Judge Concludes Hearing on the Future of Murdoch Media Empire, According to Reuters

By Dawn Chmielewski

A hearing focused on the control of Rupert Murdoch’s extensive television and publishing empire wrapped up on Monday in a Reno, Nevada courtroom, but the outcomes remained uncertain.

At 93 years old, Murdoch is seeking to revise the terms of the family’s trust that manages significant interests in the parent company of Fox News and the Wall Street Journal. His aim is to ensure that after his passing, the media enterprises will remain under the leadership of his eldest son, Lachlan Murdoch, as indicated by a sealed court document that sheds light on the ongoing succession discussions.

The past week has seen a closed probate court hearing examining whether Murdoch is operating in good faith regarding these changes. A Nevada judge denied a request from Reuters and other media outlets to make the hearings public, leading to an appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court. This appeal also sought to pause the proceedings until the matter could be resolved. One family member, referred to as Doe 9, argued that intervening at this stage would adversely affect many who had traveled to Reno to participate.

The news organizations also pushed for the unsealing of all documentation related to the case.

While the state supreme court allowed the hearing to go forward, a recent order granted the Murdoch family 28 days to respond to the arguments for making court documents public with sensitive details redacted.

The Murdoch trust was established around the time of Rupert Murdoch’s divorce from his second wife, Anna, in 1999. It serves as the means through which he maintains control over News Corp and Fox, holding approximately 40% of the voting shares in both companies.

Following Rupert Murdoch’s death, voting shares in News Corp and Fox will be distributed among his four eldest children—Prudence, Elisabeth, Lachlan, and James. This arrangement could lead to a scenario where three of the heirs are able to outvote a fourth, potentially igniting conflict about the companies’ futures, despite Lachlan Murdoch currently managing Fox and serving as the sole chair of News Corp.

Furthermore, Rupert Murdoch’s proposed amendments would prevent interference from three of Lachlan’s siblings, who lean more politically moderate, as reported by the Times based on the sealed document.