UK’s regulator says Murdoch’s takeover of Sky is not in the public interest
London — Britain’s competition regulator has told Rupert Murdoch his $15bn takeover of Sky is not in the public interest and will be blocked unless there is a way to prevent the tycoon from influencing the network’s news output. The initial ruling complicates a plan by Walt Disney to buy the majority of Murdoch’s assets, including Sky. Disney had hoped that Murdoch would take full control of the European broadcaster by the time the US group completed its takeover. Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox agreed to buy the 61% of Sky it did not already own in December 2016, re-igniting a political row about the influence he wields through his ownership of newspapers and his current 39% stake in Sky, the biggest pay-TV platform. The government, which will take the final decision on the deal, asked the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to judge if Murdoch had too much influence in Britain and would uphold broadcasting standards. The CMA said on Tuesday that the deal, as proposed, went aga...
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