News Corporation chairman Rupert Murdoch has placed advertisements in national newspapers in Britain to apologise for serious wrongdoing by the News of the World.
Mr Murdoch said he was deeply sorry for the hurt suffered by the people affected by the phone hacking scandal.
The advert published on Saturday, states: ''We are sorry for the serious wrongdoing that occurred.''
It also expresses regret for not acting faster ''to sort things out''.
News of the World employees listened in 2002 to the phone messages of a missing schoolgirl who was later found murdered, and relatives of those killed in the 2005 London transport bombings.
Mr Murdoch apologised on Friday to the murdered girl's family at a meeting in London.
The scandal has forced him to close the News of the World and drop a $US12 billion plan to buy full control of BSkyB.
News Corp still owns the Sun, The Times and the Sunday Times.
Prime Minister David Cameron has appointed a judge to conduct a sweeping inquiry into criminal activity at the paper and in the British media.
