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Murdoch goes for a snazzier film company name: 21st Century Fox

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By Noel Young, Correspondent

April 17, 2013 | 3 min read

Rupert Murdoch has decided the name for his soon-to-be-reconstituted film and television company is to be 21st CenturyFox, "a moniker with a guaranteed 87-year shelf life." says the Los Angeles Times, reporting the news.

Murdoch: Snazzier name

"That should be more than sufficient for the 82-year-old media mogul," the paper - thought to be a possible buy for Murdoch - adds cheekily.

Originally the Murdoch team said the existing News Corp. would be renamed "Fox Group" when the media giant splits into two separate publicly traded companies this summer.

The newspapers and publishing assets were to get the News Corp. name, right for a company with lots of newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal, Times of London, the Australian and the New York Post.

But, said the LA Times , the name Fox Group wasn't thought to be "snazzy enough" for the film and TV business .

"After much exploration, and valuable input from our executive team, we’ve chosen the name 21st Century Fox to take us into the future," Murdoch announced in an email yesterday to News Corp. employees.

He will be chairman of both companies, and chief executive of 21st Century Fox.

Murdoch added in his e-mail, "21st Century Fox is a name that draws upon the rich creative heritage of Twentieth Century Fox, while also speaking to the innovation and dynamism that must define each of our businesses through the 21st Century.

"Our new name is inspired by the very first company we acquired nearly 30 years ago as our initial foray into the awe-inspiring world of entertainment."

Murdoch bought the 20th Century Fox movie studio from oil man Marvin Davis in 1984. The newly-named 21st Century Fox will include British Sky Broadcasting - as wells as the 20th Century Fox film studio, 20th Century Fox Television studio, Fox Broadcasting network, Fox News Channel, FX, Fox Sports, National Geographic channels and interests in foreign TV broadcasting companies .

Company president Chase Carey said in a statement"We believe that the 21st Century Fox name captures the power of our legacy as well as the vast opportunities for our consumers, businesses and investors as we look forward."

The company announced the change in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

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