James Murdoch set to return as Sky chairman

Paris

THE British pay-television group Sky said on Friday James Murdoch was returning as chairman almost four years after his humiliating departure at the height of the News Corp phone-hacking scandal.

The announcement follows the recent return of another central figure in the scandal, Rebekah Brooks, and it has propelled speculation that News Corp may be preparing to reassert itself in the European media landscape through a new takeover bid for Sky. The company's US unit, 21st Century Fox, owns a 39 per cent stake in Sky.

"We're delighted that James Murdoch has agreed to step into the role of chairman," Sky chief executive Jeremy Darroch said in a statement that accompanied the British broad-caster's six-month financial results. "James' …