Elisabeth Murdoch
Elisabeth Murdoch (born in Sydney, Australia on August 22, 1968) is the daughter of media tycoon, Rupert Murdoch. She married Matthew Freud in 2001. [1] Matthew Freud owns Freud Communications, one of the UK's largest and most powerful PR companies. [2] Elisabeth is a good friend of Peter Mandelson [3] and she is also the former Managing Director of BSkyB's programming division, leaving in May 2000. [4]
She was appointed by Chris Smith's Department of Culture to the board of the National Film and Television School. [5] She was a Non-Executive Director of Future Network, who publish magazines like Business 2.0. but quit the board less than two years later. [6] She also has a stake in Oxygen Holdings, an internet investment fund set up with Matthew Freud, Martin Edwards of Manchester United and Keith Harris, the former Head of Investment Banking at the HSBC bank. [7] d Keith Harris, the former Head of Investment Banking at the HSBC bank. They have put money into Toyzone.co.uk (a toy retailer), Gipsymedia (a television listings business) and Solomon Sports Analysis (an online racing tips service). She runs her own television company called Shine, which provides programmes for BSkyB. [8]
She ran a TV network called EP Communications in America with her former husband Elkin Pianim. They set up the company in 1994 with a $31 million loan from Rupert Murdoch and she made $12 million when they sold it 16 months later. The TV stations were made profitable by "cutting costs", a boss's euphemism for sacking staff. [9] A local journalist at the time said that he thought "they were rather brutal in the handling of the staff...cold and calculating".
References
- ^ The Independent, 'State of Our Unions: Power Couples', 4 July, 2007, http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2171591.ece
- ^ BBC, 'Murdoch and Frued Wed', 17 August 2001,http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/1496141.stm
- ^ BBC, 'The Digger's Daughter: Elisabeth Murdoch's CV, 10 September 1998, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/168287.stm
- ^ BBC, 'Elisabeth Murdoch Quits Sky', 4 May 2000, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/734855.stm
- ^ M2 PressWire, UK Government: Elisabeth Murdoch Appointed Governor of National Film and Television School, 23 September 1999, http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-55844097.html
- ^ The Telegraph, 'Elisabeth Murdoch Quits Future Networks' Board', 29 May 2002,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2002/05/30/cnmurd30.xml
- ^ Cambridge Network, 'Michael Edelson Fosters Internet Fund', http://www.cambridgenetwork.co.uk/news/article/default.aspx?objid=17544
- ^ Shine, 'About Shine', http://www.shinelimited.com/about.jsp
- ^ BBc, 'Sky Women With Feet on the Ground', 3 May 2000, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/735038.stm
