After criticism from the public and a mutiny from some affiliates, News Corp. has cancelled the O.J. Simpson book and television special If I Did It.

"I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project," said Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman, on Monday. "We are sorry for any pain that his has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson."

News Corp. owns both Fox Television and ReganBooks, publisher of the book version

I think News Corp. finally stepped up, admitted they made a mistake and did the right thing," said Jonathan Polak, lawyer for Fred Goldman, father of murder victim Ronald Goldman.

"This is everything we have been asking News Corp. to do for the past two weeks. We want to thank the American people for helping make this happen."

A jury acquitted Simpson on criminal charges in the 1994 deaths of Brown Simpson, his ex-wife, and her friend Goldman.

However, he has always been under suspicion for having committed the killings. In 1997, a civil trial found against him, ordering $33 million in damages. The plaintiffs have yet to see a dime.

The book and special was designed to allow Simpson to tell how he would have "hypothetically" committed the murders.

"I don't think any two people could be murdered without everybody being covered in blood," was a sample quote from a Fox ad.

Judith Regan, the book's publisher, said she considered it to be Simpson's confession.

A dozen affiliates of Fox said they would not air next week's two-part special that had been set to run on Nov. 27 and 29 (the book was to be released on Nov. 30).

"We are going to take a financial loss, but you know, some things are not for sale," said Frank Quitoni, president of Fox affiliate WWCP in Altoona, Pa. Instead, he had planned to run a program on a local children's hospital and a special on domestic violence.

Relatives of Goldman and Brown Simpson were furious over the project. Fred Goldman, Ron's father, saved some angry words for Simpson too.

"He destroyed my son and took from my family Ron's future and life. And for that I'll hate him always and find him despicable," he told ABC last week.

Even some top Fox personalities spoke out against the series.

"You can make a statement by not participating in this!" Bill O'Reilly, star of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, told his viewers.

With fellow Fox personality Geraldo Rivera egging him on, O'Reilly delivered a second bite to the hand that feeds him: "You know this is all about money, what other reason is to have this!? It's money!"

Broadcasting and Cable, an industry trade publication, published an editorial on Monday that said: "Fox should cancel this evil sweeps stunt."

Yale Galatner, an attorney for Simpson, said: "I would have never approved this project."

Fox Television has been struggling. None of its new shows have caught on, and American Idol doesn't start until January.

The special was designed to promote the book, which was to have been published on Nov. 30, and grab ratings during the end of U.S. television's sweeps period.

The sweeps period is important to the TV industry because ratings from that period are used to set advertising rates.

However, some analysts said not many advertisers would likely want to be associated with such a show, and without advertising, Neilsen might not even rate the program.

HarperCollins, parent company of ReganBooks, said all copies of the book will be destroyed.

As for Simpson, it isn't clear if he'll still be paid for his appearance in the special or for the book. 

With a report from CTV's Tom Clark