News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch gave his first public statements to one of his flagship properties, the Wall Street Journal. Murdoch told the Journal that the company handled the hacking crisis “‘extremely well in every way possible,’ making just ‘minor mistakes.’”

He also praised the handling of the crisis by his son, James Murdoch:

“I think he acted as fast as he could, the moment he could,” Mr. Murdoch said. The elder Mr. Murdoch said that he, too, had acted appropriately and quickly, saying, “when I hear something going wrong, I insist on it being put right.” He said, however, that he attends to a lot of details in a multi-billion company with thousands of employees.

In the interview he also talks about appearing before Parliament, BskyB and Gordon Brown’s critique.

News Corp. says that CEO Rupert Murdoch and his son, News International chief James Murdoch will appear before a Parliamentary committee investigating the hacking scandal, according to Sky News. Previously, only former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks was confirmed to appear.

CNN host and former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan may be asked to appear before the inquiry investigating the hacking scandal currently engulfing U.K. media. The Guy Fawkes blog, which wrote about Morgan’s possible involvement yesterday, today posted statements from MPs suggesting that Morgan should appear to explain what he knew about hacking, either at the Mirror or elsewhere. The blog also excerpts from Morgan’s 2005 autobiography, which seems to indicate that he was at least aware of the technique used to hack into voicemails as far back as 2001.

The BBC is also investigating hacking at the Mirror, the blog writes. TVNewser has confirmed with a source at the BBC that the organization is “aggressively pursuing” the story.

Sky News reports that former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks will appear before the inquiry, James Murdoch “may appear” and Rupert Murdoch will not appear.

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New York‘s Gabriel Sherman writes about the hacking scandal and how it may affect Fox News CEO Roger Ailes. Sherman recalls the statement criticizing Ailes made by Rupert Murdoch‘s son-in-law, Matthew Freud:

“I am by no means alone within the family or the company in being ashamed and sickened by Roger Ailes’s horrendous and sustained disregard of the journalistic standards that News Corporation, its founder and every other global media business aspires to.”

Sherman notes that if one switched “Roger Ailes” for “News of the World,” it would seem to be a perfect fit. He also notes that with James Murdoch‘s succession to CEO put in jeopardy by the scandal, he becomes an even more integral part of the company:

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How would American TV networks report the news that the New York Post had suddenly shut its doors, announcing that Sunday’s paper would be the last? (Actually, more like the content of the Post but the readership of The Wall Street Journal)

That’s what’s happening in the UK today as News Corp. announced it was shuttering the 168-year-old News of the World tabloid in the wake of the latest in a string of phone hacking scandals.

The News is big news in the UK and is being reported on 24-hour channels, BBC News 24, Al Jazeera English and of course News Corp.’s own SkyNews.

In the U.S., MSNBC, CNN, CNBC (reporting from the Sun Valley media summit being attended by Rupert Murdoch) BloombergTV as well as the News Corp.-owned Fox News and Fox Business Network have reported the news today. Amy Kellogg, the Fox News correspondent in London reported the sudden closure announced by News International CEO James Murdoch, as a way to “stave off the negative publicity” from the scandals. Kellogg reports that until recently News of the World was the top-selling Sunday newspaper in the UK.

The paper counts among its previous editors CNN host Piers Morgan who was the top editor at the paper for a year in 1994. Morgan Tweeted today:

The newspaper was first published on October 1, 1843. Its last edition will be July 10, 2011.

Big TV news news out of the U.K. this afternoon, as News Corp. (which of course owns Fox News Channel) has agreed to sell its Sky News channel, in an effort to win regulatory approval of its proposed purchase of BskyB.

The BBC broke the news of the sale earlier today.

In a nutshell, Sky News is News Corp.’s 24-hour U.K.-centric news channel, while BskyB is a mini media conglomerate, with the popular entertainment network Sky1, as well as the Sky Sports channels, which have as strong a presence on TV sets there as ESPN does here.

Fox News actually became a point of contention in the matter, as the NY Times reports:

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Rumors of a feud between Fox News chairman Roger Ailes and the children of Rupert Murdoch seemed to be put to rest last night.

Spies tell us News Corp.’s James Murdoch was seated at Roger Ailes‘ table at the Radio & Television Correspondents Dinner in Washington, DC. Murdoch and Ailes were friendly and cordial throughout the entire evening, making their way through Fox’s cocktail party and the dinner that followed.

37-year-old James Murdoch, the fourth of Rupert Murdoch’s six children, is Chairman and CEO of News Corp., Europe and Asia, overseeing British newspaper company News International, SKY Italia and STAR TV.

Pres. Obama’s senior adviser Valerie Jarrett was among other high profile guests of Fox and was also seated at Ailes’ table.

• More: FishbowlDC reports an MSNBC analyst had to be escorted out of the Fox News pre-party…

Sunday’s front-page New York Times profile of FNC founder and chairman Roger Ailes continues to be dissected.

Following this story and this one from media reporters Lloyd Grove and Michael Wolff, speculating that Murdoch family members want Ailes out of Fox News, Ailes has responded to the LA Times. Additionally, News Corp. deputy chairman Chase Carey stands up for Ailes, saying, “News Corp. is 100% behind Roger Ailes — we hope and expect he will continue to lead Fox News well into the future.”

This was all touched off by this quote in the New York Times story from Matthew Freud, who is Rupert Murdoch‘s son-in-law.

Ailes tells The LA Times’ Joe Flint he’s sure he has met Freud but, “I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup … most people who have a problem at least walk up to me and talk to me about it.”

Ailes has communicated with Freud’s wife, Elisabeth Murdoch as well as James Murdoch. “There is nothing to the idea that I have any problem with the children,” says Ailes. “The entire Murdoch family has been nothing but supportive.”

Ailes joked that the U.K.-based public relations executive, who is a descendant of Sigmund Freud, “needs to see a psychiatrist.”

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