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  1. #21
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    To say 'they were all at it' is missing the point: the Telegraph exposed the scandal over MP's expenses by printing data that had been, in effect, stolen from the House of Commons by the ex-military researchers/aids who worked there. Wikileaks published in The Guardian and the Telegraph are not documents released under the Freedom of Information Act -my wonder is that we could not have got the MP's expenses details legally under the FOI although it would have been a fight: also, is this why some of these scandals don't take place in the USA where the Freedom of Information Act is more robust?

    However, hacking into the phones of murder victims -there comes a point when the difference between Murdoch and the rest is separated by clear blue something, and it isn't water. Apparently a lot of the evidence from Glen Mulcaire's stash was in bin bags in Scotland Yard and nobody seemed to know what was in them...

    Murdoch could of course sell off all his newspapers and wouldn't lose much money: he is ruthless enough to do it, but has to receive a guarantee from Osborne and Cameron that he will get BSkyB -if he doesn't then the next week or so will be interesting...I have no respect for The Times or its Sunday sister.



  2. #22
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    It most definitely is going to be a very interesting upcoming week, both for the UK and also globally, given Murdoch's bid here in Australia with Sky News.

    It's also been fascinating to watch all the politicians come out from under their hardened desk table structures, no longer afraid of being the next scandal headline and uniting against Murdoch Empire to get a quick boot in on the temorarily immobilized form before they scurry back under again in due course.

    Just fascinating



  3. #23
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    Australia also has a vibrant Freedom of Information Act that makes it harder to peddle scandals the truth of which can be found out with an application under the Act; but certainly you are right about the svengali-like hold this man has had over our feeble politicians. Is Ms Gillard his bird, anyway? As in cheep-cheep...



  4. #24
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    the shadow of Murdoch hangs very darkly over Australia as well
    his influence over politicians here is huge
    the only ones unaffected seem to be the greens who are pilloried daily in the Murdoch papers
    bringing the News Ltd empire down will be no bad thing



  5. #25
    Platinum Poster robertlouis's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    Quote Originally Posted by Miss Aeryn View Post
    It most definitely is going to be a very interesting upcoming week, both for the UK and also globally, given Murdoch's bid here in Australia with Sky News.

    It's also been fascinating to watch all the politicians come out from under their hardened desk table structures, no longer afraid of being the next scandal headline and uniting against Murdoch Empire to get a quick boot in on the temorarily immobilized form before they scurry back under again in due course.

    Just fascinating
    We seem to share the same level of cynicism, Aeryn!

    What's going to be most interesting here in the UK is just how many knots Cameron and Osborne tie themselves into to ensure that the BskyB deal goes through as as clearly been promised; deals have been done.

    And if it does, is it the beginning of the end for Cameron? And if it doesn't, is it also the end for Cameron? Murdoch is in a class of his own when it comes to dirty tricks, and possibly has it within his power to destroy the entire political class in the UK, with the exception, ironically, of the Lib Dems, simply because he has consistently ignored them since the 1960s.

    My sister and brother-in-law are flying in from Sydney tomorrow, so it will be interesting to get their perspective on the Australian end of things. I'll keep you posted.


    But pleasures are like poppies spread
    You seize the flow'r, the bloom is shed

  6. #26
    Senior Member Platinum Poster Prospero's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    Quote Originally Posted by Miss Aeryn View Post
    It most definitely is going to be a very interesting upcoming week, both for the UK and also globally, given Murdoch's bid here in Australia with Sky News.

    It's also been fascinating to watch all the politicians come out from under their hardened desk table structures, no longer afraid of being the next scandal headline and uniting against Murdoch Empire to get a quick boot in on the temorarily immobilized form before they scurry back under again in due course.

    Just fascinating
    Miss Aeryn.... you refer to Murdoch's bid "here in Australia with Sky News." is there a Sky Australia or does his british service show out there? if there is is he trying to extend his empire there too?

    Today Murdoch is in London and when asked by a reporter what he was defending he pointing to Rebekah Wade and simply said "her." Now what DOES she have on the dirty digger



  7. #27
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    I don't know what it is about Rebekah Brooks that seems to send men into a frenzy, even I have a personal fetish for women with flowing red hair like hers - for reasons I prefer not to be frank about.

    Anyway, some snippets from the press:

    BSkyB's share price is falling as I speak: that complicates the share purchase -in fact if it falls far enough it will be in crisis, and if the Govt does delay the Murdoch bid and I think it has to now, this could make BSkyB an attractive buy for someone else -the remaining shares ares still there to be bought by a predator, it doesn't have to be NewsCorp -I wonder if the Qatari's are interested in it?

    James Cameron, according to today's Indepenent used to have a life size cardbour cut-out of Darth Vader outside his office.

    The same article quotes someone from the govt who is furious with Murdoch for persisting with the BSkyB deal:
    We always knew we were going to have to eat a shit sandwich over the BSkyB deal," said one. "We didn't know it would turn into a three course dinner."

    The volume of lies and cover-ups on this story give it the Watergate dimension: what did Vaclav Havel say when the ancien regime collapsed in 1989?
    Lying can never save us from another lie...



  8. #28
    Senior Member Platinum Poster Prospero's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    A Qatari purchase of Sky would be interesting and out them in direct competion with their own operation Al Jazeera - which is limbering up for a Middle eastern tussle against Sky Arabia, due to launch next spring. That'd be interesting. Al-Jazeera is an excellent news service. The Qatari royals do not meddle - and it has won its spurs by being called biased by both the Palestinians and israel. So its coverage myst be striving to be as objective as any news operation can be. Hugh Miles book on the creation and early years of al-Jazeera is a must-read for those interested in whole global media works.



  9. #29
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    I think also that the volume of print and broadcast media owned by one company in the UK should also be an issue -it seems odd that Thatcherites (albeit damp ones) have not called for more competition in this market -except of course Osborne is in the Murdoch camp; I guess there are not many corporations with the cash to buy BSkyB anyway...unless it ends up at £1 a share....thanks for the Hugh Miles ref, I will get onto that subito...



  10. #30
    Senior Member Platinum Poster Prospero's Avatar
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    Default Re: The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

    Hot off the press... gov just issues this - a Statement from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.


    "The consultation on undertakings in lieu offered by News Corporation in relation to their proposed merger with BSkyB closes at midday today. The Secretary of State has always been clear that he will take as long as is needed to reach a decision.

    The Secretary of State will consider carefully all the responses submitted and take advice from Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading before reaching his decision. Given the volume of responses, we anticipate that this will take some time. He will consider all relevant factors including whether the announcement regarding the News of the World’s closure has any impact on the question of media plurality."



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