Mockridge takes over from Brooks at News International.

Tom Mockridge is to become the chief executive of News International, following the resignation of Rebekah Brooks as the phonehacking scandal continues to take its toll on News Corp’s UK newspaper operations.

Laura Cioli, chief operating Officer, and Domenico Labianca, chief finance officer, will replace Mockridge, who was also chief executive of News Corp’s European television operations outside of the UK, on an interim basis. Both will report into James Murdoch.

“Tom is an outstanding executive with unrivalled experience across our journalism and television businesses,” said Murdoch. “He has proven himself to be a very effective operator in his time at Sky Italia. Under his leadership, Sky has grown to become one of the world’s most successful pay TV businesses, reaching close to 5 million homes and launching channels like TG24 which has set a new standard for independent journalism in Italy.”

Joining News Corp in January 1991, working for News Limited in Australia, Mockridge was previously a spokesperson for the Australian government.  He is also a non-executive director of BSkyB and a member of the Supervisory Board of Sky Deutschland.


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Sky moves into Europe's greenest building

Sky Studios, Sky’s state-of-the-art production facility formerly known as Harlequin 1, begins broadcasting today, with Sky Sports News the first channel to be transmitted live from the new building.

The opening of Sky Studios is part of Sky’s growing commitment to British content. Last month, the company announced that it would increase investment in British programmes by more than 50% to £600 million a year over the next three years.

This morning at 6am Sky Sports News’ ‘Good Morning Sports Fans’ became the first programme to be broadcast from the new facility. The show was anchored by Mike Wedderburn, who also happened to be the first presenter to appear on Sky Sports News when it first went to air on the 9th August 1998. Wedderburn and co-presenter Kirsty Gallacher presented the show from a new studio that has been built specifically to cater for the needs of the Sky Sports News production team and enable them to continue delivering the most comprehensive sports news service to viewers.

The new studio is the most significant element of the recent programme of investment in Sky Sports News that has included increased funding for more live trucks for outside broadcasts enabling reporters to react live on air to the latest breaking sports news wherever they are, the capability to broadcast in high definition, and further investment in on-screen talent.

The most sustainable broadcasting facility in Europe, Sky Studios is home to eight naturally ventilated studios including five HD studios, 45 edit suites, 14 voice-over suites, four audio suites and on site post-production facilities.
Arranged over five levels, with each floor the size of a football pitch, Sky Studios has been designed so that original content can be filmed, edited and transmitted within a single facility. The building is divided horizontally into three zones - ‘make’, ‘shape’ and ‘share’ - housing content production, platform control and transmission services for all of Sky’s sport and news content. Building work began in 2006, and Sky has invested approximately £233 million in the facility.

Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive, Sky, comments:
"Opening Sky Studios is a significant step in Sky’s development, and this building stands testament to our commitment to home-grown, high quality British content. Not only is Sky Studios the most environmentally sustainable broadcasting facility in Europe, its cutting edge technology will also help us continue to create ground-breaking and innovative programming long into the future."

Providing office space for 1,370 permanent and production staff, Sky Studios was designed and built with maximum energy-efficiency in mind. The facility will include an integrated wind turbine, to provide energy to power lighting throughout the building. Additionally, an on-site Combined Cooling & Heating Power plant supply at least 20% of the energy needed for the building’s electricity and heating systems.

In recognition of its innovations in renewable energy and energy efficiency, Sky Studios triumphed in the ‘Sustainable Project of the Year’ category at the 2010 Sustainability Awards and has also received nominations for The Guardian Sustainability Awards 2011, Building Awards 2011 and 2011 Sustainable Energy Europe Awards.


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Sky Sports News moves to new studio

Sky Sports News has become the first channel to go on-air from the new £233 million Sky Studios production facility in West London.

Previously known as Harlequin 1, the opening of Sky Studios is part of an increased investment in British content made by the broadcaster. Last month, it was announced that Sky plans to increase investment in British programmes by more than 50% to £600 million a year over the next three years.

“Opening Sky Studios is a significant step in Sky’s development, and this building stands testament to our commitment to home-grown, high quality British content,” said Jeremy Darroch, chief executive, Sky. “Not only is Sky Studios the most environmentally sustainable broadcasting facility in Europe, its cutting edge technology will also help us continue to create ground-breaking and innovative programming long into the future.”

The first programme to be broadcast, the 6am edition of Sky Sports News’ Good Morning Sportsfans, was presented by Mike Wedderburn, who also happened to be the first presenter to appear on Sky Sports News when it first went to air on the August 9, 1998.

Last autumn Sky Sports News moved from free-to-air to pay, at the same time receiving a significant increase in budget, adding additional OB trucks and high definition capability.

Sky Studios is home to eight naturally ventilated studios including five HD studios, 45 edit suites, 14 voice-over suites, four audio suites and on site post-production facilities.


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