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Campaign welcomes government ruling on ITV shares
DATELINE: 29/1/08
The Campaign for Press & Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF) has welcomed the decision by Secretary of State for Business, John Hutton MP, to accept last month's ruling by the Competition Commission that BSkyB's 17.9 per cent shareholding in its terrestrial rival is against the public interest because it results in 'a substantial lessening of competition within the UK market for all television'.
The commission recommended that the satellite company be forced to reduce its stake from 17.9 per cent to less than 7.5 per cent. It also ordered BSkyB not to dispose of the shares to an associated person, not to seek or accept representation on ITV's board and not to reacquire shares in the broadcaster.
However, the CPBF regrets that the Commission found that BSkyB's stake did not have an adverse effect on the plurality of control over the UK media and that this view was supported by the Secretary of State. A spokesperson for the CPBF Barry White said:
" Given that BSkyB's original objective was to block the merger of ITVplc with the cable companies, they have succeeded, at a price of £250m (the estimated loss on the shares at current prices). It is also disappointing that the government does not believe that BSkyB's stake did not have an adverse effect on the plurality of control over the UK media. News International dominates nearly 40% of UK newspaper circulation and BSkyB is the gateway for other channels to go on subscription satellite TV. The time has come for a serious examination of BSkyB/News International's dominant influence on the UK media. This should be by way of a public inquiry into the wider issues relating to media ownership. Convergence has brought new players into the media and drastically altered patterns of media ownership. If the government is serious about defending plurality in the UK media it must act now."
Although BSkyB did originally threaten to appeal against any order reducing their share in ITVplc, it said recently it had not yet decided whether to launch an appeal, although it has criticised the commission's original findings as 'unprecedented'. Any appeal, the deadline for which is 25 February, could include a claim for damages for losses incurred as a result of the forced sale.
Last modified: Tuesday, January 29, 2008
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Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
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DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
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Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
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Previous stories
Media Ownership
Murdoch: Sky News should be like Fox
Murdoch and ITV
BSkyB 'should sell shares in ITV'
Internet Television
Murdoch must sell his stake in ITV
New inquiries into ownership
Murdoch Junior takes the money
Murdoch's Journal deal - another blow for journalism
MediaChannel faces closure for lack of funds
Murdoch faces probe
Lords Probe Media Ownership and News
A Waiting Game
Review: Labour's missed opportunities
Stopping Murdoch Now 5
Rivals clarify complaints over Sky dominance
Stopping Murdoch Now (2)
Stopping Murdoch now!
Stopping Murdoch Now!
Early Day Motion 309: Attempted takeover of ITV by Sky
Stopping Murdoch now
Turmoil at the Telegraph
Independent news network expands
Australian media law reform plan goes off air indefinitely
Off and On: the OFT and Newspaper Distribution
Prodi to undo Berlusconi's media laws
Who does he think he is?
No Sale for Northcliffe
Report on 'Content diversity in newspapers and television'
Corporate greed rules
Transnational corporate censorship threatens British music
