James Murdoch returns as Sky chairman

Four years since his controversial departure, James Murdoch is to return to Sky as its chairman.

Murdoch left his role as chairman in 2012 following criticism from Ofcom and MPs over the way he handled the phone-hacking scandal; however, the son of media mogul Rupert Murdoch is set to resume his position at the end of April when current chair, Nicholas Ferguson, steps down.

“I am proud to have been asked by the Board to serve as Chairman of Sky, one of the world’s leading pay TV companies,” Murdoch said.

“As Chairman, I look forward to working with the Board and management as they continue to deliver a great service for Sky’s customers and create value for all shareholders over the years to come.”

Murdoch has been a director of Sky since 2003 and previously served as chief executive between 2003 and 2007, and then as chairman for five years from 2007.

Commenting on his return, deputy chair Martin Gilbert said: “I am very pleased that James has agreed to succeed Nick. Having seen first-hand James’s contribution to and passion for Sky, the Board feels he is uniquely qualified to become Chairman.”

The news comes as Sky reports a £12 million fall in pre-tax profits to £524 million for the six months to the end of December. However, 205,000 new customers joined Sky in the UK and Ireland in the second quarter – the highest increase in 10 years.