Twin resignation blow for Murdoch

15 July 2011 Last updated at 23:37 GMT Two top Murdoch lieutenants - Les Hinton (left) and Rebekah Brooks (right) - stepped down on Friday Les Hinton, one of the top executives of Rupert Murdoch's embattled News Corporation media empire, has quit.

Mr Hinton was chief executive of Dow Jones, publisher of the Wall Street Journal. Mr Murdoch said the resignation brought him "much sadness".

Rebekah Brooks - chief executive of the media group's UK newspaper arm, News International - also quit on Friday.

Mr Hinton led News International from 1995-2007, when the UK's News of the World was hacking phones.

Mr Murdoch apologised for "serious wrongdoings" by the News of the World, in full-page advertisements signed by him, in Britain's main national newspapers on Saturday.

'An unexpected end'

Mr Hinton worked for News Corp for more than half a century after joining Mr Murdoch's business as a cub reporter with the Adelaide News in Australia.

In a statement, Mr Hinton said: "I have watched with sorrow from New York as the News of the World story has unfolded.

"I have seen hundreds of news reports of both actual and alleged misconduct during the time I was executive chairman of News International and responsible for the company.

"The pain caused to innocent people is unimaginable.

"That I was ignorant of what apparently happened is irrelevant and in the circumstances I feel it is proper for me to resign from News Corp, and apologise to those hurt by the actions of the News of the World."

Mr Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old Sunday tabloid last week in response to the phone-hacking scandal, with the loss of 200 jobs.

At the Wall Street Journal, news of Mr Hinton's sudden departure was reportedly greeted by gasps from stunned staff.

In the wake of the phone-hacking scandal, Mr Hinton is the first Murdoch executive to fall on his sword in the US, where the FBI announced on Thursday it was investigating whether the News of the World had also snooped on the phones of 9/11 victims.

Mr Murdoch said in a statement: "Les and I have been on a remarkable journey together for more than 52 years.

"That this passage has come to an unexpected end, professionally, not personally, is a matter of much sadness to me."

Murdoch heckled

The Australian-born media baron added: "I vividly recall an enthusiastic young man in the offices of my first newspaper in Adelaide, where Les joined the company as a 15-year-old and had the rather unenviable task of buying me sandwiches for lunch."

Continue reading the main story Worked for Rupert Murdoch's News Corp for 52 yearsAppointed CEO of Dow Jones and Co in Dec 2007 after its acquisition by News CorpHead of News International from 1995 to 2007, during alleged News of the World phone-hackingFormer chairman and chief executive of Fox TV StationsMr Murdoch's statement added: "Let me emphasise one point - News Corporation is not Rupert Murdoch.

"It is the collective creativity and effort of many thousands of people around the world, and few individuals have given more to this company than Les Hinton."

Earlier on Friday, Mr Murdoch apologised to the family of murdered British schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

The crisis shaking News Corp exploded after it emerged the 13-year-old's mobile phone had been hacked by the News of the World newspaper in 2002.

Allegations surfaced last week that the News of the World had also snooped on senior politicians, the victims of London's 2005 terrorist bombings and the families of dead British soldiers.

As Mr Murdoch emerged from a meeting with the Dowler family at a London hotel to tell reporters he was appalled by their ordeal, the 80-year-old was jeered by hecklers.

Also on Friday, UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the resignation of Ms Brooks, who was News of the World editor between 2000-03, had been "the right decision".

This week Mr Cameron appointed a judge to conduct a sweeping inquiry into criminal activity at the paper and in the British media.

Ms Brooks, 43, had been with News International for 22 years, and was also Mr Cameron's friend and neighbour.

She has been replaced by Tom Mockridge, a New Zealander who was in charge of News Corporation's Italian broadcasting arm.

Following Mr Hinton's departure, Dow Jones President Todd Larsen will report to News Corp Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey, the company said.

Earlier this week, the scandal prompted News Corp to abandon a multi-billion dollar bid to take full control of British pay-TV operator BSkyB.

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Rupert Murdoch 'could face MPs'

12 July 2011 Last updated at 20:24 GMT Rupert Murdoch arrived in the UK on Sunday to handle the crisis News Corporation boss Rupert Murdoch may appear before an MPs' committee next week over the phone hacking scandal - a senior MP has claimed.

But committee chairman John Whittingdale later told the BBC there was "some confusion" over whether he would accept the invitation.

MPs have also asked James Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks to attend a hearing.

David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband met on Tuesday to discuss details of proposed hacking inquiries.

The three party leaders held an hour-long meeting in No 10 and it is expected the prime minister will make a statement to MPs on Wednesday on the terms and parameters of the inquiries.

On a day in which further allegations were made about journalistic practices at News International, the culture, media and sport committee submitted a "polite request" to Mr Murdoch, his son James and News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks to appear before it next Tuesday.

Mr Murdoch, the head of News Corporation, flew into the UK on Sunday to take charge of the phone hacking crisis at its UK newspaper arm.

He and his son James, the chairman, and chief executive of News International Mrs Brooks - a former editor of the News of the World - have been asked, but not summoned, to appear before the committee next week.

'Take on their critics'

It is unclear whether the committee could compel the Murdochs, who are US citizens, to attend but could do so with Mrs Brooks.

The culture, media and sport committee, chaired by Conservative MP Mr Whittingdale, looked into phone hacking allegations in 2009, as part of a wider inquiry.

Mr Whittingdale had told the BBC he had been told the three would attend the hearing and said he was pleased they had chosen to attend and "take on their critics and account for themselves in Parliament".

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We have been made aware of the request from the CMS committee to interview senior executives and will co-operate”

End Quote News International But he later told BBC Radio 4's PM programme was "still hoping" that they would but that there "was some confusion reigning".

"We understood a News International spokesman said all three would attend but it appears that we haven't had final confirmation of that," he said.

A spokeswoman for News International did not say whether all three executives would attend but said: "We have been made aware of the request from the CMS committee to interview senior executives and will co-operate. We await the formal invitation."

In 2003, when she was editor of the Sun, Mrs Brooks appeared before the committee during an inquiry into media intrusion when she famously told MPs: "We have paid the police for information in the past."

'Complete picture'

It is not currently holding an inquiry into the latest phone hacking allegations - next Tuesday's hearing would be a specially convened one-off evidence session.

Tom Watson - a Labour member of the committee who has led a campaign against phone hacking - told BBC Radio 4's World at One: "We want to ask Rebekah Brooks about her knowledge of payments to the police, we'd like to ask James Murdoch about how he authorised payments to silences Gordon Taylor and I think we'd like to ask Rupert Murdoch, he might be the most powerful media oligarch on the planet, I think he owes Mr and Mrs Dowler an apology."

Mr Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, received an out-of-court settlement over claims his phone was hacked in April 2008. James Murdoch said last week he regretted having approved out-of-court settlements when he did not have "a complete picture".

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Rupert Murdoch must now recognise the strength of public feeling and the will of all the major parties”

End Quote Ed Miliband He also said the paper had "made statements to Parliament without being in the full possession of the facts".

Calls have been growing for News Corporation to scrap its bid to fully takeover BSkyB - in which it already owns a 39.1% share - since new phone hacking allegations about the News of the World emerged last week.

Both Mr Miliband and Deputy PM Nick Clegg have urged Mr Murdoch to reconsider the bid - while Prime Minister David Cameron said the company should "focus on clearing up the mess that there is rather than focus on the next corporate move".

On Tuesday it was referred to the Competition Commission by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, after News Corp withdrew its undertaking to spin off Sky News as a separate company.

But on Wednesday, MPs will be asked to vote on a Labour motion that "this House believes that it is in the public interest for Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation to withdraw its bid for BSkyB".

Downing Street has said the government, with the exception of Mr Hunt who has a quasi-judicial role in the final decision, will back the motion. The prime minister's spokesman said the motion essentially reflected what Mr Cameron had said on Monday.

Mr Miliband welcomed the news and said: "Rupert Murdoch must now recognise the strength of public feeling and the will of all the major parties."

Mr Miliband and Mr Clegg this week met the Dowler family - whose daughter Milly was murdered in 2002 and, it is alleged, had her mobile phone hacked into by a private investigator working for the News of the World. Mr Cameron is due to meet them on Wednesday.

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