Activist Irenic Capital Management said Tuesday that it would back fellow dissident Starboard Value's push to dissolve the dual-class structure at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp , ahead of a closely watched shareholder meeting.
Irenic wrote in its Tuesday letter to News Corp's board that while it opposed the dual-class structure, it remained supportive of management's efforts to "unlock immediate value."
Irenic also wrote it believes the Murdoch family and other super-voting shareholders should be paid a premium if a conversion to a single-share structure happened.
A vote to dissolve the dual-class structure at News Corp nearly a decade ago failed, although it was supported by 90% of non-Murdoch shareholders.
The Murdoch family controls roughly 40% of the vote through a family trust and the supervoting Class B shares, making governance changes tough.
Persons:
Jeff Smith's, Murdoch, Adam Katz's Irenic, Irenic, Glass Lewis
Organizations:
Irenic Capital Management, Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, Wall Street, News Corp