News Corp, the media company founded by Rupert Murdoch, has announced a shake up of the team that oversees the company's media and entertainment properties.

The corporation has named David Hill as senior executive vice president of News Corp while Peter Rice has been named chairman, chief executive officer of Fox Networks Group,

The move is in the first in a series of expected appointments as the company prepares to separate into two entertainment and news companies next year.

Mr Rice will now also oversee sports, one of the most lucrative sectors in television, in addition to Fox Broadcasting, international and cable networks.

Mr Hill will focus on programming, digital initiatives and other opportunities globally.

Tonight's announcement comes just days after the 81 year-old Australian mogul resigned as company director. Mr Murdoch's departure from News International and Times Newspaper Holdings Limited was announced to staff on Saturday.

The announcement came in an email from Tom Mockridge, chief executive of News International. He said Mr Murdoch had also resigned from more than a dozen, mostly small, subsidiary boards in the US, India and Australia.