Rupert Murdoch heads to Parliament today for perhaps the most clutch performance of his storied career, as his media empire hangs in the balance. News Corp execs who watched the mogul rehearse quietly expressed concern about his answers, Bloomberg reports, and a disastrous appearance could cement rumblings emanating from the board about replacing him. But succession remains murky: With son James increasingly tainted, rumors yesterday turned to daughter Elisabeth, but insiders are now eyeing COO Chase Carey for the top job, notes Bloomberg.
“This will be a heavily reviewed performance,” says one expert. “Who would have thought this could happen two weeks ago?” But Murdoch's goose isn't cooked yet, says board member Thomas Perkins, who tells the AP that, "I can assure you, there has been no discussion at the board level in connection with this current scandal of making any changes. The board supports top management totally." Bloomberg notes that at the end of the day, it's likely Murdoch's call anyway: “Rupert Murdoch controls the votes of the company through the Class B shares,” says an expert . “He can just replace them if he wants." (More Rupert Murdoch stories.)