The debt ceiling debate here in the U.S. interrupted cable news coverage of the Parliamentary hearings into News Corporation. Pres. Obama appeared in the press briefing room around 1:31pmET to update negotiations. CNN, Fox News and MSNBC carried the president’s statement which went about 8 minutes, including one question from a member of the news media.
Fox News, a News Corp. company, was the first of the networks to return to the hearings in London as former News International CEO Rebekah Brooks continued testimony, without going to a commercial break. CNN wrapped the president’s statement, took a commercial break and returned to testimony around 1:45. MSNBC returned from a break, and moved on to 2012 politics, instead of returning to the hearing.