back to article Er, Ofcom, please tell us more about Murdoch's £11.7bn Sky bid

The British government's Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has written to Ofcom asking for extra input before Culture Secretary Karen Bradley decides whether to approve Rupert Murdoch's £11.7bn Sky buyout bid. The DDCMS went to the telecoms regulator "seeking further clarification in relation to representations …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Show us on the bear where the Grauniad touched you, Gareth.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Fit and Proper

    Given the phone hacking, the Daniel Morgan murder, the Hillsborough "Truth", is there any doubt as to whether Murdoch is a "fit and proper" person to control Sky?

    1. J.Smith
      Trollface

      Fair and balanced news to boot. I hope the deal goes through, monopolisation, it's what competition is for.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Fit and Proper

      Don't forget all the appalling stories coming out about the hounding of families from Grenfell Tower and the Manchester Arena bombing, and the fact that the only reason it was the Daily Mail leading the assault on GOSH in the Charlie Gard case was because the Mail bid more money.

      Murdoch's 'journalists' methods in 2017 are every bit as disgusting as they have been for decades, they (and their cronies and employees in Westminster) just pretend that as they are supposedly no longer hacking people's phone messages, everything else is above board.

      Murdoch shouldn't be allowed to run his own mobility scooter, let along vast chunks of the UK media.

      1. wolfetone Silver badge

        Re: Fit and Proper

        "Murdoch shouldn't be allowed to run his own mobility scooter"

        He doesn't. Why do you think he married Jerry Hall?

        That aside, as Roger Taylor from Queen put it. He's the king of the tits.

  3. Rol

    It's a done deal.

    Murdoch will get what he wants, and those who could have stood in his way will either get what he was offering, or not get what he was threatening.

    We're damned to hell.

    It's not too late though, Trump and Kim could save us all the bother.

  4. Red Bren
    Megaphone

    Laser Law

    Didn't Murdoch take out US citizenship to sidestep a law preventing foreign ownership of US media? Perhaps the UK government should follow in Uncle Sam's footsteps (as it so often seems to) and enact the equivalent here. Let Rupert choose between Fox & Sky.

    1. Peter Christy

      Re: Laser Law

      Previous to that, he took out UK citizenship in order to get control of The Times. I refuse to have Sky or any Murdoch papers in the house. If others did the same, he'd soon clear off - and good riddance!

      --

      Pete

      1. A K Stiles

        Re: Laser Law

        Yup - as far as I am able to control it, none of my money goes to supporting the Murdoch empire. We don't do print media anyway, I avoid his foul outpourings in their digital forms and there's plenty enough televisual crap on freesat / freeview and non-sky DVD boxsets to ever consider paying Sky to broadcast adverts at me.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Laser Law

        I have a subscription to The Times. It's by far the best newspaper on the market. There isn't anything that remotely comes close.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Laser Law

          To whoever gave me the thumb down for that (times is the best newspaper) comment, I'm curious, which do you recommend?

          The Graun is obviously out because I want a modacum of hearing from both sides, The Telegraph isn't what it was, Mail/Sun/Mirror/Star - nope. The Independant is as independant as the Graun.

          Really, which? "I don't like the owner" isn't a reason to forgo the best newspaper available.

      3. Red Bren
        Trollface

        Re: Laser Law

        @Peter Christy

        Looks like Uncle Rupert has been downvoting...

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I agree they do need to do a full CMA investigation but not on horseback.

  6. J. R. Hartley

    Murdoch is really bad news

  7. JimboSmith Silver badge

    Sky also have the IRN contract at the moment and supply the vast majority of commercial radio stations in the UK with news bulletins and audio clips for DIY bulletins. A lot of people who I've spoken to don't know or aren't aware of this despite the end of provided bulletins saying from the Sky News Centre. Therefore* it would be possible for someone to listen to and watch Sky News and read a Murdoch paper and be unaware that all of it is Murdoch controlled.

    *assuming this deal goes through which I hope it doesn't.

  8. Slabfondler

    Political?

    "The Sky buyout dispute is entirely political" - no, its a bit more than that, it's about letting one person, and the interests/values he espouses dominate the airwaves as well as the web and print media. Oh, well, I guess that is rather political its like having a leader who was not elected but has purchased his power. Kinda reminds me of Robert Mercer - who may or may not have had an almost unfair amount of influence over the Brexit campaign.

  9. ad47uk

    Not an alterntive

    Sky is not an alternative to the BBC as you still have to pay the TV licence even if you do not watch the BBC.

    Yes it is possible to have Now Tv which is owned by sky and not have to buy a Tv licence for that, but that is a small part of sky.

    1. Jason 24

      Re: Not an alterntive

      It's an alternative source of news. You can listen to BBC radio and read the news site without a license.

      This discussion is not about what pay, it's about ensuring the news can pretend to be independent.

  10. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

    Fox News network in America – a personal favourite of Donald Trump

    ..until Trump does something not in Murdochs interests, at which point Fox will suddenly switch sides.

  11. strum

    The Sky buyout dispute is entirely political.

    FTFY

  12. Teravil

    Where Rupert Murdoch is concerned....

    ...I am firmly with Dennis Potter.

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