Ted Turner: Rupert Murdoch Is 'Going To Have To Step Down' (VIDEO)

Ted Turner took some shots at his longtime rival Rupert Murdoch during an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday.

Turner spoke about the phone hacking scandal that is still swirling around Murdoch's News Corp. He said that Murdoch was too old to be running a corporation, and that he was "going to have to step down."

His interviewer pointed out that Murdoch has survived a lot in his time.

"He hasn't survived anything like this," Turner said. "This is serious. It's going against the law. Not even Rupert Murdoch should be allow to break the law."

Turner continued that Murdoch "should have known" about the phone hacking going on at the News of the World.

"He's responsible," he said. "...You never saw me get in that kind of trouble, did you?"

WATCH:

Comments

[docketeer09]

11:21 PM on 10/11/2011

Ted is the man! Murdoch's fryin' in the pan....

[Stephen Thorpe]

10:17 AM on 09/22/2011

How can you not like Ted.

[Chalkeater]

06:05 PM on 09/21/2011

Murdoch has taken all of us down in the mud with him for so long that we forgot how strange it is to have a criminal in charge of a news empire. You can't imagine Ted Turner having Bernard Shaw report on the hacked phone of a murdered girl.

[den1953]

05:05 PM on 09/21/2011

Would it matter to Rupert Murdoch if he is guilty he thinks he is above the law senility is only a defense the real truth is he knows he broke the law and his money will most likely get him out of it!

[Kimpeach]

04:08 PM on 09/21/2011

People slept on Ted Turner but he was the first person to called out Murdoch. He tried to warn us, but we didn't listen. Turner was a great employer (I should know) who knew how to talk to the working man. Turner losing CNN was the worst thing ever!

[Stephen Thorpe]

10:26 AM on 09/22/2011

CNN is owned by Time Warner. Ted is still supposed to be the largest shareholder of Time Warner, as I understand it. He gave up his seat on the Board of Directors of Time Warner long after he gave up his CEO position. He's the largest land owner in America.

[Minimax]

01:27 PM on 09/21/2011

Ted Turner is the last of the socially responsible media moguls. He's always known that Rupert was pure BS. I was there a dozen years ago when he challenged Rupert to a fist fight.

[BachelorJohnnyCool]

12:56 PM on 09/21/2011

I wish Ted would go back to CNN and sack the entire so-called "best political team on television," starting with Wolf Blitzer. It's really sad that his vision of a 24-hour source of hard news has degenerated into a gossipy, sensationalistic tabloid staffed by lightweights, stale political has-beens, and career hacks who are more interested in fomenting conflict for entertainment's sake rather than providing serious reporting on significant issues.

[Theatrixnyc]

02:11 PM on 09/21/2011

I think Wolf has used the words Tea Party, more than anyone, other than Bill O'.

[Luvon]

04:10 PM on 09/21/2011

They are private businesses, and conflict sells. You may think it's socially irresponsible, but if they didn't do it, they would be out of business. The only way you will have socially responsible media is if you take away the Capitalist element. If you do that, you end up with another problem: Government influence and government propaganda.

Of all the news organizations, CNN is the most responsible and fair. Do they push a lot of sensationalist BS? Yeah. Do they make mistakes? Probably. But they also report a lot of the important stuff. You cannot compare CNN to FOX. They are in no way equivalent.

Besides, as a fan of political fights myself. I enjoy the conflict. It's fun. It's good to see two people have a fun and thrilling debate.

[cmacattack]

04:28 PM on 09/23/2011

I agree with you and it's what's sad about how things work nowadays. News is a business and they do what they need to do to keep up ratings to sell high to advertisers. It's why News Hour on PBS is probably the least biased and most informative news left on TV.

And you're right, CNN is nothing like FNC but they are drifting in that direction.

[drumz]

12:48 PM on 09/21/2011

Good for Ted, Murdoch and anyone defending him is a pig.

[Michael Ludin]

11:52 AM on 09/21/2011

Never did anything illegal or never got caught Teddy?

[VTL]

11:54 AM on 09/21/2011

What in the world would you be basing such a ridiculous comment on?

What are you; twelve years old?

[Theatrixnyc]

02:13 PM on 09/21/2011

Let me help you. Ted gave a Billion to the United Nations. Rupert gave nearly a Billion, in lawsuits and settlements, and people are lined up around the block, waiting for him. I don't see anyone looking for Ted, unless they need his address for a 'Thank-You' card they want to send him.

[StarGazr5992]

11:50 AM on 09/21/2011

Rupert knew and so did his stupid son they prob had a hand in setting this up and this time they got caught with their pants down and can't run backwards fast enough to clean up the mess they made

[Ricardo01]

11:13 AM on 09/21/2011

I have been waiting for Turner to step up and say something about his ex-rival. Think what things would be like if Murdoch used his powers for good instead of evel.

[snipy]

11:04 AM on 09/21/2011

Well, of course Turner is after Murdoch, especially since Murdoch's amazingly successful News Corp is driving his CNN, (Commie News Network), out of business by destroying him in the ratings every year, and in the future as well !!! Even "Hanoi Jane" Fonda dumped him; now, there's a telling sign.

[Milash]

12:48 PM on 09/21/2011

Lay off the koolaid.

[snipy]

01:46 PM on 09/21/2011

Lay off your hippy Bong.

[ZenCrusader]

01:34 PM on 09/21/2011

Ted Turner is one of the most generous philanthropists of our time. Of course you would trash him. You are a Republican first and an American second.

[snipy]

01:48 PM on 09/21/2011

Wrong, I am "Brilliant" first and whatever 2nd , 3rd, etc....... !

[WHTrout]

10:49 AM on 09/21/2011

I will never forgive Turner for colorizing certain classic black-and-white films, but he is to be applauded for his philanthropy and for being right about Murdoch.

[Cathy Tucker]

10:43 AM on 09/21/2011

The enemy of my enemy is my friend?

[Sieggy]

02:39 PM on 09/21/2011

Actually, the enemy of my enemy is my enemy's enemy. No more, no less. That might make for a temporary alliance of convenience, but not a friendship.

[sense is not that common]

04:28 AM on 09/21/2011

Not the best photo of Ted

[VTL]

11:55 AM on 09/21/2011

Yeah, and that's really the important element of the article.

Duh.

[sense is not that common]

12:26 PM on 09/21/2011

wow sacrasm. way to raise the bar