The Murdoch Empire's Greatest Test

[zocco]

i am sure this will spread even further
it may be bye bye for Murdoch in England and with luck other places as well

[tsdvdman]

What's interesting is that the American media over-exposed and consumed us with every little detail of the "royal wedding", but the coverage on this is quick and "spotty" at best. I can understand why Fox News isn't covering it , but these other major news organizations (The few Rupert doesn't have his hand in) should be covering this as ongoing breaking news.

[robertlouis]

Great exchange on Radio 5 the other day, where they had a call between a bereaved father from the 7/7 bombings who had been told that his family's voicemails had been hacked, and on the other end, News International's hapless official spokesman.

Spokesman: " I can only apologise for what happened. It was deplorable and inexcusable. If you give me your number......"

Father: "You've already got my bloody number - that's what this is all about. Just how stupid are you?"

[robertlouis]

Your overnight reporter signing off for the time being......

In the middle of all the turmoil, it seems likely that for at least some of today (Tuesday), the spotlight will be turned on one senior Metropolitan Police officer in particular, John Yates, for admitting yesterday that his "review" of the 2007 investigation amounted to no more than a cursory look at brief summaries which were already available, without any recourse to the actual documentation for the case.

It was on that basis and on his recommendation that the case was closed.

Once again, thank goodness for the Guardian's persistence.

The senior end of the Met is up to its grubby little elbows over this, whether they were in receipt of largesse from News Int, were possibly being blackmailed for personal indiscretions (already documented affairs), or were being leaned on by even more senior individuals to stay in good relations with the Murdoch empire.

Whatever the reason, it stinks, and for once, let's hope heads roll at the right level.

[Stavros]

I think in this case the corruption is pervasive and reaches into such top levels a shake-down is inevitable, John Yates is living on borrowed time. The revelations on Brown's son also put Rebekah Brooks more squarely into the frame as editor of The Sun at the time -how did The Sun get the boy's medical records? Did she never ask her journalist for the source? Its as disgusting as the time they tried to get a photo of Russell Harty when he was dying of an Aids related illness.

Anyway, some of the smaller shareholders are suing NewsCorp in Delaware (where most corporations in the US are registered for tax purposes) -but their influence as shareholders is minimal -Murdoch owns rougly 30% of the shares of NewsCorp, the second biggest shareholder, Kingdom Holding Company (owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud) has 7%. But this also means that as the share price falls so does Murdoch's personal stake -nevertheless, its the 2nd biggest media company after Disney, raking in $25bn+ a year; my guess is that if it gets worse, Murdoch will abandon the UK altogether.

[Prospero]

I was talking last night to some friends who live half the year in Australia and Murdoch's holdings there are bigger than I knew - two TV networks and many,many newspapers. Yet he is also something of a local hero - even though he dumped his citizenship years ago to annex America. His mother, still alive though now past 100, is often asked by reporters about Rupert and fends them off. On her hundredth birthday party it is said that Rupert was about to leave when, in front of hundreds of the assembled high and mighty of Australia, his mum called across the room - come back Rupert, you haven't kissed your mother goodnight. So he does kowtow to someone.

I share your expectation that at some point soon Murdoch will probably choose to divest himself of his press interests in the UK. That will cut the ground away from all suggestions he has too many media interests here. But OFCOM could still judge him unfit - which media commentators yesterday suggested would mean him selling SKY in the UK.

Interesting to see his tie up with the Saudis. His new service Sky Arabia, due in the spring, has backing from the royal family of the UAE. Now why didn't he get the Queen on board for Sky UK. Maybe THAT"S why his hench people needed her number.


"Yeah though i walk through the valley of the Shadow of death, I will fear no evil - for I'm the biggest bastard in the valley." Rupert.

"It's the end of the world as we know it, but I feel fine" REM - a song for Rupert and rebekah

[Stavros]

There is a fairly comprehensive list of assets, including those obscure little Australian things, here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Co...n#Shareholders

Ironically, the Queen banks with Coutts, I don't know what brokers they use but I wil assume she has unit trusts, and that one or more of Murdoch's interests are in the basket, as it were. Something about hands and biting comes to mind...

[robertlouis]

Messrs Yates and Clarke from the Met in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee live right now on Radio 5. For once, riveting stuff.

[Prospero]

It's all fine and good for all three parties to agree to "call upon" Murdoch to withdraw his bid for BskyB... but that actually has no impact in law. And if he does divest himself of the rest of NI then it might well be that the competition commission won't be able to reject his bid.

This outcome could - actually - be bad for journalism and plurality. If Murdoch's News Corp board intervene and, as is suggested, get their way and compel him to sell off his remaining UK papers - including The Times and Sunday Times which he has degraded, but kept alive through troubled loss-making times. Cut loose from his global billions they simply might not survive - I think that would generally be a loss - whatever your political views.

Murdoch is a smart player. he my yet get exactly what he wants.

Oh and I see that this is now beginning to spill over in the US - with the NY Times leading on it and News Corp shares taking a real hit on the US Stock Exchange.

[Stavros]

Years ago we were told computing was sending us to a paperless society -the police yesterday admitted they have literally thousands of documents to go through, and have yet to identify all of the 4,000 people whose phones were hacked. It was on the news yesterday evening also, that its possible taps were put on land-line phones, and homes broken into as part of the News International campaign -and so far noone has mentioned hacking into computers which I would expect....this isn't a rotten barrel, its a coal mine of dirt...