The appointment proved controversial with many in the City where eyebrows were raised about the 30-year-old becoming the youngest ever CEO of a FTSE 100 firm.

His record in business is regarded as patchy and his judgement questioned, but his rise from college dropout to media baron has been meteoric and convinced many that he will grow into the roll - challenging his brother Lachlan for most-likely heir-apparent status within the News Corp empire.

BSkyB will continue to drive innovation in broadcasting under Murdoch junior and will remain at the vanguard of the digital pay-TV revolution, positioning itself perfectly for the switching off of the analogue signal in six years time. It is a sector where technological developments have been rapid and the lines between the internet and the 'airwaves' of traditional broadcasting have been blurred by increasing viewer interactivity.