Japan's Sony Corp, Fuji Television Network, trading house Itochu Corp. and film producer Shochiku Co. are joining with Rupert Murdoch's News Corp to create five new TV companies, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported today (Wednesday).

The five companies plan to produce TV movies, music programming, animated kids' shows and sports telecasts that will be distributed in Japan via satellite, the newspaper said.

Source: Studio Briefing