Illyria, Murdoch's investment company, is bidding with Pluribus Capital Management, a new group that includes James Finkelstein, the US publisher of The Hill, Matthew Doull, former publisher of Wired, and George Green, former publisher of Hearst International, .
Illyria and Pluribus will invest equal sums and be equally represented on the board, according to the report.
The move follows .
Illyria paid £63m for the assets and Murdoch, who sold half of his stake in News Corp for $28m (£17m) to fund the deal, will become chairman of the operation.