Defiant Murdoch insists he never sought favors from any UK PM
Source: Agencies |
April 26, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
NEWS Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch defended his globe-spanning, half-a-century long media career yesterday, telling an inquiry into United Kingdom media ethics in London that he never called in favors from the powerful people his papers covered.
Speaking softly, deliberately and with dry humor, Murdoch parried one question after the other about the influence his dominant media operations had in lobbying lawmakers, favoring politicians or allegedly engineering sweetheart deals.
The litany of denials by the 81-year-old media baron was long but confidently delivered.
"I've never asked a prime minister for anything," he said after being questioned whether he had asked then-British prime minister Margaret Thatcher to support his bid for the Times newspapers in 1981.
Murdoch was being quizzed under oath before an inquiry run by Lord Justice Brian Leveson, who is examining the relationship between British politicians and the press, a key question raised by the phone hacking scandal that brought down Murdoch's News of the World tabloid.
Revelations of widespread illegal behavior at the top-selling Sunday publication rocked Britain's establishment with evidence of media misdeeds, police corruption and too-cozy links between the press and politicians. Murdoch's News International has been hit with over 100 lawsuits over phone hacking and dozens of reporters and media executives have been arrested.
Showing little equivocation, Murdoch batted away challenges to his ethics by inquiry lawyer Robert Jay.
Asked whether he set the political agenda for his UK editors, he denied it.
Asked whether he'd ever used his media influence to boost his business, he denied it.
The inquiry was set up by Prime Minister David Cameron following the scandal's resurgence in July.
Media-watchers have speculated that Murdoch would seek to inflict political pain on the Cameron's Conservatives, rumors which gained force when his son James gave damning testimony about British Olympics czar Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday.
The younger Murdoch released documents that suggested that Hunt had secretly smoothed the way for News Corp's proposed takeover of British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC, a lucrative satellite broadcaster.
Hunt's political aide Adam Smith resigned yesterday, saying he was responsible for the perception that News Corp had "too close a relationship" with Hunt's department for culture, media and sport.
Speaking softly, deliberately and with dry humor, Murdoch parried one question after the other about the influence his dominant media operations had in lobbying lawmakers, favoring politicians or allegedly engineering sweetheart deals.
The litany of denials by the 81-year-old media baron was long but confidently delivered.
"I've never asked a prime minister for anything," he said after being questioned whether he had asked then-British prime minister Margaret Thatcher to support his bid for the Times newspapers in 1981.
Murdoch was being quizzed under oath before an inquiry run by Lord Justice Brian Leveson, who is examining the relationship between British politicians and the press, a key question raised by the phone hacking scandal that brought down Murdoch's News of the World tabloid.
Revelations of widespread illegal behavior at the top-selling Sunday publication rocked Britain's establishment with evidence of media misdeeds, police corruption and too-cozy links between the press and politicians. Murdoch's News International has been hit with over 100 lawsuits over phone hacking and dozens of reporters and media executives have been arrested.
Showing little equivocation, Murdoch batted away challenges to his ethics by inquiry lawyer Robert Jay.
Asked whether he set the political agenda for his UK editors, he denied it.
Asked whether he'd ever used his media influence to boost his business, he denied it.
The inquiry was set up by Prime Minister David Cameron following the scandal's resurgence in July.
Media-watchers have speculated that Murdoch would seek to inflict political pain on the Cameron's Conservatives, rumors which gained force when his son James gave damning testimony about British Olympics czar Jeremy Hunt on Tuesday.
The younger Murdoch released documents that suggested that Hunt had secretly smoothed the way for News Corp's proposed takeover of British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC, a lucrative satellite broadcaster.
Hunt's political aide Adam Smith resigned yesterday, saying he was responsible for the perception that News Corp had "too close a relationship" with Hunt's department for culture, media and sport.
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