PROTEST IF HUNT LETS MURDOCH OFF THE HOOK
5.30pm outside Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur
Street, off Trafalgar Square, London SW1 on the day that the culture
secretary makes a decision NOT to refer News Corp to the Competition
Commission.
Called by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom.
Murdoch's News Corp is trying to take full control of the satellite
operator BSkyB in a move which will further shrink the plurality of the
British media and hand more power to a media mogul who only recently
described Thatcherism as his inspiration and who 'applauds' the government
for its 'tough fiscal line'. We know that he was also the first person
through the door of Downing Street fter Cameron became prime minister.
The communications regulator Ofcom has told culture secretary Jeremy Hunt
that he should refer the deal to the Competition Commission. Hunt,
however, has been in secret talks with News Corp trying to find a solution
that will mean the deal does NOT get investigated and is NOT subject to
any public scrutiny.
News Corp has made it clear that the main reason it wants to rush the deal
through is because the longer the delay, the more it will have to pay for
Sky as its share price goes up. They care nothing about plurality,
diversity or openness just profits and influence.
A decision is expected in the next few days. If Hunt and News Corp do
stitch up a deal, we need to make our voices heard loud and clear that,
instead of a bigger Murdoch empire, we want more controls on media
conglomerates, more diversity in our media system and more voices arguing
against the damaging economic and social impact the Con/Dem cuts will have
Please spread the word and circulate to other lists.
Des Freedman
Reader in Communications and Cultural Studies
Department of Media and Communications
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross
London SE14 6NW
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