the company after him. Murdoch’s sons Lachlan and James are currently holding key positions in News Corp today, but it is likely that they will be a tussle between them and the current President and COO Peter Chernin, of the Murdoch empire, for the bigger portion of the pie.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
