[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14214729

Robert Peston:

This statement was given to the BBC last night by Anne Simpson, who is in charge of corporate governance at Calpers (Californian Public Employers Retirement System), one of America's most influential investors:

"News Corp does not have one share one vote. This is a corruption of the governance system. Power should reflect capital at risk.

"Calpers sees the voting structure in a company as critical. The situation is very serious and we're considering our options. We don't intend to be spectators - we're owners."

Calpers owns 6.4 million News Corp shares. And what exercises it is that News Corp has two classes of share, Class A shares and Class B shares, which are identical in every way except that Class B shares have voting rights at the annual meeting and Class A shares don't.

The resonant point is that because Rupert Murdoch controls around 40% of the Class B voting shares (or at least that's what public disclosures say he controls), he is able to exercise what is perceived to be near total control over the business, without needing to own all the shares.

Nice work if you can get it .....

[arista]

Yes but he is rare CEO.

[Livia]

It feels almost as if people are discovering Rupert Murdoch for the first time. There is a plethora of information about him available... he's always been a b*stard. It has never been a secret. And now, people are cutting him some slack becuase he's old. Truth is, he isn't nearly as doddery as he made out to be yesterday.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

It feels almost as if people are discovering Rupert Murdoch for the first time. There is a plethora of information about him available... he's always been a b*stard. It has never been a secret. And now, people are cutting him some slack becuase he's old. Truth is, he isn't nearly as doddery as he made out to be yesterday.

Maybe "people" are too young to remember .....

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Livia

It feels almost as if people are discovering Rupert Murdoch for the first time. There is a plethora of information about him available... he's always been a b*stard. It has never been a secret. And now, people are cutting him some slack becuase he's old. Truth is, he isn't nearly as doddery as he made out to be yesterday.

Yes he has indeed. Unfortunately, I think the public may be persuaded to feel some sympathy for 'the old man'. The touching of his son's hand and reference to his own father, as in we are just a humble family business who have been duped by the people we trusted, were performances worthy od an Oscar - not.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Omah

Maybe "people" are too young to remember .....

What does that mean? Are you telling me you are one of the people who's opions are formed only on this particular incident and that you are not in charge of all the facts?


Like I said before, a plethora of information is available.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

What does that mean? Are you telling me you are one of the people who's opions are formed only on this particular incident and that you are not in charge of all the facts?

No .....

Remember 1968 ?

[Livia]

Originally Posted by rhino

Yes he has indeed. Unfortunately, I think the public may be persuaded to feel some sympathy for 'the old man'. The touching of his son's hand and reference to his own father, as in we are just a humble family business who have been duped by the people we trusted, were performances worthy od an Oscar - not.

Agree totally.

When I watched it I was reminded of the Man who was an enthusiastic participant in the extermination of people at Sobibor concentration camp in Poland. He's lived a long, free life in the USA, was arrested and convicted as an accessory to murder when he was 92 and sentenced to serve five years in prison. But the court allowed him to go home a free man because he was old.

I think the moral must be, if you can get away with it for long enough, people will be duped into thinking you're harmless.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Omah

No .....

Remember 1968 ?

I don't remember it, no. But I am aware of what happened. It was you who said some people were too young to remember.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by Livia

I don't remember it, no. But I am aware of what happened.

What happened ?

Originally Posted by Livia

It was you who said some people were too young to remember.

No, I didn't - I quoted your "people" .....

Originally Posted by Livia

It feels almost as if people are discovering Rupert Murdoch for the first time.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Livia

Agree totally.

When I watched it I was reminded of the Man who was an enthusiastic participant in the extermination of people at Sobibor concentration camp in Poland. He's lived a long, free life in the USA, was arrested and convicted as an accessory to murder when he was 92 and sentenced to serve five years in prison. But the court allowed him to go home a free man because he was old.

I think the moral must be, if you can get away with it for long enough, people will be duped into thinking you're harmless.

I was making the exact same comparisons, Livia, to to the leniency shown to perpetrators of hideous war crimes and mass genocide who managed to evade justice for so long. I know this cannot compare in severity to that, but what HE and HIS people are responsible for is heinous and yet the public appear more interested in hanging David Cameron. Sadly it appears being old means no longer being culpable.

[Omah]

Originally Posted by rhino

I was making the exact same comparisons, Livia, to to the leniency shown to perpetrators of hideous war crimes and mass genocide who managed to evade justice for so long. I know this cannot compare in severity to that, but what HE and HIS people are responsible for is heinous and yet the public appear more interested in hanging David Cameron. Sadly it appears being old means no longer being culpable.

Being old usually means not being capable .....