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Bob Iger will step down as Disney CEO and assume the role of executive chairman, Disney announced on Tuesday. Bob Chapek, who most recently served as chairman of Disney parks, experiences and products, will assume the role of CEO, effective immediately, Disney announced. Shares of Disney fell about 2.5% after hours. Iger will remain executive chairman of Disney through the end of 2021, according to the company. He has been instrumental in making Disney a media powerhouse with key acquisitions and content plays. He launched Disney+, immediately making Disney a popular streaming service provider. Disney said the service had 26.5...

After “Avatar’s” impressive 10-year reign as box office champion, “Avengers: Endgame” has officially dethroned James Cameron’s sci-fi epic to become the biggest movie of all time. On Saturday, Disney and Marvel’s blockbuster crossed $2.7892 billion at the global box office. Once weekend ticket sales are tallied, the tentpole will exceed the $500,000 needed to surpass “Avatar’s” $2.7897 billion benchmark. “Avengers: Endgame” has amassed $853 million at the domestic box office, making it the second-highest grossing movie in North America behind “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” ($936 million). Internationally, it collected a mighty $1.9 billion, boasting especially strong performances in China...

Like more or less everyone I know, I have no desire to see a single entertainment company take over the future, dominating what had been a movie industry of multiple entities, each one fighting for their slice of your attention span. Disney, the movie studio so powerful that it ate another movie studio, looks, to many, like it could be that company. The full impact of its absorption of 20th Century Fox has yet to be felt, but now that the smoke has cleared, the mega-corporation that was formed stands before us like an unprecedented colossus, looming over all other...

Multiple employees say that Disney has been less than forthcoming about who will be let go and when. At Walt Disney's shareholder meeting two weeks ago, CEO Bob Iger spoke of the "long-term value" inherent in the company's pending acquisition of most of 21st Century Fox. "We will hit the ground running as soon as the deal closes," he told attendees. The flowery language, arguably befitting of such a monumental deal, was typical of the comments coming from Disney for more than a year as regulators slowly approved the partial merger. Nary a public word was spoken about layoffs, but...

President Trump on Wednesday spoke with 21st Century Fox CEO Rupert Murdoch about an agreement whereby Fox will sell most of its entertainment assets to The Walt Disney Co. for $52.4 billion. Why it matters: Trump and Murdoch are old pals, but this conversation could raise accusations of political favoritism when it comes to regulatory approvals. Not only for Disney/Fox, but also for AT&T's attempted takeover of Time Warner. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders did not explicitly say that Trump supports the Disney-Fox deal, but did say that he believes it "could be a great thing for jobs." Reality...

The British government will refer Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.’s bid for satellite broadcaster Sky to the country’s competition regulator for further examination, in a blow to Rupert Murdoch’s takeover plans. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley told lawmakers Tuesday that she intended to refer the takeover to the Competition and Markets Authority because of concerns that the deal might concentrate too much power in one company’s hands. Murdoch already owns British newspapers including the Sun and The Times of London. And she said she was also “minded” to refer it out of concerns about broadcasting standards. Bradley said there is a risk,...

NEW YORK (AP) — The latest on sexual harassment allegations at Fox News (all times local): An attorney for a former Fox News contributor is calling for an independent investigation of sexual harassment allegations against host Bill O’Reilly. Lisa Bloom represents Wendy Walsh, a former Fox News contributor who says she lost a segment on “The O’Reilly Factor” after she refused to go to O’Reilly’s bedroom following a 2013 dinner in Los Angeles.

Roger Ailes has signed a new contract to continue as chief executive of Fox News Channel, the network that has become a ratings and financial powerhouse since he created it two decades ago, 21st Century Fox said Thursday. The parent company moved quickly to lock up Ailes, 75, after speculation about his future emerged last week following news that company patriarch Rupert Murdoch was turning over some power to his sons Lachlan and James. Terms, including the length of the contract, were not disclosed. Ailes’ contract was to expire next June. Fox News is wildly popular with conservatives and has...

84 year-old Rupert Murdoch will step down as CEO and controlling shareholder of 21st Century Fox. Rupert Murdoch to Step Down as CEO of FOX – Hands Reins to Liberal Son June 11, 2015 by Jim Hoft 1 Comment 84 year-old Rupert Murdoch will step down as CEO and controlling shareholder of 21st Century Fox. CNBC reported: Rupert Murdoch, the 84-year-old chief executive officer and controlling shareholder of 21st Century Fox, is preparing to step down as CEO of the media giant and hand that title to his son James, according to numerous sources close to the Murdoch family. An...

NBC Universal, News Corporation, Turner Broadcasting and Thomson Reuters are among more than a dozen media organizations that have made charitable contributions to the Clinton Foundation in recent years, the foundation's records show....The following list includes news media organizations that have donated to the foundation, as well as other media networks, companies, foundations or individuals that have donated. It is organized by the size of the contribution:....$1,000,000-$5,000,000 Carlos Slim Chairman & CEO of Telmex, largest New York Times shareholder James Murdoch Chief Operating Officer of 21st Century Fox Newsmax Media Florida-based conservative media network

News Corp. said its board of directors has approved plans to split its entertainment and publishing businesses into two separate companies. The company also adopted a shareholder-rights plan designed to prevent a hostile takeover in the volatile trading period after the split is complete. The New York-based media conglomerate also said Friday that the target date for the split is June 28. The company holding its TV and movie properties will be 21st Century Fox. The new News Corp., a smaller entity, will be focused on newspapers and publishing. Both will be publicly traded, under separate ticker symbols. … The...