Culture Secretary Karen Bradley has said she is “minded” to order an Ofcom investigation into the planned £11.7 billion takeover of broadcaster Sky by Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox, over concerns about competition and broadcasting standards. Such a decision would not block the deal but would kick off an Ofcom investigation into public interests considerations.
She said that her Department’s analysis had highlighted concerns over the deal’s impact on “the need for there to be a sufficient plurality of persons with control of the media enterprises serving audiences in the UK” and “the need for persons carrying on media enterprises, and for those with control of such enterprises, to have a genuine commitment to attaining broadcasting standards objectives”.
She will update MPs in a statement to the House of Commons on Monday 6 March.
Further reading: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/culture-secretary-bradley-minded-to-refer-news-corps-12bn-sky-take-over-to-ofcom/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39154132
http://www.mediareform.org.uk/blog/consolidating-control-foxsky-merger-plurality-uk
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