Mar 13, 2017
James Murdoch faces new ‘fit and proper’ test
The UK media watchdog will conduct a test on whether Sky and its chairman James Murdoch are 'fit and proper' to own a UK broadcasting licence at the same time as any public interest inquiry into 21st Century Fox's £11.7bn bid for the European broadcaster. Karen Bradley, the British culture secretary, has already announced she is "Minded to intervene" in the deal by referring it to Ofcom on grounds of media plurality - to ensure a diversity of viewpoints available across the media - and broadcasting standards. Opponents of the Fox takeover - which would see the US media group buy the 61 per cent of Sky it does not already own - have been arguing that James Murdoch, who is also Fox chief executive, should face a 'fit and proper' person test before the deal is approved. Ofcom, which has a duty to be satisfied that broadcast licensees are "Fit and proper on an ongoing basis", said on Monday that any test would be carried out "In the same timeframe as any public interest test". The former Labour leader Ed Miliband, an outspoken critic of the Murdoch family's influence over the UK media, welcomed Ofcom's decision to carry out simultaneous reviews.
Related companies
Make a complaint about Sky by viewing their customer service contacts.
