Former News Corp chief Ken Cowley says he was misquoted in Fairfax story

FORMER News Corp chief Ken Cowley has denied he made critical comments about the company attributed to him in a Fairfax newspaper report.

Former News Corp chief Ken Cowley, pictured in 2010 with The Australian’s iPad app.

NEWS Corporation’s former chief executive and chairman in Australia, Ken Cowley, says he entirely rejects critical comments attributed to him about the company, its non-executive co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch and The Australian newspaper in an article published in Fairfax’s The Australian Financial Review.

Mr Cowley said he was both verballed and ambushed by the journalist, Anne Hyland who, he claims, told him he was being interviewed for a small business story on iconic bush outfitter, RM Williams, of which he is chairman.

The 80-year-old said he was furious about the article and said it is “not a true reflection” of his views on News Corporation, its senior executives or The Australian newspaper.

“I have great respect for Lachlan Murdoch and Julian Clarke. I’ve got a very high regard for him Lachlan and I’ve always enjoyed his friendship,’’ Mr Cowley said.

“I do not remember saying anything critical about them or The Australian, because that’s not my view. I do, of course, think it is the best newspaper in the country.

“It has always been good but (editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell) is doing an excellent job with it at the moment. I don’t get the financials anymore, because I’m not on the News Corp board, but it not only looks very strong editorially, but it looks strong in the advertising area as well.

“I have been misquoted, I didn’t make any adverse or negative comments about The Australian newspaper.”

In the AFR article, Mr Cowley was quoted as saying News Corp executive chairman Rupert Murdoch had, by elevating his son Lachlan in the company, chosen the wrong child. He was also quoted describing The Australian as “pathetic”.

Mr Cowley denied calling the newspaper “pathetic” and said he considered other comments off the record. He said he was planning to complain to The Australian Financial Review’s editor-in-chief Michael Stutchbury over the article.

“I’m upset about it, big time. To be quite honest, I’m angry about it,’’ he said.

“She (Hyland) did not indicate to me she was writing a story on News Limited. I would not have agreed to the interview if I knew she was going to write a story about The Australian and News Limited. I just thought it was a short story about RM Williams.”

* Read Mr Cowley’s full response to the article in The Australian tomorrow.