London: Media mogul Rupert Murdoch on Tuesday said his appearance before MPs to answer questions over phone-hacking episode was the ‘most humble day of his life’.
This was the first time in his 40-year media career in Britain that Murdoch, the News Corporation boss, faced personal scrutiny by MPs.
His son James Murdoch said hacking by the News of the World was a ‘matter of great regret’. He said his firm failed to live to ‘the standards we aspired to’.
Opening the hearing, committee chair John Whittingdale said abuses had been uncovered “which had shocked and angered the country” and it was clear parliament had been misled, BBC reported.
The Murdochs had initially refused to appear before the committee but changed their minds following the summons they were issued to appear before MPs.
Earlier, facing questions from the MPs, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson denied any impropriety in the hiring of former News of the World journalist Neil Wallis to provide media support to the police force. But he said that he now regretted the appointment.
Wallis was recently arrested as part of the phone hacking inquiry.
On Sunday, Sir Paul quit amid criticism of his force’s handling of the phone hacking saga. (IANS)