Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF)
for diverse, democratic and accountable media
by BBC news web site Broadcaster Sky and 21st Century Fox have reached agreement on the terms of a takeover deal it was announced lunchtime. Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox will pay £11.7bn for the 61% stake it does not already own. Sky shareholders will receive £10.75 in cash for each share, valuing the entire company at £18.5bn. The deal comes amid concerns that Rupert … [Read more...]
Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Imagesby The Guardian Gordon Brown has demanded that Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of the Sky satellite business be delayed until the government carries out the second part of the Leveson inquiry into press malpractice. In a letter to the culture secretary, Karen Bradley, the former prime minister said the bid by Murdoch-controlled 21st Century Fox for Sky made the “promised but … [Read more...]
by Barry White On 16 February 2013 in my blog ‘Journalists trusted as little as bankers’ I reported the results of a Ipso/MORI poll which reported that journalists and bankers were trusted by just 21% of the people. The bottom group at 18% was taken by politicians. You would have thought that post the Leveson Inquiry, public perception of journalism might have improved. In … [Read more...]
Murdoch's first attempt to buy out Britain’s monopoly satellite broadcasting platform in 2011 was defeated by the unravelling 'phone hacking scandal and a mass campaign. Now Murdoch is trying once again to consolidate his grip on the UK media in a move on Sky that was announced late last Friday afternoon, (see previous story). Culture Secreary Karen Bradley MP now has less than … [Read more...]
by BBC News web site US media giant 21st Century Fox has made a takeover approach for Sky that values the UK-based satellite broadcaster at £18.5bn. The proposed offer is worth £10.75 a share in cash, a premium of 36% to the closing price on 8 December. Sky shares ended 26.6% higher at 999.8p in London following the announcement. Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch controls 21st … [Read more...]
by NUJ news release The NUJ has responded to the news, reported in the Guardian today, that the British public service television broadcaster Channel 4 has an entirely white and predominately male oversight board. Although this is not unique when Channel 4 is compared to other media organisations, it is a stain on the media industry that it remains consistently … [Read more...]
In the UK, a handful of giant corporations control the nation’s TV channels, news outlets, radio stations, search engines and social media platforms. This has given wealthy individuals and organisations huge political and economic power and enabled them to distort the media landscape to suit their interests and personal views. Urgent reform is needed to reclaim the media in the … [Read more...]
The culture secretary has unexpectedly reopened the issue of press regulation by questioning whether Leveson 2, meant to investigate corrupt dealings between the press and police, is still necessary. Karen Bradley MP said that she was launching a consultation on: costs provisions for victims and Leveson “part two” into police corruption. The latter had been delayed by … [Read more...]
by OTJC news release On 15 December 2015 Home Secretary Theresa May received the compelling evidence compiled by the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) presenting the case for a public inquiry into the policing at Orgreave on 18 June 1984. Since its creation in November 2012 the OTJC has worked tirelessly to place on the political agenda the urgent need for a … [Read more...]
Home secretary Amber Rudd, has rejected an inquiry into the “Battle of Orgreave" which took place during the 1984 miners’ strike. The long-awaited decision is a bitter blow to former miners and campaigners who hoped an inquiry would also establish clear links between the misconduct by the South Yorkshire police during the Hillsborough disaster and their behaviour five years … [Read more...]