Murdoch confirms Sun on Sunday to launch ‘very soon’

Rupert Murdoch has confirmed today that a Sunday edition of The Sun will launch ‘very soon’.

Rupert Murdoch has confirmed today that a Sunday edition of The Sun will launch ‘very soon’.

In an email to News International (NI) staff today he said he had full support in staff adding that the Sun on Sunday will be launched ‘very soon’. There had been speculation that a Sunday version of the Sun would be launched after his decision to close down News of the World following the phone-hacking scandal last year.

The CEO of News Corporation is in London to reassure staff at his subsidiary NI following the arrests last week of five Sun journalists. Murdoch has confirmed that those who have been suspended following the arrests will be allowed to return to work. He says: “everyone is innocent until proven otherwise”.

Murdoch arrived in the country last night to address concerns staff have following the ongoing internal investigation and arrests. The Media Guardian reported this week that senior journalists from The Sun are preparing to launch a legal challenge against News Corp after they disclosed confidential sources which led to recent arrests.

The Management and Standards Committee created by News Corp in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal is also looking into alleged payments to police and other matters at News International. Met Police confirmed that arrests that took place in January and last weekend came directly from information from News International MSC.

Murdoch is due to speak to staff for the first time directly later this afternoon at the Wapping office in East London.