BBC chief warns Sky could abuse power
October 8, 2010
The BBC’s director general, Mark Thompson, has warned of the potential for “abuse of power” if News Corp is allowed to take full control of BSkyB.
In an interview on a US TV channel in New York, the DG claimed the takeover of BSkyB by News Corp could lead to “a significant loss of plurality in our media market”.
News Corp wants to buy the 61 per cent of Sky it does not already own, News Corp is also the owner of the UK’s largest newspaper stable.
Thompson stopped short of calling on the government to stop the bid, but made clear the BBC was opposed and would welcome it being stopped on public interest grounds. “We’re not saying there’s been a crime committed here. What we’re saying is there is – given the scale of the potential ownership in UK media – there’s a strong case for looking at it systemically and deciding whether or not anything needs to be done to address the issue.”