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From the Associated Press: A probate court in Nevada is set to begin reviewing evidence behind closed doors in a case that could determine who will control Rupert Murdoch’s media empire after his death.
Murdoch, 93, arrived at court Monday for the hearing. Last year, he moved to change the terms of his irrevocable family trust in a bid to ensure that his eldest son, Lachlan, remains in charge of his cadre of newspapers and television networks, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News Channel, according to reporting by The New York Times based on a sealed court document.
Evidentiary hearings in the case are scheduled to run through Tuesday of next week. The court has kept the hearings closed to the public and most documents sealed, largely rejecting requests for access by news organizations including The Associated Press.
The trust was originally set up to give equal control over Rupert Murdoch’s businesses to his four oldest children upon his death, according to the Times.
When Murdoch stepped down as leader of both Fox News’ parent company and his News Corp. media holdings last fall, his son, Lachlan, succeeded his father as chairman of News Corp. Lachlan is also executive officer at Fox Corp., home to conservative news network Fox News, the Fox broadcast and sports networks, and local TV stations, the report explains.
Rupert Murdoch is now seeing to change the trust to give Lachlan full and permanent control “so Lachlan can ensure his newspapers and TV networks continue to have a conservative editorial outlook,” and is arguing that this will preserve the value of the business for all his heirs.
However, Murdoch’s other three children – James, Elisabeth and Prudence – are objecting to the revision, and have united to try to stop their father from changing the trust,
Control of the Murdoch media empire could be at stake in a closed-door hearing in Nevada https://t.co/qKpovudKjI
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 16, 2024
A battle over control of Rupert Murdoch’s global television and publishing empire is set to begin in a Reno, Nevada courtroom, where a judge will consider the contentious matter of succession https://t.co/3vem43t5Be pic.twitter.com/U0XdnMspQj
— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) September 16, 2024
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