Ball Could Depart BSkyB After Management Restructure
BSkyB chief executive, Tony Ball, could leave the satellite broadcaster as part of a wider management shake-up implemented by Rupert Murdoch.
Murdoch, whose News Corporation controls over 35% of BSykB, is reported to be in talks with Ball about his future at the television company following the expiry of his contract in June next year.
The Financial Times claims that Ball’s departure would create a gap that could be filled by James, the current head of the Star TV satellite network in Asia and Murdoch’s youngest son. BSkyB’s chief operating officer, Richard Freundenstein, has also been named as a potential candidate.
It is understood that Rupert Murdoch is holding ‘informal but intense’ talks with Ball over the chief executive’s role and a decision is expected to be finalised before the group’s annual meeting in November.
A spokesman for BSkyB refused to confirm or deny the reports, saying: “We do not comment on speculation.”
Reports suggest that Ball has received job offers from a number of leading technology, media and telecommunications companies after being widely credited with turning BSkyB into the most successful pay-TV company in Europe.
Last month the satellite broadcaster comfortably beat market forecasts in its final quarter customer growth and added 133,000 new subscribers to take its customer base to 6.8 million (see BSkyB Results Beat Market Expectations As Subs Hit 6.8m).
Sky insists it is now highly confident of reaching the target of 7 million customers by the end of 2003 and Ball has pledged to lift numbers towards 8 million. He recently announced that further growth would require a new approach, which could see the launch of a new pay-TV package including free channels already available on digital satellite, plus a small number of basic add-on channels.
Ball raised eyebrows at this year’s International Television Festival in Edinburgh by suggesting the BBC should be forced to sell its most popular programmes to rival commercial broadcasters and concentrate more on its public service obligations (see BBC Should Sell Its Most Popular Programmes).
BSkyB: 0207 705 3000 www.sky.com
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