I'm stuck in the tardis

News Corp chief Rupert Murdoch has defended the Fox News Channel's claim to be "fair and balanced."

The station, which ranks first above CNN and MSNBC in the States, has come under fire from groups who claim the channel has a clear conservative bias despite its insistence of neutrality.

"We are fair and balanced and we challenge anyone to show FOX News has any bias in it," Murdoch said in an interview with WorldScreen.com.

"People appreciate it for a number of reasons: it’s better presented, it’s more entertaining. We are first with the news. We beat CNN time and again on every big story.

"The major networks have been openly biased to the point of being very leftist. That’s different from being middle-of-the-road."

He continued: "I don’t call myself a conservative. I call myself an independent. Look at who our newspapers have supported. Democrats [in the U.S.] and Labour parties in Australia and Great Britain. They have been the best alternatives for our readers and for the countries that they serve."

BATMAN BEGINS ON SMALLVILLE FINALE

The WB has announced that it will show an exclusive eight-minute special footage preview of Batman Begins during the 90-minute season finale of Smallville on Wednesday, May 18.

"This is a great night for fans of the two most popular superheroes in the history of American pop culture," said David Janollari, President of Entertainment at The WB. "Fans of Smallville will not want to miss this special extended version of what will be the series' best-ever season finale. Broadcasting exclusive footage of the summer's most anticipated feature film, Batman Begins, makes this a very exciting night for us and a natural fit for the fans of Smallville.²

"We are thrilled to share this exclusive preview of Batman Begins with fans of Smallville," said Dawn Taubin, President of Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. ³Not only does this special event bring together two seminal American superheroes, but both Smallville and Batman Begins give fans the opportunity to delve deeper into the mythology behind their heroes. May 18 promises to reveal exciting new chapters in the history of these legends, and kick off a summer that fans will never forget."

According to the network, the season finale of Smallville "is packed with murder, betrayal and an unforgettable graduation day for all."

"Superman and Batman have always been inextricably linked to each other, so it seems fitting that a show chronicling the Man of Steel's youth give you the first look at the birth of the Dark Knight," said Al Gough, executive producer of Smallville. "Christopher Nolan is an incredibly talented filmmaker and we couldn't be more excited and honored to have our season finale complimented with exclusive footage from Batman Begins."