Counting the Cost

Murdoch’s Time Warner gamble

We examine the media mogul’s multi-billion-dollar quest for the owner of CNN, HBO and Warner Brothers.

Rupert Murdoch, the 83-year-old media tycoon, just proved he still has the power, the sway and the influence to completely shake up the media world.

His company 21st Century Fox offered to buy Time Warner Inc, the owner of the original 24-hour news channel CNN, HBO, and the Warner Brothers film studios, for more than $75m – a move that would unite two of the world’s most powerful media conglomerates.

But US media giant Time Warner has rejected the $85 per share offer, so if Murdoch wants success, he may well need to increase his offer up to $100 per share.

So, what is driving Murdoch? How can he win his takeover bid? And how would the takeover of Time Warner reshape the media landscape?

On Counting the Cost we talk to Claire Enders, the founder of Enders Analysis, a telecoms, media and technology firm, and explore the ramifications of Fox’s bid for Time Warner.

Africa aid: Who is helping who?

Africa receives billions in aid from wealthy countries, but a new report suggests that notion is actually a smokescreen for politicians and corporations to plunder Africa’s vast resources.

Aid to Africa amounts to less than $30bn a year, with total inflows of $134bn. However, $46.3bn disappear each year in profits made by multinationals, $21bn go on debt payments, while illegal fishing and logging cost more than $18bn. So all together Africa is losing $192bn a year and it still remains unclear how much there is in illicit money that is squirelled away in tax havens and money loans to other governments.

So is aid to Africa a smokescreen? Is the continent fully dependent on charity? Does aid make a difference to the poor in the region? And are the different nations taking more than they are giving?

Counting the Cost discusses this and more with Martin Drewry, the director of Health Poverty Action.

Malaysia Airlines: How many shocks can one airline handle?

Malaysia Airlines has long been the pride of the nation. But this year, the state-owned carrier is dealing with what no other airline has had to deal with – two major disasters within four-and-a-half months.

In March, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 took off from Kuala Lumpur bound for Beijing and then went missing. It still has not been found.

As with the first tragedy, there was a similar outpouring of public sympathy when someone shot down Flight MH17 over Ukraine.

How many shocks can one airline handle? And how will Malaysia Airlines cope with the loss of two passenger jets after operating at a financial loss for the last three years.

Al Jazeera‘s Florence Looi in Kuala Lumpur looks at the options under consideration to revitalise Malaysia Airlines.