News Int confirms Sun on Sunday
Rupert Murdoch has confirmed that News International will launch The Sun on Sunday to replace the now defunct News of the World.
Murdoch has today (17 February) emailed staff saying: “We will build on The Sun’s proud heritage by launching The Sun on Sunday very soon”.
Speculation has been rife that The Sun would launch a Sunday edition since Murdoch closed down the News of the World amid the phone hacking scandal last summer.
News Int had not commented on the launch until now, but the name Sun on Sunday and the domain names thesunonsunday.com and thesunonsunday.co.uk were registered by web design company Mediaspring in July and thought to be connected to the media firm.
The Sun has also been mired by allegations of corrupt practices and has seen 10 former and current journalists, including deputy editor Geoff Webster and chief reporter John Kay, arrested over claims they were involved in corruption, aiding and abetting misconduct in a public office and conspiracy.
Earlier in the week, News Int’s chief executive Tom Mockridge reassured staff in an email that Murdoch remained “totally committed” to owning and publishing The Sun.
