CNN: "Rupert Murdoch's media empire suffered a double blow Wednesday..."

[Amerigo Vespucci]

London (CNN) -- Rupert Murdoch's media empire suffered a double blow Wednesday as Prime Minister David Cameron launched a wide-ranging investigation into the British press and Murdoch's News Corp. withdrew a bid to take over British satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

The moves come in the wake of public and political fury at allegations that journalists working for Murdoch illegally eavesdropped on phone messages of thousands of people and bribed police.

Cameron blasted Murdoch's company Wednesday as he launched the high-powered investigation.

Murdoch's media company needs to focus not on taking over BSkyB, "but on clearing up the mess and getting their house in order," Cameron demanded.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/07/13/uk.phone.hacking.scandal/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

[FreakinDJ]

1. in a related news story - "TeaParty lost their funding"

[Jackpine Radical]

17. That's too good to be true. Think Koch Bros.

I'm sure they can pick up the slack.

On the other hand, if Fox comes unglued…

[Kingofalldems]

2. K and R all Murdoch scandal threads

Grand Jury should be convened as quickly as possible.

[SaveAmerica]

23. I know! That's where I am!!

Kay and Arrrrr!

[fascisthunter]

3. Boy would I love to have seen his face when it went down

[arbusto_baboso]

4. Murdoch thought he controlled British government, but in reality...

when someone can simply legislate you out of existence, you don't have the power. He forgot that primary lesson.

[SpiralHawk]

5. Billionaires Weep & Whine as Principal Propaganda Pimps (R) Poop Out

The air is quickly whizzing out of the Freeper & TeaBagger BS Lie Balloons (R).

That's what happens when you stop thinking for yourself and allow yourself to be manipulated by media propaganda as a Super SUCKER (R) Puppet.

[malaise]

8. No one writes lines quite like you

:yourock: :rofl:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

6. Oh yeah I'm so sure Sherlock Cameron's gonna be all over this one. nt

[Dept of Beer]

Blue ribbon commission...

:eyes:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. Exactly!

[SaveAmerica]

25. He said 'This is Series, bloke!'

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

26. Did he also say it was hugh (not Grant)? ;-)

[blm]

7. Cameron NARROWED the investigation and will administer a slap on wrist after the inevitable show of

concern from his administration.

The NARROWING of the investigation will probably happen in the US, too. The pols indebted to or being blackmailed by Murdoch are plentiful HERE, too.

[malaise]

9. Remember Cameron is totally dependent on the LibDems

and this is their moment since they warned him about Coulson.

[gratuitous]

10. We'll see if it's a blow or a kiss

I don't think Rupert's going to go quietly, if at all. He's got a lot of chits to call in, and if his personal history is any indication, he won't be shy about calling them in to avoid paying for his crimes. I'll wait until he's locked up for the rest of his miserable life before getting too celebratory, but it's gratifying to see that at the very least he's going to have to spend a little of that corruption capital he's amassed.

[goforit]

11. Murdoch won't be traveling to London any time soon.

[Major Hogwash]

12. Great Scott!! Get me Batman! This guy's worse than the Riddler!!

Murdoch is history now.
Everyone's eyes are on him.

[hifiguy]

13. Send this old pirate and his rotten empire to the bottom of the sea

and then drop some depth charges just in case. Arrrr.

[Uncle Joe]

15. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Amerigo Vespucci.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. No pity

:nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity:

A whole section of them

[Blue Owl]

18. Fuck away, Turdoch

Get thee behind us once and forever.

[dickthegrouch]

19. What does "Clearing up the mess" mean, exactly?

I have a nasty suspicion it means destroying the evidence.

What it should mean is preparing the evidence and frog-marching the guilty parties (all of them) to Scotland Yard along with Murdoch.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

21. Spin cycle, I imagine...

...if you DID something, you CAN'T clean it up, You can pay the price.

But if you successfully hide the evidence, the price is $0.00.

[Waiting For Everyman]

20. I want to see more light shed on NewsCorp's ties to the Chamber of Commerce.

Apparently NewsCorp is a big donor. Rule is, "follow the money".

NewsCorp donates big money to the Chamber --> the Chamber has been lobbying to weaken the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act --> for the benefit of NewsCorp, no doubt. The FCPA is a big threat to NewsCorp right now. The lobbying took place last Fall, so this was a deliberate move in advance to buy its way out of a big crime, which is itself another big crime.

C'mon, Feds. This is an easy one.

[wordpix]

22. karma blowback

:evilgrin: I love it

[SaveAmerica]

24. I heard that Cameron was SHOCKED!! SHOCKED I tell you!! Wha?? Huh? Investigate!!

[14thColony]

27. Heard on the radio this morning...

That News Corp may close ALL its newspapers in the UK in wake of this, not just the NotW, effectively killing off the News International arm I suppose. I've gotta think that'll hurt the empire a little, but who knows.

[dipsydoodle]

28. That may already have been his intention

Newpapers here in the UK ceased to make much, if any, money years ago. BSkyB however is a mega cash cow - hence the interest.

[14thColony]

29. Just with the 150 copies of the London Metro I get offered per tube trip...

I haven't paid for a paper in years! So I can see how profitability might've tanked.