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Kim
Williams, FOXTEL CEO
Greg
Tingle (Media Man Australia) and Kim Williams - Foxtel.com.au
Press Conference, Sydney - April 2009
News
News
Limited to get Foxtel top brass Kim Williams, by Greg
Tingle - 12th November 2011
Foxtel
chief exec Kim Williams has snatched the top dog job
at News Limited and will leave the Australian pay-TV
provider next month.
Williams,
who has been head honcho of Foxtel for a decade, will
be replaced by chief executive of The Australian and
News Limited’s digital media business, Richard
Freudenstein. This signals Freudenstein's return to
Foxtel after having worked there years ago in a number
of high level roles.
Williams
told Sky News that 10 years at the pay-TV provider
had prepared him to take the lead at News Limited,
particularly since some of its newspapers were now
charging customer subscriptions.
"I
understand subscriptions. I understand customer value,
I understand customer pricing. I understand customer
relations," Williams said after the big announcement
by News Corporation chairman and chief Rupert Murdoch.
Williams
said his News Limited appointment reflected the fact
that different media platforms were converging.
In
an open letter, published by The Australian, Freudenstein
said he was "excited to return to the business
I helped launch 17 years ago".
"Foxtel
is a dynamic, fast-moving business with a talented,
customer-focused team and it is a real honour to be
asked to lead that business," he said in the
well received letter.
The
revamp also includes John Hartigan, who has resigned
after a largely very impressive 41 years at News Limited.
"John
was an outstanding reporter, an editor with few peers
and has been an inspiring executive, initially as
Group Editorial Director and, later, as Chief Executive
for 11 years and Chairman and Chief Executive for
the past six," Murdoch said in an official statement.
"Few
people have contributed as much as John to the quality
of journalism in Australia. He has earned enormous
respect among both colleagues and competitors."
The
appointments become effective December 5.
Both
gents are expected to put their mark on the respective
companies.
Credit:
News.com.au
Article
From
teacher to Foxtel CEO, by Myles Wearring - 12th November
2007
(Credit: News.com.au)
FOXTEL
CEO Kim Williams, one of Australia's best-known business
leaders, started his working life as a teacher and
composer.
He says the leap into the corporate world was not
a difficult one, claiming “the rules are all
the same”.
Mr
Williams rose to prominence as general manager of
Musica Viva in 1977, starting what was to be a long
career playing executive roles in the arts and entertainment
industries.
He
went on to be CEO of the Australian Film Commission,
chairman of the Australian Film Finance Corporation
and a senior executive at the ABC.
He
also sat on the board of the NSW State Conservatorium
of Music and on the council of the Australian Opera.
Foxtel
is Australia's largest Pay TV provider and is owned
by Telstra, News Limited (publisher of NEWS.com.au)
and PBL.
Profiles
Foxtel
News
Corporation
Television
Media
Man does not represent Kim Williams
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