Whatever it is that drives Rupert Murdoch’s offspring out of the businesses he owns may also bring them back.

Could Elisabeth Murdoch return to daddy’s fold? Sure, according to a glowing profile in the New York Times on Monday of Rupert Murdoch’s elder daughter from his second marriage.

Once ruled out as a possible heir to Murdoch’s News Corp global media empire after her 2000 departure from Murdoch-controlled BSkyB to strike out — quite successfully — on her own, she stirs speculation anew over a possible return … someday.

NYTimes: “Could I foresee a day going back to News Corp.?” she said. “Yes, I could. Do I know how, or when, or what shape that would take? No. I don’t really ever want to leave Shine. So I don’t know how it would happen one day, but it’s certainly not out of the cards.” 

Lachlan Murdoch, Murdoch’s elder son, also left his post as deputy chief operating officer of News Corp in 2005, and is also seeking out media investments.

Elisabeth explains why the apples never fall far from the tree: In growing up Murdoch, she said, “Media was never a choice. You either have it in your veins or you don’t have it in your veins. I couldn’t imagine why you would want to do anything else.”

Will James Murdoch, anointed the heir apparent after his return to News Corp last year to run its Asia and Europe operations, have competition?

(NYTimes)

Keep an eye on:  

• MySpace close to a deal with major record labels like Sony BMG and Warner over a digital music joint venture. (NYPost)
• CBS has nuked “Jericho,” the low-rated post-Armageddon drama that was briefly brought back from the dead by fan demand. (Hollywood Reporter/Reuters)
• The Wall Street Journal’s transition to more breaking news and shorter articles will continue in the coming weeks with a makeover of its Marketplace section. (NYTimes)
• Traditional media companies jumps on the vertical ad network bandwagon.(AP)