With surprisingly little media attention, Saudi Arabia has bought a stake in the company that owns what has been, until now, arguably its most visible and influential critic: the Fox News Network. Al-Waleed is said be the world's fifth richest man and now NewsCorp's fourth largest voting shareholder (behind the Murdoch family, Liberty Media and fund giant Fidelity Management & Research Co). Such a role would appear to give the Prince some say over the way the business is run. That could, presumably, extend to the content of Fox programming and that of the company 's other media outlets (which include DirecTV and 20th Century Fox). ..Prince Al-Waleed's Rotana Audio Visual Company, which operates TV channels in the Middle East, has signed a deal with DirecTV, the TV-satellite firm controlled by NewsCorp. As a result, it would seem Rotana will be able to beam its
programs into U.S. cable boxes without interference from federal regulators, or anybody else.

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I bet the only shit he'll have any real say over is his Rotana Audio Visual Company channels.

Since the saudi's own 12 percent of the US economy I'm not surprised.

I'm not sure but that's the number I see most often in the newspapers.

I tend to agree because Saudi owned banks hold allot of notes on businesses and houses. They could really shake things up if they wanted too. Even if it's not 12 percent. It would feel like it as the ripples went through our economy.

I don't picture the Saudis doing this but if someone else were to get control of Saudi Arabia?

I'm not so convinced that just because ownership on paper wouldn't specify editorial control, that there wouldn't be other ways of getting the point across of what they do and don't want editorialized. I've posted in other threads how I think all the Fox reporters are just giving a company line on the "Fair and Balanced" and the "We Report, You Decide" slogans.

If you were a controversial and unpopular leader of a very rich country, I can imagine favorable press would be something that you wanted. Especially if you also thought in buying this press, you could also make some money. It seems like something he would want. But, thinking about it, I can't put my finger on exactly why he would want it. Exactly how he thought it benefit him.