News Corporation Names Andrea Zappia Chief Executive Officer of Sky Italia

London - News Corporation today announced the appointment of Andrea Zappia to the role of Chief Executive Officer of Sky Italia. Mr Zappia, currently Managing Director, Customer Group, BSkyB, will assume responsibility for his new role with immediate effect. Mr Zappia replaces Tom Mockridge who left Sky Italia in July to become Chief Executive, News International.

Mr Zappia joined BSkyB in February 2010 to lead the company’s sales, marketing and customer operations teams, with responsibility for customer acquisition and retention across BSkyB’s range of pay TV, broadband and home telephony products. Prior to BSkyB, he spent seven years at Sky Italia, latterly as Vice President, Sports Channels. Between 2003 and 2007, Mr Zappia was Vice President, Marketing, Promotion and Business Development at Sky Italia, reporting to Mr Mockridge, with responsibilities that included customer acquisition and brand marketing.

Previously, Mr Zappia held a variety of senior marketing roles at Ferrari, Fila and Procter & Gamble.

James Murdoch, Deputy Chief Operating Officer and Chairman and CEO, International, News Corporation, said: “I am delighted that Andrea is to return to Sky Italia, given he played such a key role in the team that has laid the foundations for its success. Andrea is a world-class executive with a breadth of experience across a range of roles, covering operations, sports, marketing, broadband and branding, and a range of sectors. I look forward very much to working with him as we take Sky Italia into its next phase of development.”


News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) had total assets as of March 31, 2011 of approximately US$60 billion and total annual revenues of approximately US$33 billion. News Corporation is a diversified global media company with operations in six industry segments: cable network programming; filmed entertainment; television; direct broadcast satellite television; publishing; and other. The activities of News Corporation are conducted principally in the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and Latin America.

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