MPs will question the three about their handling of the phone hacking scandal News Corporation chiefs Rupert and James Murdoch and former executive Rebekah Brooks will be quizzed by MPs later about the phone-hacking scandal.
The trio are expected to be questioned over what they knew about phone hacking at the News of the World and whether there was a cover-up.It is the first time Rupert Murdoch has faced MPs in over 40 years of media ownership in the UK.
Two senior police figures who quit over the scandal also face MPs' questions.
The committee hearing is the latest in a series of dramatic developments in the phone-hacking saga.
- Investigations are continuing into the death of former NoW journalist Sean Hoare, who made allegations of phone hacking at the paper, after his body was found on Monday
- The Sun's website has been targeted by hackers Lulz Security and readers redirected to a hoax story about Rupert Murdoch
- David Cameron will return to the UK - cutting short a trip to Africa - to prepare for a Commons debate on the hacking scandal on Wednesday
- News Corporation has denied reports it was holding a meeting to discuss a replacement for Rupert Murdoch as CEO of the company
Historic hearing Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson resigned on Sunday and Assistant Commissioner John Yates quit on Monday over the hiring of former NoW journalist Neil Wallis, now alleged to have been involved in phone-hacking, as a PR consultant for the force.
Both former officers are due to give evidence to the Commons home affairs committee later.
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TUESDAY'S HEARINGS
- 1200: Home affairs committee to hear from Sir Paul Stephenson
- 1315 approx: John Yates to appear before home affairs committee
- 1430: Culture, media and sport committee to question Rupert and James Murdoch
- 1530: Committee to question Rebekah Brooks
Mr Cameron remains under intense pressure from Labour and some of his own MPs over his decision to hire Mr Coulson as his communications chief.
Mr Coulson resigned from the post over the phone-hacking scandal though he said he had not known about it during his time as NoW editor.Mrs Brooks resigned as chief executive of News International last week amid huge pressure - she was editor of the NoW in 2002 when murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's mobile phone was allegedly hacked into by a private investigator working for the NoW but has denied knowing anything about it.
She had already agreed to appear before MPs for a special one-off evidence session on Tuesday.
But her arrest at the weekend may limit the questions she can be asked by the committee - for fear of jeopardising any police investigation. Her lawyer has said she is not guilty of any crime and said no allegations were put to her during nine hours of questioning on Sunday.
News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch and his son James - who is in charge of the company's European operations - initially declined to appear before the committee but changed their minds after it issued a summons.
News Corporation has denied reports it was holding a meeting to discuss a replacement for Rupert Murdoch as CEO of the company.
A spokesman told the BBC: "As you would expect, the board has had a plan in place for some time and it regularly re-evaluates those plans. Suggestions that a plan is being currently accelerated or implemented are inaccurate."
'Full picture'
Police believe Sean Hoare's death was unexplained but not suspicious He and son James are likely to be questioned about what they knew about phone hacking at the News of the World and whether Parliament and the police were misled about the extent of it.
They are also likely to be quizzed about alleged payments to police officers by NoW journalists and James Murdoch's recent statement that he had approved out-of-court settlements when he did not have "a complete picture" of what had happened over hacking.
James Murdoch has also admitted the News of the World "made statements to Parliament without being in full possession of the facts".
Some MPs on the committee want the Murdochs to be questioned under oath, as they would be in a court, and they are expected to make a decision on that before the hearing starts.
James Murdoch has said he is committed to ensuring that allegations about the NoW - which has since been shut down - are "fully investigated and dealt with appropriately and robustly".
He also said they had committed to full co-operation with the current police inquiry and the planned judge-led inquiry and asked the committee "take the utmost care in ensuring that the committee hearing does not run any risk of prejudicing that investigation and subsequent prosecutions".
'Frightened' Committee chairman, Conservative MP John Whittingdale, says he hopes MPs will not act as a "lynch mob" but will not "let them off".
Ahead of the hearing, Labour leader Ed Miliband said politicians from all parties had been "frightened of" News International and unwilling to speak out against its "enormous power".
"We should not allow Rupert Murdoch to have such power over the British media because one man, one organisation having that much power is not a healthy thing," he told ITV's Lorraine Kelly show.
And deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said he hoped the hearing would start to "get to the bottom of the truth" and bring about a "culture of greater accountability in the press".
Tuesday's session is expected to generate a lot of public interest - two "overspill" rooms have been arranged at Westminster for those not able to get a seat in the committee room.
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