The Financial Times says that Rupert Murdoch is considering a management shake-up at the satellite broadcaster that could see Ball out. This would then create a gap that could be filled by James Murdoch, who is currently based in Hong Kong where he heads Star TV, the Asian satellite network.
Talks are reported to be going on between Murdoch senior and Ball, and that a decision is due to be made before BSkyB's annual meeting in November. Other candidates in the frame for the chief executive job could include chief operating officer Richard Freudenstein.
BSkyB declined to comment on newspaper reports and a a Sky spokesman, said: "We are not commenting on speculation."
Ball has been handsomely rewarded for his successful running of the company, becoming one of the highest-paid executives in the UK with earnings of £2.05m for the year ending June 30 2002. His generous share options, which last month saw him sell shares in Sky worth over £9m, have angered some shareholders.
As well as putting the company in a good financial position, reporting profits of £259.6m for the first half of the year, Ball has scored coups such as hiring former Five chief executive Dawn Airey as managing director of Sky Networks just as ITV was wooing her for a senior role.
Last month, he set the company a target of 8m subscribers by the end of 2005, up from its current level of 6.8m.
There has long been speculation about how Murdoch senior will split his empire when he retires.
His daughter Elisabeth Murdoch was marketing and programming director at BSkyB until 2001, when she quit to start her own production company, Shine. Lachlan, his oldest son, has focused more on the publishing side and is currently working to improve the fortunes of tabloid newspaper, the New York Post.
However, the Australian media mogul has now produced two more children with his third wife, Wendi Deng -- and if Rupert Murdoch keeps running his empire for as long as he hopes, these children could be grown up and battling their half-brothers for a place at the top of the Murdoch corporate tree.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
.jpg)
.jpg)