Your daily dose of Rupert Murdoch news: In an extensive interview with Dow Jones director James Ottaway (who, you'll surely care to remember, controls approximately six percent of the company's voting shares), the recalcitrant stockholder reiterates his disdain for Murdoch, charging that no matter what the News Corp. head says, "It is clear that any promise of editorial independence will not be honored."

Over in Britain, that country's Competition Commission announced an investigation of " the link between [Murdoch's] satellite broadcaster [BSkyB] and the rest of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, which includes the Times and the Sun" in the wake of BSkyB's purchase of nearly 18 percent of rival ITV. Reuters notes that Murdoch will be the "center of attention" at the big media get-together in Sun Valley this week.

Finally, Alistair Campbell, spinmeister to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is publishing his memoirs. Of note: Then-Australian P.M. Paul Keating, our favorite foul-mouthed politician, offered the following advice to Blair on dealing with Murdoch: "He's a big bad bastard, and the only way you can deal with him is to make sure he thinks you can be a big bad bastard too. You can do deals with him, without ever saying a deal is done. But the only thing he cares about is his business and the only language he respects is strength." You hear that, Ottaway? You've got a be a big bad bastard if you want to get anything done.

[Image: Reuters]