James Murdoch re-elected chair of BSkyB

LONDON - James Murdoch was re-elected as the chairman of broadcaster BSkyB on Tuesday despite calls for his resignation over the phone hacking scandal that has rocked Britain.

Murdoch won the support of 81.24 percent of shareholder votes, while 18.76 percent voted against him at the company's annual meeting, BSkyB said. News Corp., the media conglomerate controlled by Murdoch's father Rupert Murdoch, owns 39 percent of the company.

Deputy chairman Nicholas Ferguson told shareholders that Murdoch was doing a good job.

"He runs an excellent board," he said. "Discussions are open and frank, his chairing is very good. He has put in place strong governance procedures. He has a strong strategic view."

James Murdoch is chairman of News International, the group that owned the News of the World tabloid at the center of the hacking scandal, but he has always denied knowing that phone hacking was widespread there.

James Murdoch: I was kept in dark about hacking
News Corp. told in 2008 its reporters broke law

News Corp. had to abandon an attempt to take charge of the remaining 61 percent of BSkyB inJuly as details of phone hacking emerged.

In his chairman's statement to BSkyB shareholders, Murdoch said News Corp. "remains a committed, long-term shareholder in Sky."

An effort to oust Murdoch from the News Corp. board fell short last month with 35 percent of shareholders at the company's annual meeting opposing his re-election to the board of directors.