The U.K. Department for Culture, Media & Sport announced Culture Secretary Karen Bradley "received the latest guidance" from media regulator Ofcom on the proposed takeover of Sky by 21st Century Fox, according to Ian King of SKY NEWS. Ofcom carried out an assessment of the £18.5B ($24B) takeover at the request of Bradley earlier this year. It investigated whether a takeover would "reduce the plurality of media ownership" in the U.K. and whether Fox "could be relied on" to adhere to U.K. broadcasting standards. The regulator said at the end of June that there was no reason to block the takeover on the "fit and proper" test and, after "receiving certain undertakings from Fox," added that there were "no grounds for blocking it on the grounds of either plurality or broadcasting standards." However, following complaints from a number of MPs, including former Labour Leader Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable, Bradley last month asked Ofcom to "go over the evidence again" (SKY NEWS, 9/4). In London, Graham Ruddick wrote all this means that Bradley's statement on her final decision is "eagerly anticipated." It could be made "as early as this week." The "most likely outcome" is still that she stands by her original view to refer the deal to the Competition & Markets Authority "on the grounds of media plurality but not broadcasting standards." However, campaign group Avaaz and a group of high-profile MPs led by Miliband and Cable have "made a compelling and powerful argument that it should also be referred on broadcasting standards due to the scandals at Fox News" and the potential for the Murdochs to “Foxify” Sky News by giving it a "rightwing slant." Avaaz and the MPs have "threatened legal action" if Bradley does not do this (GUARDIAN, 9/3).
