Australian PM steps up war of words with media giant Murdoch

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd intensified a bitter war of words with Rupert Murdoch on Friday as the head of the media mogul's Australia arm quit in a shock move during an election campaign.

Rudd, facing an uphill battle to win Sept 7 polls against the Tony Abbott-led conservative opposition, has become a target of the Murdoch media and he accused the tycoon of an orchestrated plan to get rid of him.

"Fact number one is Mr Murdoch has said in black and white that he wants Mr Abbott to be prime minister of Australia, (and) no one disputes he controls 70 percent of newspapers," Rudd told reporters in reaction to the surprise announcement that News Corp Australia chief Kim Williams had quit.

"We also know as a fact that Mr Murdoch sent out his right hand man to Australia, Mr Col Allan, (and) we know as fact a large number of his editors were called to a meeting last week.

"What we know from that meeting, because those editors have spoken to various people, is the message that was given to them was: Go hard on Rudd, start from Sunday and don't back off."

The mogul jetted in his trusted Australian lieutenant, New York Post editor-in-chief Allan, last week to shake up his titles.

Days later Williams, who came from a pay television background, resigned after overseeing some brutal cost-cutting and staff reductions as the group transitions to a more digital platform.

Margaret Simons, director of advanced journalism at the University of Melbourne, said Williams was the victim of internal News Corp politics, with the old newspaper hands winning their battle to have him removed.

"News Limited has always been dominated by its newspapers, as opposed to News Corp, and its most powerful people have traditionally been the editors of the mastheads," she said, referring to the Australian arm by its old name.

"Right from the early weeks he (Williams) was in conflict with other people.

Williams has been replaced by Julian Clarke, a long-time company man who was most recently chairman of Murdoch's Melbourne-based Herald and Weekly Times group in Australia, whose titles include the Herald Sun.

Williams took the job 20 months ago, moving from his role as head of Foxtel, a News Corp joint venture that is Australia's largest pay television company.

In an internal memo to staff, he said he was leaving with "a heavy heart and a mixed bag of feelings".

Murdoch said he was "so pleased" to have Clarke take the helm at News Corp Australia.

Murdoch controls two-thirds of Australia's newspapers and has a stake in broadcasters Sky News and Fox Sports.

His newspapers are an influential voice and they have made clear whose side they are on in the national elections. His Sydney tabloid The Daily Telegraph this week ran a front-page headline, Kick This Mob Out, under a picture of Rudd.

Agence France-Presse