小默多克不懼犯錯(cuò)
????作為媒體界大亨魯伯特?默多克的兒子和新成立的21世紀(jì)福克斯(21st Century Fox)的副首席運(yùn)營官,詹姆斯?默多克并不害怕犯錯(cuò)誤。在今年科技頭腦風(fēng)暴大會(huì)(Brainstorm Tech)的第一次晚宴上,默多克發(fā)表了演說,看起來他似乎更擔(dān)心犯的過錯(cuò)不夠多。默多克注視著觀眾,燈光照在他的眼鏡上,反射出耀眼的光芒。他說道:“如果一個(gè)人因?yàn)槭《鴨适в職猓陀肋h(yuǎn)不會(huì)成長。”
????默多克很快就舉出了許多有趣的例子:僅在平板設(shè)備上發(fā)行的電子報(bào)The Daily耗費(fèi)了大量資金之后去年突然黯然關(guān)閉;社交媒體領(lǐng)域的先行者M(jìn)ySpace,2005年被新聞集團(tuán)(News Corp.)以5.8億美元的價(jià)格收購,六年后卻只賣出了3,500萬美元;當(dāng)然,還有導(dǎo)致《世界新聞報(bào)》(News of the World )被停刊的電話竊聽丑聞。這起丑聞同時(shí)也促使默多克將重心從缺乏刺激點(diǎn)的舊媒體資產(chǎn)向有利可圖的電視與電影資產(chǎn)轉(zhuǎn)移。 ????對(duì)于新聞集團(tuán)的拆分,40歲的默多克認(rèn)為,這是一個(gè)理性的選擇,而非被逼無奈的做法。新聞集團(tuán)將包括《華爾街日?qǐng)?bào)》(Wall Street Journal)等報(bào)紙,而21世紀(jì)福克斯將包括電影與電視產(chǎn)業(yè)。 ????默多克提到了新聞集團(tuán)歷史上1985年至2007年這段時(shí)間。那時(shí),公司積累了廣泛的資產(chǎn),如報(bào)紙、電視網(wǎng)絡(luò)、電影制片廠和衛(wèi)星付費(fèi)電視等。默多克說:“2010年,為了集合來自各個(gè)產(chǎn)業(yè)的38名運(yùn)營CEO,不得不犧牲某些人的利益。當(dāng)時(shí)非常困難。似乎每一個(gè)業(yè)務(wù)獨(dú)立來看都更有意義。” ????默多克對(duì)媒體行業(yè)有強(qiáng)烈的興趣,原因有很多。尤其是他有時(shí)會(huì)被視為在為他的父親贖罪。外界都認(rèn)為,他將是父親全球帝國的鐵定繼承人——經(jīng)歷過輟學(xué)并且曾在唱片行業(yè)創(chuàng)業(yè)失敗的默多克給人們留下了深刻印象。然而,在默多克擔(dān)任新聞集團(tuán)歐洲及亞洲業(yè)務(wù)負(fù)責(zé)人時(shí),集團(tuán)在英國的周日小報(bào)被曝出非法竊聽政界人士、名人、老兵和一位年輕的謀殺案受害人,默多克一下子被推到了風(fēng)口浪尖。 ????去年2月份,默多克辭去了英國新聞部門執(zhí)行總裁的職位;4月份,他辭去了新聞集團(tuán)旗下英國天空廣播公司(BskyB)董事長的職位。新聞集團(tuán)持有這家廣播公司40%的股份。周一晚上,默多克表示,21世紀(jì)福克斯不打算買下它的剩余股份。但公司也不會(huì)出售當(dāng)前持有的股份。默多克表示,天空廣播公司在德國和意大利依然有不錯(cuò)的表現(xiàn)。 ????對(duì)于新聞業(yè)的未來,默多克聽起來非常樂觀,但也有些模棱兩可。在正式談?wù)撝埃忍岢隽司妫骸靶侣劷绲呐蓜e之爭非常危險(xiǎn)。”他說:對(duì)于傳統(tǒng)媒體來說,“這次拆分將是最令人振奮、最積極的一件事。”他說的是時(shí)代華納(TimeWarner)拆分時(shí)代公司(Time Inc)這件事。時(shí)代公司也是《財(cái)富》雜志(Fortune)的母公司。默多克似乎認(rèn)為,大的新聞業(yè)品牌未來肯定有利可圖。 ????這位年輕的高管身穿牛仔,顯得非常放松。他在接受《財(cái)富》雜志亞當(dāng)?拉辛斯基采訪時(shí)不時(shí)放聲大笑,而且還把坐在觀眾席里的妻子指給大家看。他對(duì)于電視的話題更有熱情。他說:“電視行業(yè)正在經(jīng)歷一次創(chuàng)造性的復(fù)興。這是一個(gè)屬于電視的偉大時(shí)代。”由于互聯(lián)網(wǎng)給新節(jié)目創(chuàng)造帶來了障礙,默多克表示,網(wǎng)絡(luò)和內(nèi)容制作商不可能再走“中庸路線(節(jié)目)”。 ????另外一個(gè)他非常感興趣的領(lǐng)域是:體育。默多克承諾,21世紀(jì)福克斯在體育領(lǐng)域的新嘗試將是公司新舉措的象征。用他的話說,就是“永遠(yuǎn)不要高估消費(fèi)者對(duì)于現(xiàn)狀的滿意程度。”(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)) ????譯者:劉進(jìn)龍/汪皓 |
????James Murdoch, son of mogul Rupert Murdoch and deputy chief operating officer of the newly formed 21st Century Fox, is not afraid of his mistakes. Speaking at a dinner on the first night of this year's Brainstorm Tech conference, Murdoch seemed, if anything, more afraid ofnot taking enough missteps. "If you become paralyzed by your failures, you won't grow," Murdoch said looking out into the audience, light reflecting off his glasses. ????Murdoch was quick to tick off wince-worthy examples: The Daily, an ill-fated, tablet-only publication which burned through mounds of cash before being unceremoniously shuttered last year; MySpace, a social media pioneer that News Corp. (NWS) bought for $580 million in 2005 and sold for a paltry $35 million six years later; and, of course, the phone hacking scandal that not only led to the demise of the News of the World but also set the stage for the splicing of the Murdochs' lucrative television and film properties from less-exciting, old-media holdings. ????Murdoch, 40, painted the split -- News Corp will consist of newspapers like the Wall Street Journal, while 21st Century Fox will include the film and TV businesses -- as a rational move, rather than one forced by events. ????Murdoch pointed to the period in News Corp's history between 1985 and 2007 when the company grew to include far-flung assets such as newspapers, television networks, movie studios, and satellite pay-TV. "In 2010, to gather all those leaders, 38 different operating CEOs, the interests of each one wasn't necessarily best served. It was [difficult]," Murdoch said. "Each business would make much more sense separately," he added. ????Murdoch is a figure of intense interest in the media business for many reasons, not least of which is that he has, at times, been seen as paying for the sins of the father. He was widely believed to be the heir-apparent to his father's global empire -- impressive for a dropout who once dabbled unsuccessfully in the record business. But that future took a detour following revelations that -- while Murdoch was head of News Corp. Europe and Asia -- the group's British Sunday tabloid eavesdropped illegally on politicians, celebrities, veterans, and a young murder victim. ????In February last year, Murdoch resigned as executive chairman of the British newspaper division; in April he stepped down as chairman of News Corp.'s U.K.-based broadcasting arm BSkyB, of which News Corp. owns a 40% stake. Monday night, Murdoch said 21st Century had no plans to seek to buy out the rest of the company, as it once had. Nor does the firm have any plans to drop its stake. Murdoch said the Sky businesses in Germany and Italy are doing well, however. ????On the future of journalism, Murdoch sounded an optimistic-if-vague note. "Factionalism around the press is dangerous," he warned before going on to say, "This split is going to be one of the most refreshing and empowering things" for traditional media. He was talking about TimeWarner's cleaving Time Inc, which publishes Fortune, as well. Murdoch also seemed to suggest that big journalism brands would go on to have a lucrative future. ????The young executive, who appeared relaxed wearing jeans, pointing out his wife in the audience, and laughing during the interview with Fortune's Adam Lashinsky, was more immediately enthusiastic on the topic of TV. "The television business is going through a creative renaissance," he said. "It's a great period for TV." As the Internet levels barriers to creating new programing, Murdoch said networks and content creators will no longer be able to pump out "middle of the road [shows]." ????One area of intense interest: sports. 21st Century's push into new sports ventures will be emblematic of the company's new approach, Murdoch promised. That would be, in his words, to "never overestimate the customer's satisfaction with the status quo." |
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