After wiretapping affair: Murdoch also comes under pressure in Australia
In the wake of the wiretapping scandal involving the British tabloid *News of the World*, media mogul Rupert Murdoch is now facing pressure in his home country of Australia as well. On Thursday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard called for an investigation into media regulations and ownership structures in the newspaper market.
Gillard said that she would like to sit down with parliamentarians and discuss such a review. She was "shocked and disgusted" by the intrusion into the privacy of grieving families in the UK. She was therefore "not surprised" that the media and its role in democracy was now also being discussed in Australia, Gillard said at the country's Press Club. The Australian Greens had previously called for a parliamentary inquiry into the Australian media system, in which Murdoch's News Corporation plays an important role.
Greens leader Bob Brown said on ABC that there was "less choice" on the Australian newspaper market than in the UK. In many cities, there were only newspapers belonging to the Murdoch Group for sale. Brown accuses newspapers owned by News Limited, the Australian subsidiary of News Corp, of campaigning against him and his party.
On Wednesday, the UK parliament dealt with the wiretapping affair surrounding the now defunct tabloid News of the World. The opposition Labor Party tabled a motion calling on News Corp to refrain from taking over the British broadcaster BSkyB. Prime Minister David Cameron had also declared his support for the motion. Shortly before the planned debate, Murdoch withdrew his takeover bid. (SDA)
> Murdoch withdraws offer for complete takeover of BSkyB
> Great Britain: Murdoch closes News of the World newspaper after wiretapping scandal
