News Corp. announced that David Haslingden, president and
COO of Fox Networks Group, has decided to step down at the end of the year.
"To my many colleagues in the United States and 55 countries
around the world, thank you for making my career at News Corporation the most
productive and exhilarating experience I could have ever imagined," Haslingden
said in a statement. "In a little over a decade we've built a behemoth
internationally and in the last two years we've helped unify FNG and set it up
for a future of super-charged growth. But as terrific as Fox and National
Geographic are, my family is by far my greatest love, and being away from them
for almost two years is long enough. I'm delighted to be on my way home."
Peter Rice, named chairman and CEO of Fox Networks Group, last
month, said: "David has built an incredible foundation for us domestically and
across Asia, Australia Europe and the Middle East. As we look to continue FNG's
incredible growth trajectory, our future successes will in many ways be the
result of David's innovative leadership over the last several years. He will be missed by all of us."
"Since joining News Corporation, David has been a driving
force in the evolution of the pay-TV industry in every corner of the world,"
Chase Carey, president and COO of News Corp., said in a statement. "His
leadership in the international television marketplace has uniquely positioned
Fox to succeed for years to come in what has quickly become one of our
company's fastest-growing business segments.
I respect his decision to return to Australia to spend more time with
his family, and we wish him nothing but the best during the next phase of his
career."
