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The Sun King

By: David Dimbleby, Joe Sykes, Peggy Sutton
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  • Summary

  • Murdoch is an innovator who has re-shaped a media industry across continents, from Australia to the UK to the US. He is a disruptor who has changed the nature of our politics with a steadfast focus on giving the people what he believes they want. But to what extent has Murdoch shaped our modern world? Has he created new audiences, or given existing, under-served audiences a voice? And what motivates the media mogul? Money or power?

    Broadcaster David Dimbleby, one of the UK's most respected politics and current affairs journalists, has followed Murdoch's career for more than five decades. In this series he charts the rise of the man they call The Sun King, beginning when the 38-year-old Australian newspaper executive arrived in London in 1968 and the two men met for the first time.

    Dimbleby tells the story of how Murdoch turned The Sun from a serious and staid broadsheet into the UK's most widely read tabloid newspaper, before moving to the US to take on the New York Post. He explores Murdoch's war against the British print unions and how eventual victory helped him gain access to the highest echelons of power in Britain. But this is not just about Murdoch's rise and rise, Dimbleby also investigates the media mogul's lowest moment – the phone hacking scandal and how it almost brought his empire crashing down. Finally, he tells the story of the origins of Fox News in the US and how that TV channel helped create a president.

    Talking to people who have worked with Murdoch and against him, David asks what Murdoch's special insight is when it comes to building an audience. And how has that insight – the idea of giving people what they want – affected our politics? How influential is Murdoch really and what does that mean for us as a society? At a time when Murdoch's relationship with Trump might leave him in his most powerful position yet, who is the man they call The Sun King?

    ©2019 Audible, Ltd. (P)2019 Audible, Ltd.
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Episodes
  • Ep. 1: The Rise of the Sun King
    Nov 18 2019

    When Rupert Murdoch arrived in London’s Fleet Street, the heart of the UK’s newspaper industry, in 1968, no one knew who this Australian newspaper executive was or what he wanted. It didn’t stay that way for long.

    David tells the story of meeting Murdoch for the first time, interviewing him for the BBC about his ambitions and motivations. Talking to journalists David Banks and Roy Greenslade, as well as art director Vic Giles, he explores how Murdoch transformed The Sun from a low selling broadsheet into a populist tabloid behemoth. Murdoch’s approach to The Sun would be the bedrock of his business strategy for the next 50 years.

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    34 mins
  • Ep. 2: The Prince of Darkness
    Nov 18 2019

    Rupert Murdoch buys America’s oldest newspaper: The New York Post. In 1970s New York crime was rife, social strife played out on the streets and - in the summer of 1977 - a 24-hour blackout caused looting across the city. When a serial killer, known as the “Son of Sam”, starts stalking Brooklyn’s teenagers, Murdoch turns to his star reporter – Australian Steve Dunleavy.

    In this episode, Steve Dunleavy recounts the events of that long hot summer. Can Dunleavy’s reporting help Murdoch make a success of his latest acquisition and establish his empire in the US? We spoke to Dunleavy for this series just a few months before he died in June this year at the age of 81.

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    31 mins
  • Ep. 3: The Wapping Cough
    Nov 18 2019

    By the mid 1980s Rupert Murdoch owned four powerful British newspapers, presided over a longstanding media empire in Australia and was expanding from newspapers into television in the US. But he had a problem - the British print unions, who were limiting his potential for growth. So Murdoch decided to pull off perhaps his most daring move yet.

    Through interviews with some of the main players David tells the inside story of how Murdoch carried out a top secret plan to destroy the unions and transform the staid, old fashioned world of the British newspaper industry forever. He talks to David Banks – the man who led Murdoch’s operation inside the Wapping factory – and who tells his story here for the first time. He also speaks to Paul King – a printer on the front lines of Murdoch’s fight against the unions. And to Linda Melvern, the investigative journalist who broke the story of Murdoch’s plan.

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    40 mins

What listeners say about The Sun King

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enlightening

David Dimbleby didn't disappoint in this account of Rupert Murdoch's ability to change history through misleading the general public and holding the PM to ransom .

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great insight and history of Murdoch

really enjoyed the range of interviews and subjects, covering the rise of Murdoch. gives an insight into how we got to where we are today. entertainingly put together.

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Excellent delivery and story telling.

Loved it. Highly recommended. Covers history, politics and gives insights about how the news industry has evolved.

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Very informative

I enjoyed to hear how our political system has changed with newspapers writing half truths. Quite though provocative.

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So thought provoking

loved it. you can see it happening but the ruthless Ness of R M and power is scary.

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Great Listen

Really enjoyed listening to this - learnt a lot about Rupert Murdoch - some good some not so good but he's a driven guy

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Best Podcast I've listened to!

What a brilliant listen this was! David Dimbleby is such a fantastic host, providing a measured and objective insight into Rupert Murdoch's rise to power and how he came to acquire the empire he has today. Always fascinating and often shocking I would highly recommend this podcast to everyone, you will be gripped from episode one right until the end.

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Fabulous

David dimbleby has found yet another career in a distinguished one. This is a fabulous, fascinating, and well produced podcast. Highly recommended.

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very informative and factual

fascinating insights into the corrupt world of a person with no concept of morality

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Riviting

Explains alot about how we got to here, and the value and influence of newspapers and now media over the years.

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