ROCKY - MURDOCH CLAIMS ECONOMY IS RECOVERING

MURDOCH CLAIMS ECONOMY IS RECOVERING

Rupert Murdoch insisted Monday that his media empire is "in pretty good shape" despite the rocky economy. In an interview broadcast on his Fox Business Network, he deflected questions about whether he had brought Chase Carey back to News Corp as his No. 2 executive to groom him to become his heir apparent. "No, I don't think we're going to make any commitments on that at all. Chase is coming in to be my partner and right hand," he said. Asked about the growing attacks on him by his media competitors, he replied, that he is not troubled by them -- "not in the least. We criticize people and sometimes pretty harshly and you have to expect some back. When you get to our age, it is water off a duck's back. ... We're glad they're worried about us."

09/06/2009