MORE THAN 500,000 AUSSIES BACK QUIZ INTO MURDOCH’S MEDIA DOMINANCE

More than half a million Australians have signed an online petition calling for a probe into Rupert Murdoch's "media monopoly," Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported. 

When the e-petition closed, 501,876 people had backed calls for a royal commission into the country's media diversity. Former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd launched the the national petition on October 10, which has become the country's largest e-petition to parliament - surpassing 2019's "Declare a Climate Emergency" which had 404,538 signatories. 

"Murdoch has become a cancer - an arrogant cancer on our democracy," Rudd said in a video message when the petition was launched. He said the royal commission should look into "the abuse of the media monopoly in Australia" and make recommendations to "maximize media diversity ownership." 

Rudd welcomed the historic response, saying he was "grateful and overwhelmed. Half-a-million Australians have spoken." He added: "They've smashed the records to make their voice heard: Australia needs a #MurdochRoyalCommission to protect the lifeblood of our democracy."