Except for people who exclusively watch FOX TV, most people have gotten some details of the six-year-old phone voicemail hacking scandal involving the British tabloid News Of The World (owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch and now shuttered) as the story has been evolving.
News Corp is a global conglomerate, so it isn’t surprising that the investigation has extended to the United States, as allegations has surfaced of hacking (and paying a police officer for) the voicemails of 9/11 victims. The FBI has already opened an investigation into the matter. Not sure how News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, Scotland Yard, and phone hacking are related? Check the explainer and interactive timeline.
According to Mitchell Szczepanczyk of Chicago Media Action, major corporate media like ABC’s This Week, have brought up the idea that the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) could take action against Murdoch media in the United States, because Murdoch’s News Corp holds the broadcast licenses for a number of Fox TV stations.
Historically the FCC has very rarely pulled the broadcast licenses of any TV stations on public-interest grounds since the FCC’s founding in 1934. However, as the LATimes reported, Standard and Poor’s warned investors that News Corp’s scandal could affect the company’s U.S. holdings, noting that “Felonies, particularly involving moral turpitude and/or false statements to the FCC or other government authorities, and bad behavior that relates somehow to the ability to run a media operation…” would pose a risk because those could be grounds for an FCC investigation and ultimately pulling a broadcast license.
Chicago Media Action wants to show their concern with News Corporation with a protest at Fox Chicago, 205 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, this Friday, July 22 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Anyone who has been following the story and is upset that our public broadcast resources might be in the wrong hands is urged to join them.
If you have questions, contact cma@chicagomediaaction.org
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Related articles
- James Murdoch Boosts Chances of News Corp. Top Job at Phone-Hack Hearing – Bloomberg (news.google.com)
- News Corp. board of directors signals support of Murdoch and management (latimesblogs.latimes.com)
- Fox News Defends Murdoch [Dispatches from the Culture Wars] (scienceblogs.com)
- Phone hacking row shows News Corp is no ordinary news company (guardian.co.uk)
