The son of Rupert Murdoch, James Murdoch, is expected to step down on Tuesday as the chairman of BSkyB, an institutional investor in the British satellite broadcaster told CNN. Sky News, owned by BSkyB, also reported that James Murdoch was resigning from the position. The reports of the resignation rear James Murdoch’s resignation from News International in February. The company reported it was to focus on News Corp.’s pay television services. The potential British heir has been bombarded with accusations that News Corp.’s British Sunday tabloid, the News of the World, systematically eavesdropped illegally on crime victims, politicians, celebrities, and veterans in search of stories.
James Murdoch, 38, who is a college dropout and once viewed as the black sheep of the family, was commonly regarded by media watchers as the apparent heir to his father Rupert’s powerful empire, before the occurrence of the hacking scandal. James Murdoch continuously denies knowledge about the phone hacking scandal at the paper last summer. He has been contacted twice to testify before London lawmakers to reveal any knowledge that he has about the misconduct of the staff at News International. “I take my share of responsibility for not uncovering wrongdoing earlier,” James Murdoch wrote in a letter to parliament’s Culture, Media, and Sport Committee, dated on March 12, and published by lawmakers. Many people have been arrested, but no charges have been made. A board meeting by News Corp. is scheduled for later in the day on Tuesday.
