In blow to Murdoch, UK refers Fox bid for Sky to regulator

Associated Press ^ | Sep 12, 2017 12:24 PM EDT | Jill Lawless

[Olog-hai]

The British government will refer Twenty-First Century Fox Inc.’s bid for satellite broadcaster Sky to the country’s competition regulator for further examination, in a blow to Rupert Murdoch’s takeover plans.

Culture Secretary Karen Bradley told lawmakers Tuesday that she intended to refer the takeover to the Competition and Markets Authority because of concerns that the deal might concentrate too much power in one company’s hands. Murdoch already owns British newspapers including the Sun and The Times of London.

And she said she was also “minded” to refer it out of concerns about broadcasting standards. Bradley said there is a risk, “which is not purely fanciful,” that the merger would not be in the public interest.

Murdoch’s media group is trying to buy the 61 percent of Sky it doesn’t already own. The takeover values Sky, which broadcasts Premier League soccer and top film and television offerings in Britain and other European markets, at £18.5 billion ($25 billion).

U.K. broadcast regulator Ofcom had previously said the takeover could give the Murdoch family too much influence over Britain’s media. …

[Olog-hai]

Of course, total state control of the BBC remains in the public’s interest.

[Olog-hai]

And of course . . .

[Bradley] said one area raised by critics of the deal was “what they termed the ‘Foxification’ of Fox-owned news outlets internationally.” …

Because what good is media without total hatred of religion, morality, rule of law, the state of Israel, or any of that, eh?

[Enchante]

Yeah, this in a country with a heavy state-mandated tax on all TV owners to provide a state near-monopoly in TV broadcasting. They just want to keep the very limited “competition” weaker.

[TBP]

Wait — doesn’t he already own Sky?

[Olog-hai]

Only in part; 39 percent. Murdoch was looking to take over the other 61 percent.