News Corp’s UK head to step down

The head of media conglomerate News Corp.’s U.K. newspaper operations is stepping down.

Tom Mockridge, CEO of News International since July 2011, will leave the company at year-end to pursue outside opportunities, the company said in a statement on Sunday. Mr. Mockridge joined the company in 1991.

News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch says that Mr. Mockridge’s “decision to step down is absolutely and entirely his own.”

The conglomerate announced plans this summer to split into two public companies, one for its newspaper and book publishing business and the other for its fast-growing movie and TV operations.

The Wall Street Journal said on Saturday that its current managing editor Robert Thomson is being named CEO of the new, unnamed publishing company.

Mr. Murdoch will be chairman of both companies.