New York (AFP)

Former CEO of the 21st Century Fox Group James Murdoch, son of magnate Rupert Murdoch, has resigned from News Corp's board, further acknowledging his differences with his father and brother Lachlan, ideally placed to take over at the head of the family empire.

According to a letter sent to the board and published Friday by the SEC, the US market policeman, this decision is due to "disagreements over certain editorial content published by the group's titles as well as other strategic decisions".

The rupture had been brewing for several months between Rupert and James Murdoch, 47, who had expressed in January with his wife their "frustration" with News Corp and Fox's coverage of the forest fires in Australia, considered climate skeptic.

The couple said they were "particularly disappointed with the persistent denial within the media in Australia", where the patriarch was born. While assuring not to employ people who deny the existence of climate change, Rupert Murdoch has defined himself as a climate skeptic.

James Murdoch's departure comes at a delicate time for the group, whose media activities have been constrained by falling advertising revenues and the Covid-19 pandemic.

In May, News Corp announced that it would stop printing more than 100 regional and local newspapers in Australia and switch to a 100% digital format.

- Disagreement with Fox News -

The group notably counts the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post among its assets in the United States, as well as the Times and the Sun in the United Kingdom, but not the large American chain Fox News, owned by Rupert Murdoch.

The latter is prized by US President Donald Trump, whose founder of the Murdoch empire is a long-time supporter.

But the support given to the Republican head of state is another reason for disagreement with James, who is said to have contributed to the campaign of Joe Biden, Mr Trump's rival in the November presidential election.

In September, the son Murdoch had also admitted in an interview with the New Yorker to be "in real disagreement" with certain points of view expressed on Fox News.

His withdrawal from the Board of Directors of News Corp further accentuates his distancing from the family empire.

He had already left the general management of 21st Century Fox after the acquisition by Disney of most of the group's assets.

While he was once considered a potential successor to Rupert Murdoch at the head of the family empire, his gradual disengagement makes this hypothesis increasingly improbable.

After the 21st Century Fox split, Rupert Murdoch formed a new group, Fox Corporation, which controls the remainder. At the head of News Corp, he is also president of Fox Corporation, of which Lachlan Murdoch is managing director and executive chairman.

The latter, with political views deemed more conservative than those of James, is now the ideal candidate to take over.

"We are grateful to James for his many years of service to the group," responded Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch in a statement sent to AFP by a spokesperson for News Corp.

"We wish him the best in his future endeavors," added Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman and co-chairman of News Corp, respectively.

Since his retirement from 21st Century Fox, James Murdoch has managed an investment fund, Lupa Systems.

© 2020 AFP