Member-only story
“I Could Have…But I Didn’t.”
The late Jimmy Breslin, whom I’ve written about before, had Rupert Murdoch dead to rights nearly 4 decades ago. The Australian-born, soon-to-be-92-year old media mogul had been rebuffed by the Queen and the FCC.
By 1985, Murdoch owned the New York Post, Chicago Sun-Times and the Boston Globe. He had also started Sky, Britain’s first pay-cable network. He was looking to purchase TV stations in the US. There was one problem, though.
He wasn’t an American citizen.
Breslin picks up the story from here:
Then in 1986, he decided to buy the seven Metoedia television stations and, putting the New York Post together with Channel 5, he would have the kind of impact on the city and country that would give him an honored seat at any party. His days as rich urchin were over. Tar Baby Murdoch now would be a man of reserve and respect.
Oh, there was some sort of federal regulation against somebody owning both television and newspapers in the same town. It had been in effect since 1975. But these are only rules and they are for others and surely not for me, Murdoch felt. Of course he saw the people who owned the New York Daily News also owned Channel 11. But the Daily News and Channel 11 were covered by a 1975 ruling that said no other dual ownerships would be permitted after that date.
