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LONDON -- British Sky Broadcasting, the satellite TV network partially owned by Rupert Murdoch, remains a “fit and proper” holder of a broadcast license despite the phone-hacking scandal that has engulfed Murdoch's media empire, Britain's communications watchdog said Thursday. However, the regulatory agency harshly criticized James Murdoch, the former head of BSkyB, for his lackadaisical response to the hacking scandal, saying he “repeatedly fell short of the conduct to be expected of him as a chief executive officer and chairman” of News International, the British arm of Rupert Murdoch's giant News Corp.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is get past more than two years of bruising scandals and a U.S. government investigation into alleged corruption as the company seeks to split into two publicly traded companies this summer. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the Department of Justice is nearing the end of a broad investigation into alleged corruption at News Corp. in the wake of the damaging phone hacking scandal at the company's British publishing unit.  The Journal said that DOJ investigators received information that Journal reporters provided gifts to officials in China in exchange for information for news articles.

LONDON - Rupert Murdoch's media empire enjoyed possibly inappropriate contacts with senior British politicians, including the government minister charged with deciding whether to allow Murdoch to take over a lucrative satellite broadcaster, according to evidence at a judicial inquiry Tuesday. James Murdoch, Rupert's son and deputy chief operating officer of News Corp., testified that he had met a dozen times with Prime Minister David Cameron and rubbed elbows with George Osborne, the finance minister, and Alex Salmond, the first minister of Scotland.

LONDON - Britain should set up an independent regulator to monitor its freewheeling news media and prevent abuses such as the phone-hacking scandal that exposed unethical and sometimes illegal news-gathering practices, a senior judge said Thursday after a yearlong investigation. The new regulating body should be established by law and exclude politicians and editors to guarantee its independence from government and industry pressure, Lord Justice Brian Leveson said in a much-anticipated report that blasted the aggressive tactics often associated with British tabloids and paparazzi.

LONDON — British Sky Broadcasting, the satellite TV network partially owned by Rupert Murdoch, remains a "fit and proper" holder of a broadcast license despite the phone-hacking scandal that has engulfed Murdoch's media empire, according to Britain's communications watchdog. But the regulatory agency harshly criticized Murdoch's son, James, the former head of BSkyB, for his lackadaisical response to the hacking debacle. The agency said Thursday that James Murdoch "repeatedly fell short of the conduct to be expected of him as a chief executive officer and chairman" of News International, the British arm of his father's media giant News Corp.

Embattled media magnate Rupert Murdoch's bid for control of Britain's biggest satellite broadcaster ran into further trouble Monday, even as new reports surfaced that a former prime minister and senior members of the royal family were possible targets of a phone-hacking campaign by journalists. Murdoch's long-running attempt to add satellite TV company BSkyB to his News Corp. media conglomerate faces several months of delay after the British government decided to refer the $12-billion bid to regulators charged with determining whether allowing ownership by Murdoch would violate anti-monopoly rules.

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch's latest effort at damage control, abruptly shelving his bid to take over Britain's biggest satellite broadcaster, shows no sign of turning back the rising tide of public anger against him and his giant News Corp. The decision to ditch the $12-billion bid, at least temporarily, was a humiliating turnaround for Murdoch, who is struggling to keep the fallout from a deepening newspaper phone-hacking scandal from contaminating the rest of his global media empire.

News Corp.'s decision to ditch its $12-billion bid for Britain's largest pay-television service was greeted with guarded optimism on Wall Street yet did little to ease nagging uncertainty about whether the widening phone hacking scandal will reveal other explosive details. Shares of Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate — beaten down as much as 16% in the last two weeks — gained 4% on Wednesday to $15.93 as investors hoped that giving up its bid for all of British Sky Broadcasting would free up cash.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is get past more than two years of bruising scandals and a U.S. government investigation into alleged corruption as the company seeks to split into two publicly traded companies this summer. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the Department of Justice is nearing the end of a broad investigation into alleged corruption at News Corp. in the wake of the damaging phone hacking scandal at the company's British publishing unit.  The Journal said that DOJ investigators received information that Journal reporters provided gifts to officials in China in exchange for information for news articles.

Rupert Murdoch and Canal Plus broke off talks on a possible linkup of Europe's two biggest pay-TV broadcasters, marking another setback in Murdoch's efforts to gain a foothold in continental Europe. Canal Plus said Chief Executive Pierre Lescure told Murdoch at a meeting in Paris on Wednesday that he would consider a linkup with No. 2 British Sky Broadcasting, 40% controlled by Murdoch's News Corp., only if Canal Plus retained management control. BSkyB declined to comment.

LONDON — British Sky Broadcasting, the satellite TV network partially owned by Rupert Murdoch, remains a "fit and proper" holder of a broadcast license despite the phone-hacking scandal that has engulfed Murdoch's media empire, according to Britain's communications watchdog. But the regulatory agency harshly criticized Murdoch's son, James, the former head of BSkyB, for his lackadaisical response to the hacking debacle. The agency said Thursday that James Murdoch "repeatedly fell short of the conduct to be expected of him as a chief executive officer and chairman" of News International, the British arm of his father's media giant News Corp.

LONDON -- British Sky Broadcasting, the satellite TV network partially owned by Rupert Murdoch, remains a “fit and proper” holder of a broadcast license despite the phone-hacking scandal that has engulfed Murdoch's media empire, Britain's communications watchdog said Thursday. However, the regulatory agency harshly criticized James Murdoch, the former head of BSkyB, for his lackadaisical response to the hacking scandal, saying he “repeatedly fell short of the conduct to be expected of him as a chief executive officer and chairman” of News International, the British arm of Rupert Murdoch's giant News Corp.

After the coffee. Before separating fact from fiction again. The Skinny: I strongly recommend this week's episode of HBO's "Real Sports," particularly the segment on fan violence at ballgames. Very depressing statement of where we are at as a society. Thursday's headlines include more analysis of AEG's decision to sell, News Corp.'s BSKYB license is renewed, James Gandolfini is going back to work for HBO and Sony is looking to sell its New York headquarters. Daily Dose: While everyone tries to guess who might buy AEG (see below)

LONDON - He'd already admitted that relations were too tight between politicians and Rupert Murdoch's media empire. But on Thursday, British Prime Minister David Cameron sat under oath, on the witness stand, answering questions and listening poker-faced as embarrassing evidence of his own coziness was read out loud in court. The grilling, in which a judge and the investigating lawyer often addressed him as "Mr. Cameron" and not "Prime Minister," was the latest chapter in a judicial inquiry on media ethics that he himself had initiated in light ofBritain'sshocking phone-hacking scandal.

LONDON — Over 60 years, Rupert Murdoch built a media empire using his properties and their profits not just to break down the doors to the British establishment, but also to control it. So Tuesday's scathing declaration by a British parliamentary committee that Murdoch is "not a fit person to exercise the stewardship of a major international company" may mark the moment when the once-tamed establishment lost its fear of the country's most powerful...

The long tentacles of  Rupert Murdoch'sNews Corp. scandal have ensared many ofBritain's top media figures. The unfolding controversy has now embroiledBritain's culture secretary Jeremy Hunt in what is turning out to be a fight for his political life. This week, Hunt was in damage control mode as he faces allegations about his connections to News Corp. 's takeover bid for BSkyB, the British satellite broadcaster. Hunt -- whose department oversees the arts, media, cultural heritage, sports, the Olympics and more -- is accused of being partial to News Corp.

The following is a reformatted letter British Sky Broadcasting Group Chairman James Murdoch submitted to the board as he resigned from the position today. Colleagues, As you know, my actions as a Director of BSkyB have been governed at all times by what is in the best interests of the Company, its customers and its shareholders. I have been privileged to serve first as Chief Executive and then as Chairman of this outstanding company and I am proud of what we have achieved over this period.

James Murdoch's resignation as chairman of satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting comes ahead of a government report expected to be critical of his handling of the ethics scandal at News Corp.'s British tabloids. Murdoch, in announcing his decision Tuesday, alluded to the ongoing investigations into alleged phone hacking and police bribery by News Corp.'s the Sun and the now-closed News of the World. Problems at the tabloids last summer derailed the media conglomerate's plans to take control of Britain's dominant pay-TV provider, in which it holds a 39% interest, with a $12-billion purchase of all outstanding BSkyB shares.

LONDON - Rupert Murdoch's media empire enjoyed possibly inappropriate contacts with senior British politicians, including the government minister charged with deciding whether to allow Murdoch to take over a lucrative satellite broadcaster, according to evidence at a judicial inquiry Tuesday. James Murdoch, Rupert's son and deputy chief operating officer of News Corp., testified that he had met a dozen times with Prime Minister David Cameron and rubbed elbows with George Osborne, the finance minister, and Alex Salmond, the first minister of Scotland.

James Murdoch's resignation as chairman of satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting comes ahead of a government report expected to be critical of his handling of the ethics scandal at News Corp.'s British tabloids. Murdoch, in announcing his decision Tuesday, alluded to the ongoing investigations into alleged phone hacking and police bribery by News Corp.'s the Sun and the now-closed News of the World. Problems at the tabloids last summer derailed the media conglomerate's plans to take control of Britain's dominant pay-TV provider, in which it holds a 39% interest, with a $12-billion purchase of all outstanding BSkyB shares.