There’s quite a bit of talk lately about the fact that Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is a major shareholder in Fox News, and a business partner of Rupert Murdoch. Some have questioned whether it really matters, though, if the Prince hasn’t tried to influence Fox’s news coverage.

Well, in 2005, LGF noted an interview with Alwaleed bin Talal at Middle East Online, in which he boasted about getting a Fox headline changed with a single call to Rupert Murdoch.

Al-Walid also criticised US media which he described as “in general … pro-Israel.” But he also accused Arabs of not being pro-active in fighting the allegedly slanted media.

He said that during last month’s street protests in France, the US television network Fox — owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation in which Al-Walid himself has shares — ran a banner saying: “Muslim riots.”

“I picked up the phone and called Murdoch… (and told him) these are not Muslim riots, these are riots out of poverty,” he said.

“Within 30 minutes, the title was changed from Muslim riots to civil riots.”