This post is one of several on business heirs apparent. Let us know in the comments whether you think James Murdoch should take up the reigns of News Corp., and be sure to check out the other heir apparent posts.

James Murdoch seems the opposite of his father, media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

The younger Murdoch is described in media reports as a low-key family man who isn't much of a schmoozer. Rupert Murdoch loves to court politicians, something that doesn't seem to interest James. The fourth Murdoch child, though, did sow his wild oats when he was younger, dropping out of Harvard and founding a hip-hop music label that was later acquired by News Corp. (NYSE: NWS).

But James Murdoch got rid of the eyebrow stud and got serious about business. Sure, Rupert Murdoch's many detractors screamed "nepotism" when the old man named him to run the News Corp's British Sky Broadcasting business. Eventually, though, James Murdoch won them over by doing a bang-up job.

"He won over his critics in the city by hitting ambitious targets, increasing the number of Sky subscribers by more than one million, but he also eschewed his father's abrasive approach, saying early on that the company would be 'a partner not a pariah' to its rivals," according to The U.K,'s Observer newspaper.

Continue reading Heir apparent: Is James Murdoch a chip off the old block?

Heir apparent: Is James Murdoch a chip off the old block? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Dow Jones & Company's (NYSE: DJ) Wall Street Journal (a.k.a., The Towel) occupies a unique spot in the media firmament. As I pointed out earlier in the year, it changed its format and now looks to me like a Holiday Inn bath towel. Towel Talk offers a perspective on its news and views.

Paris Hilton is an Alien! Long live China! -- That's what today's Towel would trumpet on its front page if Rupert Murdoch owned it. According to The Towel [subscription required] that could very well happen today. That's because The Towel's board has reportedly come to an agreement with Murdoch on how to preserve its editorial integrity.

Meanwhile, The New York Times [registration required] paints a compelling argument, warning that award winning reporting, such as The Towel's report on the Falun Gong, a religious sect, will not happen once Murdoch owns it. That's because Murdoch has towed the Chinese government party line in its reporting in order to gain a bigger share of China's $50 billion advertising market.

Continue reading Towel Talk: Paris Hilton is an alien! Long live China!

Towel Talk: Paris Hilton is an alien! Long live China! originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.