Murdoch discontinues recombination of Fox and News Corp

On Monday, Rupert Murdoch put an end to his plans to reunite Fox Corporation and News Corporation, two companies that he had split apart in 2013. The companies released a statement saying that the special committees that had been examining the possible merger had been dissolved, and thanked them for their efforts. No explanation was given as to why the deal had been abandoned, although Independent Franchise Partners, a significant investor, had expressed opposition to the merger. This announcement follows Murdoch's proposal to merge the companies last fall, and his sale of most of his Fox assets to Disney in 2019. At present, Fox Corporation operates the right-wing channel Fox News, in addition to Fox Sports and Fox TV Stations, while News Corporation is the parent of The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, HarperCollins, and other print publications. Spokespeople for both companies were not available for comment on the announcement.