Ireland Communications Minister Denis Naughten Approves Sky Takeover

Ireland Communications Minister Denis Naughten "has given the green light" to Rupert Murdoch's £11.7B ($15.1B) bid to take full control of Sky, saying that "it would not harm the Irish media landscape," according to O'Dwyer & Williams of the LONDON TIMES. Naughten approved the proposed takeover of Sky by 21st Century Fox last Friday after determining that it "would not negatively impact the plurality of media ownership in Ireland or be contrary to the public interest." His decision means the deal only needs the approval of the U.K. government later this week before being finalized. The deal has already been approved by Austria, Germany, Italy, the European Commission and the Jersey competition authority. Murdoch's 21st Century Fox "needs approval in all the territories in which it operates" to buy the 61% of Sky that it does not already own. U.K. Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said that she aims to make a statement detailing what she is "minded to" decide by Thursday (LONDON TIMES, 6/28).