Rupert Murdoch has started a process that could reunite his media empire, News Corp. and Fox Corp. disclosed on Friday, saying they would consider combining at his behest, nearly a decade after the companies split.
Both have formed special committees to review proposals of a potential combination, they said.
If a deal goes through, the combination will allow Murdoch greater control over his media assets and help the companies trim costs. Media companies are fighting decades-low growth in advertising sales and for users’ attention against deep-pocketed social media and content websites.
After years of expansion globally, Murdoch split his empire in 2013, placing the print business in newly created public entity News Corp. and the TV and entertainment under 21st Century Fox….