The British government’s decision to allow Rupert Murdoch’s to take over the British version of Sky, that country’s dominant pay TV operator, sets a dangerous precedent that worms its way around the principle of ensuring media independence by maintaining a plurality of operators.
The deal, announced by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, will allow NewsCorp to take a 100% shareholding in BSkyB for around GBP7.5 billion (NZ$15.5 billion). The trade-off NewsCorp has had to make to achieve the takeover is relinquishing its ownership of Sky News.
