News International To Change Its Name

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23058844

News International is to change its name to the Fluffy Bunny Newspaper Company. As there is a huge trial coming up later this year, with Rebekah Brooks, et al, doesn't this smack of moving the deck chairs around on the Titanic ?

[Kevink]

Not really - people have very short memories, as witness the number of people who've completely forgotten that the UK's debt problem was caused by the bailout of the banks, and sincerely believe that it was caused by Labour's spending on parties for the poor and lazy.

[mikey4444]

Interesting reply Kev ! I heard Peter Hain on Any Questions a couple of weeks ago, who robustly dealt with the issue of blaming Labour for everything. I am paraphrasing him but his argument went something like this ::

"The collapse in the American sub-prime housing market wasn't caused by Labour employing more Teachers, Nurses and Policemen"

Labour need to follow the example set in the Life of Brian...what have the Romans ever done for us ?

This business though, with News International is very cynical. I personally don't believe that people will be confused by the name-change. The trial due to start in September, will involve some very high profile names indeed

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/07/rebekah-brooks-trial-september-phone-hacking

In the past, every time you saw Brooks on the TV news, she was hanging on to that ghastly old toad Murdoch's arm, and she was always smirking. I fully expect that smirk to be wiped off her face quite soon...we don't have too long to wait ! There will be plenty of entertainment value coming our way ?

[jake-the-peg]

Perhaps they should call themselves

Sun
Corporation
Under
Murdoch

[douglas9401]

Don't hold your breath Mikey. It'll all play out as per the script, denials of any wrong doing, no straight answers, a bit of stern chat from the bench, mock contrition then a couple of hours in an open prison only to re-emerge metamorphosed into bright butterflies, all shiny and new with friends like Call Me Dave & co waiting with champagne and flowers.

[Peter Pedant]

.

Her defence can be summed up as : Of course I didnt do it ! I am so dippy I cant even spell my own name !

The pretty red head shook her crimson locks and whispered: it was someone else.

I think in another thread this is called the 'Shaggy' defence.

The rebranding is precipitated by the split (not in Rupert Murdoch's marriage, so we cant blame any politicians for that one) in the corp
and the diverting of the kids - hasnt power fallen away from Lachlan and his siblings ?

So it fluffy bunny I and fluffy bunny II

Good luck to him thats what I say - and also in his divorce.

[Gromit]

Makes perfect sense. The parent Company is News Corp. In each country it trades, it will be named News UK, News Us etc.

It is not a radically different name change, so I do not think it is intended to detoxify a discredited name. It is more to do with brand coherence.

[Peter Pedant]

.

wouldnt have happened without the Hacking debacle
the financial papers were saying last year

o my god as I write there is an Oleg B+ggerov talking about deporting Edward Snowden from Moscow

[mikey4444]

Gromit...with the greatest respect...that is drivel. Murdoch didn't get where he is today by making pointless gestures. Its clearly an attempt to distance himself and News International from an awful lot of mud that is going to be slung around, come September. He may be called as a witness in the forthcoming court case, as he must have known what was going on at The Sun and the NOTW.

Lets not forget that Brooks and the others are facing very serious charges. Coulson has committed perjury and faces being questioned about a conspiracy.

When the toad was appearing before the Commons Select Committee, he said that it was the worse day of his life. I think that he might very well be facing a few days that eclipse that day in the House of Commons.

[mikey4444]

Jake...just seen your joke !

[jno]

probably because it isn't news international any more. The business has been completely restructured, and the film? the TV side has been separated from news. One result is likely to be that the Times won't be subsidised by more profitable businesses any more, so expect it to go downmarket fast.

[jno]

sorry, that got a bit garbled but you can see what I meant

[Gromit]

Changing from News International to News UK is hardly distancing himself is it. Whatever it is called, everyones knows Murdoch owns the Sun and owned The NOTW, no amount of name changing can change that.

The restructuring is for a reason which may not yet be apparent. It may be to close some unprofitable bits. It may be to do with paying tax. It may be avoid media ownership and monopolies. Whatever the reason, the change will not be pointless.