MPs summon Murdoch to fresh hearing
JAMES Murdoch has been recalled by MPs to answer questions about the phone-hacking row under his watch at News International.
The request comes after two senior former employees at the media group undermined his first testimony to the committee that he did not know the problem of phone-hacking stretched beyond one rogue reporter.
Rupert Murdoch’s son, who is also chairman of satellite operator BSkyB, issued a statement yesterday saying that he was happy to attend a second hearing. “I am happy to appear in front of the committee to answer any further questions members might have for me,” he said.
The committee said yesterday it would first want to speak to Les Hinton, the most senior News Corp executive to stand down over the scandal. The hearing is expected to be some time in November.
James attended the first hearing alongside his father Rupert Murdoch. Questioning went on for a couple of hours before the session was interrupted by an intruder who threw shaving foam at Rupert Murdoch.
News Corp has been engulfed by the scandal since July when it was revealed that the phone hacking extended beyond celebrities and politicians to murder victims including schoolgirl Milly Dowler, and British war dead.
Yesterday it emerged that the family of one of the London tube bomb victims was taking legal action against the company.
The crisis has already wiped billions of dollars off News Corp’s market value, cost it two senior executives, forced it to drop a $12bn bid for BSkyB and to shut down the 168-year-old News of the World tabloid.
James Murdoch has seen his chances of succeeding his father and founder of the media empire recede as a result of the affair.