Ofcom should have final say on media takeovers, say peers

Committee says final decision on plurality issues should rest with regulator rather than secretary of stateA Lords committee has called for politicians to be stripped of the power to have the final say on large media deals, following the heavily criticised process surrounding News Corporation's £8bn bid to take full control of BSkyB.The House of Lords communications committee report on media plurality, published on Tuesday, also says the BBC should be included in any assessment for the first time, as should the impact of newspaper websites and digital outlets such as the Huffington Post, Google News, Facebook and Twitter.Lord Inglewood, the committee's chair, said the industry regulator Ofcom should have the final say on plurality and competition issues surrounding any major media deal."Issues surrounding media plurality have come under the policy spotlight during the present parliament, after concerns were raised about the proposed (and subsequently abandoned) purchase of BSkyB by News Corporation," Inglewood said. "Responsibility for reconciling plurality and competition assessments of transactions and for reaching a final decision should rest with the Ofcom board, not the secretary of state."The government's handling of an investigation into Rupert Murdoch's attempt to increase his stake in BSkyB from 39.1% to full control in 2010/2011 attracted widespread criticism.Vince Cable, the business secretary, was stripped of responsibility for weighing the ramifications of... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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