New York – News Corporation announced that David Haslingden, who has served as President and COO of Fox Networks Group since January 2011, has decided to step down at the end of the calendar year in order to return to his native Australia and spend more time with his family.

Haslingden was instrumental in the creation and growth of Fox International Channels (FIC), a business unit that now encompasses more than 350 channels in over 55 countries. Prior to his current role, he was CEO of both FIC and National Geographic Channels Worldwide for more than 10 years, and has served News Corporation in a variety of executive roles in the U.S., Asia, Australia and Europe over the past two decades.

Chase Carey, President and COO of News Corporation, commented: “Since joining News Corporation, David has been a driving force in the evolution of the pay-TV industry in every corner of the world. His leadership in the international television marketplace has uniquely positioned Fox to succeed for years to come in what has quickly become one of our company’s fastest-growing business segments.”