Rupert Murdoch's speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors shows us why he's a billionaire. He's a clued-up change-embracing strategist of the highest order.
His entire life has been a case of betting big against the opinions of 'experts', and winning.
When British Satellite TV Broadcaster and TV Producer Sky was launched, the experts predicted failure. People wouldn't pay for TV. They didn't want it. Murdoch bet against them, and Sky is now the most popular, most choice-enhancing thing to ever happen to British Television.
When Fox News was launched, no-one believed there was space for a fourth network, lest of all one that broke all the rules of how television news 'ought' to be done. The experts were wrong, Murdoch was right, Fox News is now the most popular news channel in America. The others didn't know what hit them. Couldn't the stupid public see that Fox News was pro-military pro-republican pro-America? Why would Americans choose to watch such a channel (um, 'cause they're pro-military pro-American and half are pro-republican?)
Update: It seems that British Center-Right Broadsheet The Times is already following Murdoch's advice that NewsCorp newspapers need to start blogs.
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