Murdoch and Son Agree to UK Parliamentary Questioning

Rupert and James Murdoch, and Rebekah Brooks have agreed to appear before the UK Parliament’s Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee concerning phone hacking scandal.
Murdoch and Son Agree to UK Parliamentary Questioning
News International chairman James Murdoch (R) leaving his office in London on July 7, 2011, after the decision to close News of the World as became engulfed in the phone hacking scandal. (Max Nash/AFP/Getty Images)
7/15/2011
Updated:
10/1/2015

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/118436850.jpg" alt="News International chairman James Murdoch (R) leaving his office in London on July 7, 2011, after the decision to close News of the World as became engulfed in the phone hacking scandal. (Max Nash/AFP/Getty Images)" title="News International chairman James Murdoch (R) leaving his office in London on July 7, 2011, after the decision to close News of the World as became engulfed in the phone hacking scandal. (Max Nash/AFP/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1800848"/></a>
News International chairman James Murdoch (R) leaving his office in London on July 7, 2011, after the decision to close News of the World as became engulfed in the phone hacking scandal. (Max Nash/AFP/Getty Images)
James Murdoch, youngest son of Rupert, and expected heir of News Corporation, is to face the UK Parliament’s Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday.

He is Chairman and Chief Executive of News Corporation (International), a subsidiary of News Corporation.

He closed the News of the World on Sunday, July 10th after investigations into phone hacking carried out for the paper over the last decade included the voicemail of murdered school girl Milly Dowler.

Rebekah Brooks resigned on Friday from her CEO job at News International, the British newspaper arm of News Corp. She was Chief Editor at the News of the World during a known period of phone hacking.

Her replacement is Tom Mockridge, a New Zealander from Sky Italia where he was seen as a foil to the Berlusconi media empire. He has no association with the phone hacking and his experience in visual media is considered important after the aborted bid by News Corp to take over British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).

After the public outcry over the hacking scandal, Ofcom, the UK media regulator, asked if News Corp was a “fit and proper” company to have a major stake in BSkyB. Labour MPs put forward a motion in the House of Commons to have the Murdochs stop the £8bn takeover bid. All three major political parties backed the opposition day motion.

James Murdoch is seen to be taking control of News Corp in that his father was considering postponing the BSkyB bid before UK politicians officially turned against it. His father Rupert initially refused to appear before the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, but has apparently changed his mind.

James, his father, and Rebekah Brooks have given assurances that they will answer questions in the House of Commons.

Rebekah Brooks said her resignation will give her time to straighten the record.

The News International scandal has crossed the Atlantic as the FBI begin to investigate allegations that relatives of 9/11 victims also had their phones hacked.