Rupert Murdoch’s News International Corp. and Burbank-based...

Rupert Murdoch’s News International Corp. and Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. announced a joint venture that will offer two pay-television services via satellite to subscribers in Britain and Ireland. The first, Sky Movies, will show feature films, including motion pictures produced by Murdoch’s 20th Century Fox and by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures. The second service will offer the family-oriented Disney Channel, which already reaches 4 million U.S. homes by cable. The venture is scheduled to begin operations in February.