News Corp. Deal for BSkyB in Limbo (Amid the Widening Phone-Hacking Controversy )

[Turborama]

Source: NYT

BY CHRIS V. NICHOLSON | JULY 8, 2011, 8:47 AM

News Corporation’s deal to buy the pay-television company British Sky Broadcasting is in limbo.

Amid the widening phone-hacking controversy at the media empire, British officials indicated on Friday that it could take awhile to assess the proposed acquisition of BSkyB, sending shares of the broadcaster plummeting even further.

=snip=

The public had until Friday to submit their views on the acquisition. Avaaz, an advocacy organization that runs online campaigns, had more than 375,000 signatures on a petition submitted to block the BSkyB deal by the deadline.

The ministry also received about 156,000 individual submissions, as well as a paper petition bearing around 100,000 signatures, a person familiar with the matter said, calling the consultation “exceptional.”

Read more: http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/news-corp-deal-to-buy-bskyb-in-limbo/

[freshwest]

1. Here's hoping getting Sky News isn't the door prize for leaving the other venue behind.

[florida08]

2. kick and rec

:kick: Wish I could sign the thing

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. More than that, the BBC understands Ofcom is going to consider if News Corp are 'fit and proper'

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1441829

The decision the (political) Minister for Culture, Media and Sport is making is meant to be based on if the takeover would hurt 'media plurality'. Since Murdoch has agreed to sell off the Sky News Channel, then it had been thought he'd get the OK to complete the full ownership of the rest of Sky - sports channels, film channels, some 'programming channels', and the whole satellite broadcast system.

But Ofcom, the non-political Office for Communications (FCC, roughly) can rule whether a broadcasting owner is 'fit and proper' to control channels or systems. If News Corp had a culture of bribing corrupt police officers, they might decide 'no'.

[onehandle]

4. Hmm. I was listening to UK radio last night and they said it was a 'done deal.'

That ending the News Of The World was a genius move and that officials would rubber stamp the Sky deal.

Hmm.

[and-justice-for-all]

5. They need to kick murdoch out of the UK and Europe...nt

[Kingofalldems]

6. Fox News needs to be investigated also

[Snoutport]

7. Wow...hadn't seen the updated numbers! Cheers and thanks for sharing.