Rupert Murdoch’s £11.7 billion bid to take full control of Sky faces a potential wider investigation by the competition regulator.
Culture Secretary Karen Bradley said she is also minded to ask the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to conduct a fuller investigation into 21st Century Fox’s bid on the grounds of “genuine commitment to broadcasting standards”.
This followed her confirmation she still has an “intention” to ask the CMA to examine the proposed merger on the grounds of media plurality.
Ms Bradley said the first concern was around Fox’s compliance procedures for the broadcast of Fox News in the UK. She said concerns were also raised about the “Foxification” of Fox-owned news outlets internationally, adding: “I consider it important that entities which adopt controversial or partisan approaches to news and current affairs in other jurisdictions should, at the same time, have a genuine commitment to broadcasting standards here.”
Sky said it was “disappointed” by the delay to the move.
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