Murdoch did meet Thatcher before Times takeover, memo reveals

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

A secret meeting between Rupert Murdoch and Margaret Thatcher cleared the way for News International to buy the Times and Sunday Times in 1981, Thatcher's private files reveal.

A long note – marked by her press secretary, Bernard Ingham, as "commercial in confidence" – of the Sunday lunch at Chequers on 4 January, three weeks before the first cabinet committee discussion of the Murdoch takeover, shows the meeting was held at his request.

Thatcher gave the meeting no publicity and instructed that the note should not leave No 10 Downing Street; the media tycoon later gave the impression in the newspaper's own history that he had no contact with the prime minister ahead of Conservative approval of the purchase.

The Ingham note makes clear that Murdoch first tried to establish some political empathy with Thatcher by praising Ronald Reagan's new administration before explicitly briefing her on his bid and future plans for Times Newspapers, including taking on the unions, introducing new technology and reducing the workforce by 25%.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/mar/17/rupert-murdoch-margaret-thatcher

[malaise]

1. The Neo-liberals and their hacks

Fucking criminals all

[blm]

2. The exact same way RevMoon started his media empire - GHWBush's longtime pal, RevMoon.

Except GHWBush and Moon go back to the 60s together. Getting Moon to start a Washington DC newspaper before Reagan and Bush got into the WH helped lay their propaganda traps for the rest of the media, including CSpan.

Time for Dems to PUSH BACK HARD on the entire media empires of RevMoon and Rupert Murdoch, and keep reminding GOP base voters that they get their DAILY talking points from a cult leader and an extortionist and they have for nearly 3 decades.

Laugh in their stupid faces when they stutter over that realization.

[lostnote12]

4. excellent observation ....

....if I recall correctly during the Bush/Cheney Nightmare the Dems were able to wrestle some important changes for small radio station ownership....I believe they lessened the fees considerably for applicants for small distance broadcast.....why the Dems didn't focus on the establishment of a web of private small radio stations has always baffled me....you stated it well by saying the propaganda trap is the root of framing the discussion.....its been many yrs since responding to a post of yours and once again you are spot on......

[blm]

6. why, thank you

.

[fdherh]

3. Spam deleted by one_voice (MIR Team)

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, alp.

[Octafish]

7. When crooks collide.

Team Evil cut their American cousins in on the deal.

[alp227]

8. Can't link to most WSJ articles directly, otherwise the link goes to paywall.

Instead, google the title: "The Reagan-Thatcher Legacy Lives"