HP Chief joins whistle blower on News Corp board

NEW YORK, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Mark Hurd, chief executive of Hewlett-Packard Co (HPQ.N), the world's top computer company, is joining the board of directors of media giant News Corp NWSa.N at the recommendation of the whistle-blower who brought to light the HP board spying scandal of 18 months ago.

Hurd joins Silicon Valley venture capitalist Thomas Perkins of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers on the board of Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate.

Perkins sparked a firestorm of controversy when he set in motion a series of events that plunged HP into federal investigations over HP board's handling of repeated leaks to the media.

The move could be perceived as an incendiary combination.

But HP spokesman Emma McCulloch said it was Perkins' idea to tap Hurd to join the board and there was no bad blood from the tumultuous 2005-2006 era, when Perkins sat on the HP board.

"Tom brought Mark to Rupert's attention and Rupert Murdoch approached Mark about this position," McCulloch said. "The relationship is friendly and built on mutual respect."

Perkins, who quit HP's board in 2006 to protest against the board's investigation into leaks to the media, had called for the resignation of HP former Chairman Patricia Dunn in Sept. 2006.

Within days of Perkins actions, U.S. federal prosecutors launched an investigation into the boardroom's tactics. Hurd himself was forced to testify before Congress over what he knew about the telephone-tapping of Silicon Valley journalists.

As part of News Corp's appointment, Dr. Rod Page, former U.S. Secretary of Education, has resigned from the board and will remain as a consultant to the company on educational matters.

Hurd will serve on News Corp's nominating and corporate governance committee. (Reporting by Kenneth Li in New York and Philipp Gollner and Eric Auchard in San Francisco; Editing by Andre Grenon)