Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead

The BBC are reporting that Rupert Murdoch has been given the go ahead for News International’s controversial takeover of BSkyB. The move is likely to inflame campaigners.

The global online campaigning group, Avaaz, yesterday organised over 30,000 messages and phone calls to Parliament. While a petition on the Avaaz website has been signed by close to 250,000 people. An email from Executive Director, Ricken Patel, last night told campaigners:

“Murdoch has used his vast media empire to push war in Iraq, elect George W Bush, and block global action on climate change, and if he wins this week in Britain he will use his networks here to undermine all the issues that we care about. He has manipulated US, British and Australian democracy for years, but now he wants more complete control. In the US, most of the likely Republican presidential candidates are actually paid employees of Murdoch! When his Fox News Network was shunned by Barack Obama as a mere propaganda mouthpiece, it spawned the far right “tea party”and broadcast constant, often hate-filled attacks against Obama and his healthcare and peace agenda — resulting in a huge win for Republicans in the 2010 congressional elections.

“Murdoch media staff have trampled laws and standards when gathering news. Several News Corporation executives approved phone hacking and, when a formal investigation began, they had regular secret meetings with senior police officers who then failed to investigate the full extent of the scandal. Our government should punish such an organisation, not allow it monopoly powers over our media. But if Rupert Murdoch is allowed to buy all of BSkyB this week, he will soon own half of our commercial newspapers and television. This should not be allowed in any democracy.”

The decision-maker Jemery Hunt had previously said:

“Rather than worry about Rupert Murdoch owning another TV channel, what we should recognise is that he has probably done more to create variety and choice in British TV than any other single person because of his huge investment in setting up Sky TV, which, at one point, was losing several million pounds a day.

“We would be the poorer and wouldn’t be saying that British TV is the envy of the world if it hadn’t been for him being prepared to take that commercial risk. We need to encourage that kind of investment.”

So much for an impartial decision.

http://twitter.com/dontplaymepayme/status/43224214060281856 dontplaymepayme

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/mattzarb/status/43224633297731584 mattzarb

RT @leftfootfwd Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P <– yep, "smashing monopolies" my arse.
http://twitter.com/bloggerheads/status/43225191035305984 Tim Ireland

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/pamjakeman/status/43225355745632256 Pam Jakeman

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/philcovers/status/43225626529890304 Christopher Phillips

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/chrismeredith/status/43225796722163712 Christopher Meredith

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/maximmanchester/status/43226163547611136 Max

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/deardaveandnick/status/43226548039467008 Bern O’Donoghue

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/exeteroccupied/status/43227399596421120 UoE Occupation

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/crixtechnoir/status/43227573660028928 Toffee TechNoir

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/yorkierosie/status/43230629986447360 yorkierosie

RT @mattzarb: RT @leftfootfwd Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P <– yep, "smashing monopolies" my arse.
http://twitter.com/tattoozntech/status/43232392785297408 sıɹɥɔ

RT @chrismeredith: RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/rufuspolk/status/43234306298085376 Rufus Polk

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Rupert Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/dQwFZJ
http://twitter.com/ashley_4ps/status/43234585538072576 Ashley Lindley

Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/dQwFZJ via @leftfootfwd
Mark Stevo

Seems the goal-posts are being shifted here. Previous posts have referred to the need to maintain plurality of news provision. Without having seen the governance proposal for SN, that seems to have been at least maintained and potentially improved. Concerns have been acknowledged and addressed.
http://twitter.com/janedaisypain/status/43235899768709120 Jane Phillips

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/thereminwar/status/43238054772744192 Thereminwar

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/duncankeeling/status/43238284964544512 Duncan Keeling

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/dQwFZJ …Should we be surprised? #StopMurdoch
http://twitter.com/markcaudery/status/43244170667753472 markcaudery

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/sean_gittins/status/43250601034924032 sean gittins

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/double_karma/status/43258484665483264 Double.Karma

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/bexlondontown/status/43263244554608640 Bex Clarke

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/dQwFZJ
http://twitter.com/jill_in_a_box/status/43266248129257472 Jill Austin

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://twitter.com/ambermb/status/43269531283632128 Amber

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/dQwFZJ
http://twitter.com/unitonehifi/status/43269948985982976 chris star

Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead
http://bit.ly/evc4JW
http://twitter.com/double_karma/status/43270435470708736 Double.Karma

RT @unitonehifi: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead
http://bit.ly/evc4JW
Wil

The deal they’ve reached is that Murdoch will spin off sky news as an independent company, and pay it a generous subsidy to keep it afloat for a number of years. So yes, Murdoch will have the vast majority of sky, but not skynews- and that was what we were all concerned about regarding media plurality.
I’m sure Hunt is far from impartial, but they seem to have come to a pretty reasonable compromise.
http://twitter.com/simonkillane/status/43293397494136832 Simon

Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/g7WDeS
http://twitter.com/alexioskomnenus/status/43298891478736896 Will James Slater

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/dQwFZJ
Lynn Matthews

Great to see our democracy is up and running so well. No hint of “what’s in it for me” here…Wonder if the government will now implement the Bribary Act that was passed through parliament last April, but they have so far refused to acknowledge!
Mark Stevo

Bribery is a very serious allegation, is there any evidence of that here?
http://twitter.com/myinfamy/status/43308263365804032 Daniel Pitt

Campaigners ignored as Murdochracy gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P #ConDemNation
http://twitter.com/nosloc73/status/43310105097281536 DJC

RT @myinfamy: Campaigners ignored as Murdochracy gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P #ConDemNation
http://twitter.com/dubblespeak11/status/43318542535376897 JK

RT @unitonehifi: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead
http://bit.ly/evc4JW
SimonB

I’d still like to see the Ofcom report.
http://twitter.com/stopmurdoch/status/43319765367930880 stopmurdoch

RT @DuncanKeeling: RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/dQwFZJ …Should we be surprised? #StopMu …
http://jruddy.wordpress.com John Ruddy

Is this Sky TV which “has probably done more to create variety and choice in British TV” the same Sky TV which fills its schedules with american imports and commisions less Uk drama than any other broadcaster (Channel 5 included)?

I think we should be told.
Mark Stevo

What’s so bad about American imports?
http://twitter.com/jossgarman/status/43338985296244737 Joss Garman

RT @leftfootfwd: Campaigners ignored as Murdoch gets go ahead http://bit.ly/hXC58P
http://www.journalofjournalism.blogspot.com/ Ross

We should be worried about the BBC than Murdoch: http://journalofjournalism.blogspot.com/2011/03/hunt-says-yes-to-murdoch-lefties-whine.html
Mr. Sensible

Will given that Murdoch will continue to subsidize it I cannot believe Sky News will not be subject to some sort of influence by him.

The government have made an absolute mess of this. In January, Jeremy Hunt was told quite clearly by Ofcom that the bid should be referred to the Competition Commission. On 25 January Hunt said that he would be inclined to refer the bid to the Competition Commission. What’s changed that has resulted in this stitch up? Not sure it’s necesarily bribery, but Hunt needs to come out and be completely honest as to what happened and why he failed to follow Ofcom’s reckomendation.

And given what Hunt has previously said, he is as much involved in this as Cable was, and so this can only be resolved by judicial review, and so I wish the media organizations campaigning against this every success.
And I think Murdoch’s supporters are guilty of rank hipocricy; they attack the size of the BBC, but according to Robert Peston this deal will result in a company who’s revenues dwarf those of the BBC.

What an absolute mess!
scandalousbill

Wil.

You say:

“The deal they’ve reached is that Murdoch will spin off sky news as an independent company, and pay it a generous subsidy to keep it afloat for a number of years. So yes, Murdoch will have the vast majority of sky, but not skynews- and that was what we were all concerned about regarding media plurality.”

At face value, this may seem a reasonable compromise. But I fear that the back door left open will allow the Murdoch empire to maintain control of Sky News and hence reinitiate concerns regarding media plurality.

As I understand it News Corp will have 39.1% of Sky News, the balance of shares go to public offering. As far as I can see, there is nothing to preclude Murdoch, or his muppets, from buying up additional public offered shares of Sky News either directly or by proxy at IPO or later on.
Mr. Sensible

scandalousbill, as I understand it, News Corporation will need permission from the Secretary of State to buy additional shares.

However, given what’s happened here, why should we have any confidence that Jeremy Hunt will stand up to Mr Murdoch if that happens?
http://twitter.com/illogicology/status/43593895862484992 illogicology

And they wonder why people are losing faith in political solutions. http://bit.ly/hblt6E
scandalousbill

Mr. Sensible,

You note:

“News Corporation will need permission from the Secretary of State to buy additional shares. “

That is one of the grey areas as a purchase by proxy is not addressed. In the same light, the notion that no News Corporation employee can control Sky News by sitting on the board, selection to the management team, etc. does not preclude a simple resignation from News Corp to assume a position with Sky News or to buy additional Sky News shares directly.

The devil will definitely be in the detail on this one.
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[...] stable door had been open for a good while before News Corporation tabled its bid for the 61 per cent of BSkyB it did not already own. News Corp already had a significant amount of [...]
http://www.livenews.me/2011/03/04/no-wonder-murdochs-happy-the-news-corp-horse-had-already-bolted/ No wonder Murdoch’s happy: the News Corp horse had already bolted | LIVE NEWS :

[...] stable door had been open for a good while before News Corporation tabled its bid for the 61 per cent of BSkyB it did not already own. News Corp already had a significant amount of [...]
http://www.leftfootforward.org/2011/06/jeremy-hunt-rupert-murdoch-news-corp-bskyb-deal/ A slow motion death for critics of NewsCorp/BSkyB deal | Left Foot Forward

[...] and a baddie trade blows in ultra slow motion with Swan Lake-like finesse. The process of the News Corp/BSkyB acquisition similarly slowly, if with less balletic [...]
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[...] what exactly does Mr Hunt think of Rupert Murdoch? Here’s what he said about him – on his own website: “Rather than worry about Rupert Murdoch owning another TV [...]