Fox and the Hounding: The Murdochs
① Expect drama at Zanuck Theatre in Los Angeles, as shareholders gather for 21st Century Fox's annual shareholders' meeting.
② The Murdoch family-led company faces an uncertain future, judging by recent reports that it has held exploratory talks about selling much of its business, including its studio, to Disney.
③ Has the family lost faith that Fox can become one of the few big media companies capable of competing with new forces in entertainment such as Netflix and Amazon?
④ Rupert Murdoch and his sons, Lachlan and James, have also lost a key supporter in Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who has sold his sizeable shareholding and is now under arrest as part of Saudi Arabia's purported corruption crackdown.
⑤ Some shareholders want to abolish a dual-class voting structure that gives the Murdochs tight control.
⑥ With 39% of the voting rights, the Murdochs must rely on other allies.
⑦ Stay tuned.
▍生词好句
hound /haʊnd/: vt. 纠缠；狩猎
drama /ˈdrɑːmə/: n. 戏剧 (文中特指“宫斗大戏”)
exploratory talks /ɛkˈsplɒrət(ə)ri/ /ɪkˈsplɒrət(ə)ri/: 试探性会谈；接触性会谈
sizeable /ˈsʌɪzəb(ə)l/: adj. 相当大的
purported /pəˈpɔːtɪd/: adj. 据称的
crackdown /ˈkrakdaʊn/: n. 严打
abolish /əˈbɒlɪʃ/: vt. 废除
dual-class: adj. 双结构的