Elisabeth Murdoch Leaving Shine Once Endemol Deal Closes

Shine Group non-executive chair Elisabeth Murdoch is set to leave the 21st Century Fox subsidiary when its consolidation with Endemol and Core Media is completed, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Murdoch will then focus on her other investments, a source tells THR.

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Rupert Murdoch‘s daughter has been chair of Shine for the past two years, after it was sold to Fox in 2011. The chair role took her away from the day-to-day running of the company.

Her departure, for now at least, seems to take her out of ‎any contention to one day succeed her father, although she has in the past expressed no interest in such a role.

“I really harbor absolutely no ambition for that top job,” she said at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in 2012.

The daughter of the 21st Century Fox chairman and CEO was previously believed to be in line for a Fox board seat a couple of years ago, but that never materialized.

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Murdoch told the board of what was then News Corp. that it would be “inappropriate” for her to join it amid criticism of the conglomerate’s corporate governance following the phone-hacking scandal, which led critics to lash out against the family’s control over the company.??

Brothers James and Lachlan Murdoch sit on the board. James is co-COO of Fox, and Lachlan serves as ‎non-executive co-chairman.

On Sunday, it was announced that former BSkyB content executive Sophie Turner Laing will serve as CEO of the company to be formed by the combination of Shine, Endemol and Core Media.

Murdoch’s role at the combined company was unclear following the news of Laing’s appointment, but Shine CEO Alex Mahon and Endemol CEO Just Spee were set to remain on board during a transition period.

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The combination is set to be the world’s largest independent TV producer.

21st Century Fox and investment firm Apollo Global Management, which controls Endemol and Core, are partnering on the new venture.

Fox COO Chase Carey recently said he hoped to wrap up the three-way deal in the near future.

Core’s portfolio includes American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, while Endemol has Big Brother and Deal or No Deal. Shine’s reality stable includes The Biggest Loser, Gordon Ramsay‘s MasterChef franchise and The Face. It has been making a big push into scripted programming as of late, with FX’s The Bridge and Fox’s upcoming Broadchurch adaption: Gracepoint.

Earlier this year, Murdoch personally invested in startup Locksmith Animation, overseen by former Aardman Features creative director Sarah Smith.

The then-News Corp. bought Shine in 2011 for $675 million.

Reps for 21st Century Fox and Shine declined to comment.