Sky News host Chris Kenny says the “embittered” former prime minister Kevin Rudd seems to blame his political failures on News Corp amid his campaign for a royal commission into the media.

Mr Rudd recently submitted more than half a million signatures to the House of Representatives, calling for a royal commission into media diversity.

Mr Kenny pointed to segment from ABC’s Media Watch – hosted by Paul Barry – which claimed Mr Rudd was subject to “character assassination” from News Corp.

“Well that’s some spin right there,” Mr Kenny said.

“Pointing out the obvious now apparently in character assassination.”

Discussing a number of ABC segments which noted the former prime ministers petition is gaining traction, Mr Kenny said it was “extraordinary … is it Rudd’s campaign or the ABC’s?”

“They forget to mention of course that Rudd is also pushing to protect the ABC and boost its funding,” he said.

“Rudd is certainly shining a light on the lack of media diversity, inadvertently highlighting the ideological conformity of the ABC.”