London – Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of BSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting) appeared to be dead in the water after proof emerged that executives at his British newspaper empire mounted a cover-up of the full scale of alleged criminal wrongdoing at the News of the World.
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In another extraordinary day in the phone-hacking scandal, Downing Street sources confirmed that Government lawyers were drawing up a strategy to halt the £9bn deal which looked a certainty only a week ago.
The U-turn came after one of News International’s own papers revealed that an internal report carried out in 2007, after the News of the World’s royal editor Clive Goodman was jailed, had found evidence that illegally accessing voicemails was more widespread at the paper – and that payments had been made to police officers.
The Government’s U-turn over its backing for the BSkyB deal is a humiliation for the Prime Minister, who last week said he was powerless to stop it.
Hours after flying into Britain, Mr Murdoch continued his support of Rebekah Brooks, the embattled chief executive of News International and former News of the World editor.
It was also reported today that victims of the 9/11 attacks in New York could also be among those targeted by phone hackers from the News of the World.
What a disgusting pattern of behavior. It only gets worse every day we learn more. Hopefully, the FCC will withdraw all the licenses granted to Fox-owned stations broadcasting on public airwaves. Unfortunately, they have no contol over cable networks so there is not much they can do about Fox News. This dreche Murdoch will be history soon.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the same tactics are being used here in the USA.