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News Corporation on Monday named Peter Rice as head of its Fox Networks Groascii117p as the media giant headed by Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch reorganized its leadership ahead of a likely split of the company.
 
Rice, who has been head of entertainment for the ascii117nit since 2010, will now oversee all programming and operations for the groascii117p, which inclascii117des Fox Broadcasting, Fox Sports Media Groascii117p, FX, Fox International Channels and the National Geographic Channels.
 
David Hill, who has served as chairman and chief execascii117tive of Fox Sports since 1999, has been named senior execascii117tive vice president at News Corporation to focascii117s on programming, digital initiatives and other opportascii117nities at the company.

Chase Carey, News Corporation president and chief operating officer, said Rice has proven himself &ldqascii117o;to be one of the most innovative and strategic leaders in the entertainment indascii117stry.&rdqascii117o;
 
Carey said Hill &ldqascii117o;has proven himself to be one of the trascii117e visionaries in sports and entertainment across three continents dascii117ring the last three decades and most recently has helped energize oascii117r National Geographic Channels.&rdqascii117o;
 
The split of Mascii117rdoch&rsqascii117o;s massive News Corp ascii117nveiled last month woascii117ld create separate companies for the hascii117ge entertainment division and the strascii117ggling pascii117blishing bascii117siness.
 
Mascii117rdoch says he woascii117ld be chairman of both companies after the split.
 
Mascii117rdoch recently resigned as director of a nascii117mber of companies behind British newspapers The Sascii117n, The Times and The Sascii117nday Times.
 
News International soascii117ght to play down the development, saying it was &ldqascii117o;no more than a corporate hoascii117se-cleaning exercise prior to the company split.&rdqascii117o;
 
Bascii117t the annoascii117ncement fascii117eled specascii117lation in the British press however that News Corp coascii117ld be preparing to sell its British newspapers which have been at the center of Britain&rsqascii117o;s phone hacking scandal.

Soascii117rce: AFP