End of the world for Rupert Murdoch?
Posted on Friday, July 08, 2011 at 09:53 AM
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You might want to pull up a lawn chair and bring some popcorn. This ain't beanbag and it won't end with the breathtakingly cynical stage craft over at New Of The World.
At this moment the Prime Minister of England James Cameron is embroiled in a literally horrifying scandal that stretches all the way to Wall Street.
This morning Andy Coulson, 43, a former senior aide to British Prime Minister David Cameron, was arrested in Britain over allegations that he knew about or was involved in phone hacking during his time as editor of the News of the World from 2003-2007. Of course police are also investigating whether he paid brides to police officers, too.
As allegations come pouring in that the News Of The World journalists hacked the voice mail of thousands of unsuspecting people - from child murder victims to the families of Britain's war dead - the toxic tabloid hemorrhaged advertising, alienated millions of its own devoted readers and (most important of all) posed a growing threat to Rupert Murdoch's fondest hopes of buying the massive Euro broadcaster BSkyB.
How do we know Murdoch's bid is now in trouble? Because this morning BSkyB stock wavered dramatically as the scandal grows legs, embroiling even the Prime Minister of England.
It must be giving Murdoch palpitations. BSkyB is worth 8 billion in revenue, a billion in profit. How he must be hoping that the stain on one of his brands does not spread to them all. But how likely is it that this story will simply go away? And how likely is it not that the deal can go ahead under dark clouds of growing suspicion?
Here in the US Fox News, the conservative news channel reportedly first envisioned in the age of Richard Nixon, has balked at covering the scandal that's of the kind that would have been very familiar to its Nixon's operatives. For weeks Fox plastered Anthony Weiner's face all over the network, and The New York Post could not get enough of the disgraced rep, though - strange to relate - the News of The World Story is this week very hard to find on their channel and pages.
But public revulsion at the horrifying revelations is real and profound. Hacking into the phones of the vulnerable and brokenhearted families of murder victims and war veterans is as immoral an act as could ever be countenanced.
So this won't be contained with razzle dazzle, it won't just blow away with tomorrow's headlines: the anger is real and enduring. It's unlikely to be assuaged by cheap theatrics like the News Of The World's closure (there were rumors that this had been on the cards beforehand).
It's hard to imagine, now that he's been tarnished by association with one of Murdoch's men, that David Cameron will now have an appetite for the deal, given the new political calculus.
Meanwhile, we have just been given an object lesson concerning what the power of the press can look like in the hands of one all-powerful international mogul. It's just a shame it took this long.
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maloney | Jul 14, 2011, 09:34 PM EDT
Each and every one of my digs has long been paid for. One of my companies sells to the defence industry. Liberals will buy from anyone, even me, to get their toys. Another sells to the auto industry. Murdoch is from rooland seano. Probably a member of your family.
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seanomelbourne | Jul 14, 2011, 09:42 AM EDT
You can visit murdoch and his wayward son in prison. Your pal Coulter and Ailes wants to raise the debt ceiling.They know which side their bread is buttered.See ya in your new small digs.
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seanomelbourne | Jul 12, 2011, 08:24 PM EDT
The murdoch empire is tainted with deceit,just look at the types they hire hannity,beck.Ingraham,coulter,Malkin,Van Sustenance,Ailes and the three stooges from the morning show. The curtains are slowly coming down on their theatre of lies and deceit
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hollabackgurl | Jul 11, 2011, 11:47 PM EDT
It's his own breath Murcdoch needs to worry about. Now that his Sunday Times committed treason by spying on the Prime Minister, for God's sake. What a bunch of crooks and thugs.
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maloney | Jul 11, 2011, 08:51 PM EDT
I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you seano.
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seanomelbourne | Jul 11, 2011, 07:25 PM EDT
More murdoch publications now in the firing line and it has reached your country Maloney> Attempting to bribe a cop for personal details Fox/GOP channel may be next.
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seanomelbourne | Jul 10, 2011, 07:30 PM EDT
luxefaire you are my type of American "fair and balanced.Now watch the bigoted right vilify you.
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AengusOg | Jul 10, 2011, 06:10 PM EDT
@luxefaire Exactly. Thank you for your fine example of what is wrong with American political discourse today.
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maloney | Jul 10, 2011, 03:29 PM EDT
luxe(not)faire...yes, Bush did no justice to America with the Patriot Act among other things but you fail to mention obama has continued these same policies. Maybe you would like to explain obama and the liberals selling guns on the border to illegals that have killed hundreds on both sides of the border and now lying about having done it.
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luxefaire | Jul 10, 2011, 12:42 PM EDT
This type of spying activity is much more prevalent than most people know. It has been going on in America for well over ten years, more like twenty, the exact same beahviour that murdochs people have engaged in. The type of foolish Americans who depend on their televisions for information are legion here, and they cannot seem to come to grip with the fact that their boy george bush (DUHHHHHH-bya) destroyed privacy (along with many other things)while building his police state for his masters in England...the blood-sucking tea party people are just trying to legitimize their ignorance, it is not American to worship lords nor kings, it is not American to take the worlds goods by force (That is called theft you lazy pieces of garbage), it is not American to artificially drive up drug prices with legislation and the larest prison INDUSTRY in the world, but they all think they are patriots because they are dumb as shoes. This media spying bust could not have happened to a more deserving schmuck but the activities are quite well developed and have literally run amok here in America where everyone is either a policeman or a terrorist. The activity of spying has especially been propagated in the christian cults, the so-called faith based society, which is the new ss.
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AengusOg | Jul 10, 2011, 11:34 AM EDT
It's true we need more conservative news outlets to balance the now liberal, used to be main stream media networks. As a Tea Party participant, I am appalled by the attributions of the media. My Tea Party Patriots emails deal with a single issue, the exercise of financial responsibility by government. What about a network that avoided personalities completely, opting instead for a discussion of ideas and plans. It would be refreshing to witness a respectful interchange of various opinions, in place of the sanctimonious condemnation of those with opposing views.
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mamaginnty | Jul 09, 2011, 08:35 AM EDT
Money talks...
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McNamara31 | Jul 08, 2011, 09:43 PM EDT
Rupert Murdoch, Roger Ailes: Media Scum
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seanomelbourne | Jul 08, 2011, 07:56 PM EDT
Where have all the right w(h)ingers gone licking their master Murdoch's wounds no doubt.
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