Poor Rupert life just went downhill again

[David Johnson]

Apparently, the Sun on Sunday sold 3 million copies.

Alas, Sue Akers, Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Met has just rained on his parade.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/fe ... sfeed=true

"Sue Akers tells media ethics inquiry of newspaper's payment systems that hid identities of 'network of corrupted officials'"

and this section will make things a whole lot worse for Murdoch

"Akers's reference to the systematic nature of alleged corruption, and its endorsement by senior executives, will be a clear signal to the US department of justice that her allegations, if proved, fall squarely within the ambit of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Rupert Murdoch's US parent company, News Corporation, could face fines of hundreds of millions of dollars unless it can show it has co-operated vigorously with the authorities in rooting out malpractice."

[Lizard]

You have a strange way of assessing someone's life, he's a Billionaire, has homes all over the world, a beautiful fiesty wife, a new paper that sold over 3 million copies, everything that money could buy and then some, he's not been convicted of any criminal offence, I'm not sticking up for the dirty digger, but "his life just went downhill" is probably not factually correct. I expect he's in the pink.

[Arginald Valleywater]

Murdoch is harder than granite, he will be laughing his cock off. Some other people will take the rap for him so he's not worried. Plus he's mates with VP Blair so the US will look after him and ride roughshod over anything that resembles "the law"...

[Essex Lad]

Arginald Valleywater wrote:

the US will look
> after him

We will see...

[MilkandCookies]

I would have thought that the police accepting payments was slightly more shocking than journos making them? I doubt 200 million quid in fines is much to Murdoch.

[max_tranmere]

There was talk a few weeks ago that The Sun might close down, not very serious talk but it was mentioned. With The Sun now doing a 7 day a week operation it seems even less likely. However this could change, no matter how successful The Sunday Sun becomes, if more and more controversies are revealed.

On a sperate note, I was quite appalled that Charlotte Chruch got ?600,000 yesterday for having been hacked. Hacking her phone and that of her mother was very bad and some sort of compensation should be given, but that much money to someone who is already a multi-millionaire is far far too much.

There are poor struggling people in this society who have no assets or savings who would be happy with ?1,000 being given to them as a one-off award. Mentally and physically damaged soldiers who fight in wars get a fraction of that in compensation, yet someone who doesn't need the money, who has had something relatively minor happen to them, gets a fortune given to her.

[David Johnson]

Lizard,
I suspect you don't understand what drives people like Murdoch. GIven his wealth, wife, new paper, etc etc which you refer to, ask yourself why is he still working in his eighties when he has all of that?
He's still working because it is the thrill of doing business, doing deals, putting one over his business rivals, defending his business interests, growing the business etc etc.

In that situation, the humiliation over the NOTW and having to close it down was a disaster for him, irrespective of the fact that the income was negligible compared to Sky. In a matter of weeks he turned from having access to the highest political level to politicians running a mile from having their pic taken with him. He became the pariah that ran a newspaper that hacked a murdered girl's phone. The sort of guy you wouldnt piss on if he was on fire. Thats what he was in the weeks after the Dowler story broke.

He obviously thought he had closed down all of that by bringing the NOTW to an end. And then more shit starts bubbling up from the Sun. So his lot has gone downhil because it is clear now that Wade and Coulson could well be up in front of the beak and Murdoch will have more shit on his hands as he tries to keep Wade and Coulson onside.

Arginald

What a sweet and naive idea that Blair could have any influence whatsoever with the Obama regime on what happened to News Corp in the US.

MilkandCookies
What this story is about is News Corp acting as a Mafia in the UK with connections right at the top of the British government and having a network of informants in the police, public sector etc. I agree that it is a disaster for trust in the police.

[David Johnson]

Personally, I am absolutely delighted to see Murdoch's organisation having to cough up another ?600,000.

It is worth pointing out that ?300K was to pay Church's legal fees and the remainder was shared between Church and her mother and stepfather.

If you don't give companies like Murdoch's a good financial kicking they will never learn.

[Essex Lad]

David Johnson wrote:


> If you don't give companies like Murdoch's a good financial
> kicking they will never learn.

I have to agree. The good thing about fining those type of companies is that they can't exactly pass it on to their customers.
Murdoch: "How are we gonna recoup the ?600,000?"
Mohan: "We can put up the price of The Sun."
Murdoch: "You stupid boy."

Unlike banks, airlines, police when they get fined it all comes out of taxpayers' money. Murdoch doesn't have that luxury. He has to swallow it.

Only downside is that a few more people will lose their jobs to save the money...

[David Johnson]

So the resignations have now hit the Murdoch family as James Murdoch resigns from the newspaper business.

Can't say I am surprised. James Murdoch made a pig's ear of the whole hacking scandal and tried to blag his way out unsuccessfully at one parliamentary committee after another.

Looks like Rupert has taken the decision - if you want to do it well, do it yourself.