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Bono and Blair Join Murdoch on the Beach
Stephen Brook, press correspondent
It seems almost as many politicians as News Corporations staffers will be present when the great and the good of Rupert Murdoch's empire meet in California this weekend.
News Corp's management conference will start on Sunday with a vastly reduced contingent of News International executives compared with previous years.
Mr Murdoch, the executive chairman, will host the event for 250 key executives at California's Pebble Beach, a peninsular south of San Francisco know for its golf courses and cypress trees.
Les Hinton, the News International executive chairman, will lead a management contingent that will include his lieutenant, Clive Milner, the group managing director of News International, and the bosses of the two national newspaper groups, Paul Hayes, the managing director of Times Newspapers, and Mike Anderson, the managing director of News Group Newspapers, who sits in the adjacent office to that of Mr Hayes in Wapping.
Robert Thomson, the Times editor, will attend with the Times' highly regarded US editor, Gerard Baker, while the News of the World editor, Andy Coulson, will be accompanied by Louise Oswald, the editor of the paper's Sunday magazine. The Sunday Times editor John Witherow is also expected to be present.
The Sun editor, Rebekah Wade, is set take along three of her editorial executives. She has already left Wapping but others, such as Mr Anderson, are not departing until tomorrow.
Under News International convention, deputy newspaper editors remain at their posts while their editors are away, so executives such as the Times deputy editor, Ben Preston, who took part in a previous management think tank, and the Sun deputy editor, Fergus Shanahan, will stay behind at Wapping.
The Pebble Beach get-together is a far cry from the previous events in Cancun, Mexico, and the Hayman Islands off the coast of Australia, which were attended by editors' favourites, such as the Sun TV critic Ally Ross.
This year's gathering will focus on business, world affairs and digital media.
According to a copy of the agenda leaked to the Los Angeles Times, Mr Murdoch will make some opening remarks on Sunday evening before the Californian governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, addresses the ranks of executives. Tony Blair will then take the podium.
U2's Bono will deliver a keynote address entitled The Power of One, former US vice-president Al Gore will talk about climate change, and the Israeli vice-premier, Shimon Peres, will appear on a panel named Islam and the West.
Twenty students and users of MySpace, the internet community and latest jewel in the crown of News Corp, will discuss their attitudes and lifestyles in a live focus group called Meet the MySpace Generation.
Roger Ailes, the Fox News executive, will introduce four US military officers, who will share their experiences of serving in Iraq.
Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican and presidential hopeful, will give an address on American politics and senator Hillary Clinton will conduct a "town hall-style" discussion as the gathering wraps up Thursday.
AG Lafley, the chief executive of Procter & Gamble, one of the world's biggest advertisers, will talk about building brands.
Former US president Bill Clinton is set to close the conference on Thursday.
James Murdoch, the chief executive of BSkyB, will introduce some of the speakers, while Lachlan Murdoch, who is still a News Corp director despite quitting his management position at the company a year ago, will also attend.
The executives are staying at either the Lodge or the Inn at Spanish Bay, where executive suites start at £535 a night.
Away from the conference, the executives will be able to enjoy 20 leisure activities, including golf, tennis and skydiving. A round of golf can cost £242.
Pebble Beach is managed as a town but is actually a corporation, which was bought recently by a group of investors led by actor Clint Eastwood and golfer Arnold Palmer.
--Guardian Unlimited
Stephen Brook, press correspondent
It seems almost as many politicians as News Corporations staffers will be present when the great and the good of Rupert Murdoch's empire meet in California this weekend.
News Corp's management conference will start on Sunday with a vastly reduced contingent of News International executives compared with previous years.
Mr Murdoch, the executive chairman, will host the event for 250 key executives at California's Pebble Beach, a peninsular south of San Francisco know for its golf courses and cypress trees.
Les Hinton, the News International executive chairman, will lead a management contingent that will include his lieutenant, Clive Milner, the group managing director of News International, and the bosses of the two national newspaper groups, Paul Hayes, the managing director of Times Newspapers, and Mike Anderson, the managing director of News Group Newspapers, who sits in the adjacent office to that of Mr Hayes in Wapping.
Robert Thomson, the Times editor, will attend with the Times' highly regarded US editor, Gerard Baker, while the News of the World editor, Andy Coulson, will be accompanied by Louise Oswald, the editor of the paper's Sunday magazine. The Sunday Times editor John Witherow is also expected to be present.
The Sun editor, Rebekah Wade, is set take along three of her editorial executives. She has already left Wapping but others, such as Mr Anderson, are not departing until tomorrow.
Under News International convention, deputy newspaper editors remain at their posts while their editors are away, so executives such as the Times deputy editor, Ben Preston, who took part in a previous management think tank, and the Sun deputy editor, Fergus Shanahan, will stay behind at Wapping.
The Pebble Beach get-together is a far cry from the previous events in Cancun, Mexico, and the Hayman Islands off the coast of Australia, which were attended by editors' favourites, such as the Sun TV critic Ally Ross.
This year's gathering will focus on business, world affairs and digital media.
According to a copy of the agenda leaked to the Los Angeles Times, Mr Murdoch will make some opening remarks on Sunday evening before the Californian governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, addresses the ranks of executives. Tony Blair will then take the podium.
U2's Bono will deliver a keynote address entitled The Power of One, former US vice-president Al Gore will talk about climate change, and the Israeli vice-premier, Shimon Peres, will appear on a panel named Islam and the West.
Twenty students and users of MySpace, the internet community and latest jewel in the crown of News Corp, will discuss their attitudes and lifestyles in a live focus group called Meet the MySpace Generation.
Roger Ailes, the Fox News executive, will introduce four US military officers, who will share their experiences of serving in Iraq.
Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican and presidential hopeful, will give an address on American politics and senator Hillary Clinton will conduct a "town hall-style" discussion as the gathering wraps up Thursday.
AG Lafley, the chief executive of Procter & Gamble, one of the world's biggest advertisers, will talk about building brands.
Former US president Bill Clinton is set to close the conference on Thursday.
James Murdoch, the chief executive of BSkyB, will introduce some of the speakers, while Lachlan Murdoch, who is still a News Corp director despite quitting his management position at the company a year ago, will also attend.
The executives are staying at either the Lodge or the Inn at Spanish Bay, where executive suites start at £535 a night.
Away from the conference, the executives will be able to enjoy 20 leisure activities, including golf, tennis and skydiving. A round of golf can cost £242.
Pebble Beach is managed as a town but is actually a corporation, which was bought recently by a group of investors led by actor Clint Eastwood and golfer Arnold Palmer.
--Guardian Unlimited