In yet another twist in the on-going saga for control of Sky, Comcast have announced a bid for Sky that is higher than that made Murdoch-controlled 21 Century Fox (this after 21CF has itself agreed to sell most of its assets, including its share in Sky to Disney).
The Comcast bid raises fewer and different concerns than Fox; CPBF is generally against the ever-greater concentration of the media in all its guises. However, whilst Comcast does already have presence in the UK, they aren’t owners of a best selling (The Sun) nor agenda-setting (The Times) newspapers and therefore wouldn’t raise the same media plurality concerns (but may raise other concerns). They also (as far as we know) don’t have the same decades-long track record of illegality associated with the Murdoch empire (illegal phone/ computer hacking, blagging etc etc), nor the long-term practice of protecting sexual predators and collusion in the cover-up of sexual harassment scandals as seen within the Fox network.
These facts would suggest that a Comcast/Sky deal would likely have an easier time clearly regulatory hurdles in the UK. Also, given the widespread public awareness of criminality and wrongdoing within the Murdoch empire, it isn’t surprising to find that numerous polls indicate a super-majority of the UK public, across all demographics polled, don’t trust Rupert Murdoch and correctly believe he already has too much power, and a negative influence, over UK media and political debate and so anything Murdoch-related will always face greater scrutiny and opposition.
Of course, this newly announced Comcast bid isn’t technically a firm offer yet – and even if it becomes one, like the Disney deal before it – it doesn’t really change the present day material reality of the fact that right now the CMA are conducting an inquiring into a Murdoch-controlled 21CF is trying to buy all of Sky. Hence why in spite of all the twists and turns we’ll be continuing to raise funds to support our fight to #StopMurdoch’s Sky takeover.
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