News Corp: Rupert Murdoch has not been lobbying for Ten takeover

Rupert Murdoch

News Corp has denied that boss Rupert Murdoch has lobbied the Abbott government for a change to the media ownership rules to allow the company to buy the Ten Network.

The statement from News Corp came after Sydney Morning Herald columnist Elizabeth Knight suggested that Rupert Murdoch had been lobbying legislators. She claimed: “Having been the largest single contributor to the election of Tony Abbott’s Coalition government, Rupert Murdoch is looking for his reward, according to word around the industry.

“The lobbying is said to extend to the Foreign Investment Review Board (or at least its ultimate master, Treasurer Joe Hockey) and media regulator the Australian Communications and Media Authority.”