TributeT to former News chairman

FORMER News Limited chief executive and chairman Ken Cowley has died aged 87.

The Sydney businessman, who was battling motor neurone disease and Alzheimer’s disease, had a stroke on Sunday night at his Mosman home.

The media titan was the head of News for 27 years and was a board director at the company for 32 years before retiring in 2011.

He was one of News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch’s closest allies – he joined the company in 1964 and was part of the team that launched The Australian, the nation’s first daily broadsheet which published for the first time on July 15 that year.

He held many senior roles and was chief executive from 1980 to 1997.

Mr Murdoch described Mr Cowley as “one of Australia’s most outstanding executives”.

“It is with deep regret that I’ve learned of Ken Cowley’s passing,” he said.

“His leadership was integral to News Corp’s growth from a small publisher to Australia’s finest media company.

“In Ken’s long association with News over many decades, I admired his loyalty, integrity and business leadership.

“They were exciting and rewarding days building News into a great business and I know that Ken was always immensely proud of the special role he played in the birth of The Australian to then see it become one of the world’s best newspapers.”

News Corp co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch said Mr Cowley was “one of News’ most legendary and successful executives”.

“His contribution to Australian journalism and media cannot be understated,” he said.

“I will always deeply appreciate his mostly calm and always sage advice to me while I was ‘learning the ropes’ under him 30 years ago.”