Media owners challenge Murdoch’s Sky bid
October 12, 2010
A coalition of media organisations including the BBC is urging the government to intervene on Rupert Murdoch’s bid to take full control of British Sky Broadcasting.
The group, an alliance of newspapers, the BBC, C4 and BT, claim in a letter to Vince Cable, the business secretary, that a merger of the UK’s largest newspaper group and its biggest pay-TV company would reduce diversity in the media.
Cable can order a referral to Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, for a public interest assessment if he agrees.
The letter’s signatories allege that a combination of Sky and News Corp newspapers; The Times, Sunday Times, Sun and News of the World will undermine plurality in the media.
Read the Blog: The BBC protests too much