Sunday 06 March 2011, PM
Murdoch Wins Again as Sky Takeover Gets the Green Light - TIME
Murdoch's business rivals and political enemies have cried foul, claiming the deal will allow him to strengthen his grip on the nation's media sector and once again proves he is too close to the government. Until now, Murdoch's News Corporation has owned just 39 of Sky, always seen as enough to give Murdoch effective control of a business of which his son James used to be chief executive and remains chairman. The reason News Corp now wants full ownership is essentially commercial at a time when other parts of the media industry are being squeezed, Sky has become seriously profitable, set to throw off 1.6 billion in cash a year. - time.comwww.time.comSunday 06 March 2011, AM
'iPlayer for radio' to launch on March 31 - Telegraph
It will be the first time that both the BBC and commercial radio stations have come together on a single online radio player. He said the service would also be available on mobile phones in the future. The service, financially backed equally by the BBC and commercial radio groups, is the first of its kind, as it will give web users a single access point to both commercial and BBC radio content. - telegraph.co.ukwww.telegraph.co.ukMurdoch's screen test: The media mogul may have got his way with News Corp's takeover of BSkyB, but at what cost? - Scot
Murdoch's organisation agreed to spin off Sky News into an independent listed company to avoid a lengthy competition inquiry. News Corp would retain a 39 per cent stake in the new firm while the remaining shares would be distributed among other BSkyB shareholders. Sky News would be funded for ten years by BSkyB and Murdoch would undertake not to increase his shareholding in the new company for the same length of time. - business.scotsman.combusiness.scotsman.comLetters: BSkyB ownership - Letters, Opinion - The Independent
As an admirer of Sky News and as someone who has previously held senior executive roles both inside and outside the Murdoch stable, I feel that the survival of an outstanding media channel is paramount. It's also hard to see who else but Rupert Murdoch would have been willing to invest in a television news operation that loses at least 20m annually. Sky News is a valuable component of the media plurality landscape and, one way or another, its outstanding quality and ultimate survival will continue to depend on the fiscal support of Rupert Murdoch. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukDavid Prosser: Murdoch's most expensive victory - Business Comment, Business - The Independent
The word in the City yesterday was that leading Sky investors want 1100p a share from theMurdochs. That's getting on for 3 more than the current market price, though the stock has been rising all week, and it's almost double the 600p or so at which Sky was trading before News Corp made its intentions known early in the summer of last year. 1100p seems wildly optimistic on the part of investors, but it is becoming clearer by the day that the regulatory victory may turn out to have been the easy part of clinching this deal. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.uk
Rupert Murdoch 'will slash BSkyB marketing spend' - Mail Online
BSkyB has been encouraged by News Corp to spend heavily to build its position. BT, for example, spends about 200 million each year. Murdoch's son James, who is BSkyB chairman, sharply increased the marketing expenditure in 2004 after taking over as chief executive when his father was chairman. - dailymail.co.ukwww.dailymail.co.ukRupert Murdoch: don't fear an old man in his twilight years - Media - The Observer
For in case you're still counting candles Mr Murdoch hits the big 80 on Friday. An age, moreover, that renders 10-year business commitments notional, going on totally ridiculous. Why, then, does so much of the reaction to his cleared BSkyB deal assume the old boy has suddenly become immortal - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
Murdoch wins again and the public will be the loser - Observer editorial - Comment is free - The Observer
The culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, intends to permit this 8bn-plus deal, impeded only by a 10-year agreement to hive off loss-making Sky News into an independently managed business. If News Corp is allowed to buy the 61 of BSkyB it doesn't already own, Murdoch will have a customer base of 10 million television subscribers in addition to his 40 share of the newspaper market. Some 333,000 people have signed an online petition opposing the buyout. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukHow much will BSkyB shareholders care for their orphaned news channel? - Media - The Observer
A few investors have been huffing and puffing about 950p, although that's ambitious. To find out more information about driving traffic to your content or to place this widget on your site, visit outbrain.com. We welcome your feedback at userhelpguardian.co.uk or feedbackoutbrain.com. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukBSkyB investors aim to drive up Murdoch's price - Business - The Observer
BSkyB's investors believe the company's shares are worth holding onto if they cannot extract a higher price from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. BSkyB's biggest shareholders are co-operating, on a highly informal basis, to negotiate a sharp increase in News Corporation's 7.8bn, 700p-a-share offer for the 61 of the broadcaster it does not control. They intend to push for a far more aggressive price than that sought by BSkyB's independent directors. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukSaturday 05 March 2011, PM
BBC iPlayer - Archive on 4: Murdoch at 80
The other that he is the champion of the free market that opened up British media from the stifling grip of unions. To mark the 80th birthday of the world's most controversial media baron, Steve Hewlett will attempt to get the inside story of the man behind the headlines, by talking to some of his harshest rivals, as well as his closest collaborators. In 1931, Murdoch was born to a wealthy media family in Melbourne, Australia. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukSaturday 05 March 2011, AM
YouView to open API - Broadband TV News
The release will follow the publication of the final core technical specifications due on April 14. At this point it will cross refer to the D Book and once D Book 7 is published we will reference that. The D Book needs to be very precise on the core specification and how people should build it. - broadbandtvnews.comwww.broadbandtvnews.comPeople watch more TV than they think - TV Radio, Media - The Independent
People are buying bigger televisions and watching them more, a survey shows. Researchers who questioned more than 2,000 adults also found they watched on average an hour a day more TV than they thought they did. Figures from the Broadcasters' Audience Research Board showed most people watched more than 30 hours of television a week. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.uk
There is still a way to win this Murdoch media war - Polly Toynbee - Comment is free - The Guardian
As certain as the sun rises in the sky was it that the owner of the Sun would be granted ownership of Sky outright. Few are surprised but that doesn't stop most being shocked. Rupert Murdoch did what he has always done defied regulators, governments and tax authorities to carve himself an anti-competitive market dominance with an unmatched global concentration of media power. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukFriday 04 March 2011, PM
Lord Sugar ready to take the hot seat at YouView - Media - The Guardian
Lord Sugar, the star of The Apprentice, is expected to be named the new chairman of YouView, the delayed Freeview video-on-demand service. Called in by Channel 5's Richard Desmond to review the venture's business plan, the star of The Apprentice is believed to be set to take the role, subject to clearance at a final meeting of shareholders. YouView had targeted June for the launch but for months its chairman, Kip Meek, who is expected to be replaced by Sugar in an announcement next week, has been conceding the possibility of delays. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukThe BSkyB decision may lead to a rethink on monopoly power - David Boyle - Comment is free - guardian.co.uk
It already seems an age since Hunt took over responsibility for the decision from Vince Cable, so the political element of this seems less urgent. Conservatives may regard this kind of decision as good for business Lib Dems at least a generation or more ago would have regarded it as bad for business, because it kowtows to monopoly power. Cable's comments to an undercover reporter caused such a storm precisely because he made it look as though the impending decision was a political one. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
YouView: we want to be Freeview for the connected world - News - TechRadar UK
YouView is hoping to become Freeview of the connected world when it launches in 2012, believing that the delays the service has faced will make for a better product. YouView announced in February that its service would be delayed until 2012, but Halton believes that this delay will be better for YouView in the long run. This will be happening in April, with Halton explaining that the document was based on crucial feedback the industry has given YouView. - techradar.comwww.techradar.com
BBC: IPTV shouldn't be restricted to YouView - News - TechRadar UK
- techradar.comwww.techradar.com
Hunt rebuked for BSkyB interview - News - Broadcast
It takes just 2 minutes and offers full, instant access to the Broadcast website along with a copy of the magazine delivered every week. - broadcastnow.co.ukwww.broadcastnow.co.ukBBC - BBC Internet Blog: The creative potential in connected TV
Earlier this week, Mark Thompson spoke of a common tendency to overestimate the impact technologies can have in the short term, and underestimate the impact they can have in the long-term. The challenge now lies in evolving TV to add the interactive richness that will make TV better, but keep it simple and seamless. Connected TV, whether on Pay-TV platforms or free-to-air, remains relatively niche. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.uk
YouView just a part of BBC connected strategy - Broadband TV News
We have to reinvent the experience of pressing red, it is far too soon to say what this means, but we have a keen sense about the audience needs and those journeys that should be intuitive. Keating said the traditional programme junction should also be revisited. If a kid is watching Shaun the Sheep, they should be able to access the educational game that is attached to it. Keating gave other examples around news, the Olympics and the arts. We want the broadest possible collection of routes to deliver this and YouView is one of a number of routes. - broadbandtvnews.comwww.broadbandtvnews.comFriday 04 March 2011, AM
Media Talk podcast: Hunt approves News Corp plan for Sky News
download.guardian.co.uk
Reaction to Sky News spin-off - Telegraph
I think the deal is going to close sooner than expected, perhaps in Q2, and it also tells us that Rupert Murdoch is very keen to get this deal done. We think he will use his digital newspapers as a way to differentiate his broadband product. It's worth billions to his balance sheet so if he has to warehouse or spin off Sky News for a period, he's happy to do that. - telegraph.co.ukwww.telegraph.co.uk
Jeremy Hunt gives Rupert Murdoch's Sky News hive off for BSkyB plan green light - Mail Online
Jeremy Hunt said he accepted that a plan to spin off Sky News as an independent company would prevent the tycoons News Corporation getting too tight a grip on the British media if the 8billion takeover goes ahead. Labour attacked Mr Hunt for what it called a politically motivated U-turn, pointing out that just weeks ago he had said he intended to order a full-scale competition probe. Yesterday Mr Hunt insisted News Corp had moved a very long way from its original offer and spinning off Sky News would mean it had less control of news media, not more. - dailymail.co.ukwww.dailymail.co.ukFT.com / UK / Business - Investors mobilise to raise BSkyB price
Printed from http//www.ft.com/cms/s/0/91be86a6-45c4-11e0-acd8-00144feab49a.html Print a single copy of this article for personal use. - ft.comwww.ft.comSTV joins forces with Channel 6 for local TV bid - Scotsman.com Business
- business.scotsman.combusiness.scotsman.comMurdoch wants to turn Sky News into right-wing news channel like Fox (contd. p94) - John Rentoul - Indepen
Dozens of left-wing people across north London warned their lives would be rendered hollow and meaningless unless Murdoch was given free rein to turn Sky into an ultra-right wing news channel pumping Christian free-market hate ideology into the homes of millions of lower middle class sheep. Hunt then rose to point out that Lewis had not said whether the Opposition were for or against the deal. Labour were completely unable to summon up the beginnings of any sort of case against the deal. - blogs.independent.co.ukblogs.independent.co.uk
Big question now is just how independent stand-alone Sky News will be - The Irish Times - Fri, Mar 04, 2011
- irishtimes.comwww.irishtimes.com
Media rivals cry foul as Murdoch wins battle for full control of BSkyB - TV Radio, Media - The In
Ofcom, the media regulator, had voiced concerns that the deal threatened media plurality in the UK, but supported News Corp's Sky News proposal after the company agreed to the idea of an independent chairman. Mr Neil said that rival publishers feared they would no longer be able to compete with News Corp. I was never that concerned about the BSkyB takeover. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukJeremy Hunt gives News Corp green light to launch £8bn bid for BSkyB - Media - The Guardian
Then in private negotiations last month Hunt said the concession still did not quite go far enough. A day later, a letter from James Murdoch amounted to confirmation that Britain's biggest media merger could now go through. BSkyB's share price soared to 822p following yesterday's green light, in expectation of News Corporation having to table a vastly improved offer on the 700p proposal made in June. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
After Vince Cable's loose talk, victory for Rupert Murdoch was assured - Dan Sabbagh - Media - The Guardian
The outcome is that Rupert Murdoch has been asked to make a modest sacrifice in spinning off the small, 60m-turnover Sky News. The cold reality is that the enlarged News Corporation will be the largest private media company Britain has ever seen. Come 2015, when the next general election is due, News Corp is expected to have a turnover of over 9bn. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
Media plurality: The law and its loopholes - Editorial - Comment is free - The Guardian
If there is a less surprising sentence in the English language it would be good to know of it. As a result of Jeremy Hunt's announcement yesterday the American media tycoon is virtually certain to end up owning a monster British media company spanning broadcasting, newspapers and film and sports rights together with the distribution channels through which the content is piped. If the government doesn't understand why this makes a great many people nervous it is either being disingenuous or dishonest. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
In pursuit of Jeremy Hunt - Simon Hoggart's sketch - Politics - The Guardian
Had the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, given way to Rupert Murdoch as a payback for the Sun's support at the last election campaign Nobody could quite bring themselves to believe that it was a rational decision based on wide consultations. This is a reference to Lord Patten. On 21 December, Vince Cable had been stripped of responsibilities for broadcasting. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukThursday 03 March 2011, PM
The Sky News spinoff: muddled meddling or craven capitulation? - Head to head - Comment is free - guardian.co.uk
News Corporation is set to spin off Sky News to clear the way for a purchase of the 61 of BSkyB shares it doesn't already own. Sky News will have a majority of independent directors but BSkyB has always had that. Sky News viewers are now being punished for their loyalty by having their service detached from the powerful engine of BSkyB. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
BBC News - Sky News: Murdoch allowed to take over BSkyB
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets CSS if you are able to do so. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukSky News journalists fear spin-off will reduce channel's influence - Media - The Guardian
Rupert Murdoch has been known to describe Sky News as 'BBC light'. Photograph Rex Features In the corridors of Sky News the mood was subdued. Journalists at Britain's first 24-hour news channel know that being a fully owned part of Sky was what gave them extra influence a Murdoch link that ensured they would not be ignored in Westminster and elsewhere in the media. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukNews Corporation/BSkyB merger: the timeline - Media - guardian.co.uk
Jeremy Hunt took responsibility for the decision in December 2010. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
Murdoch moves step nearer BSkyB takeover - TV Radio, Media - The Independent
The Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he was minded to wave through the takeover by News Corporation after the media giant offered to make the channel into a separate independent company and subsidise it for a decade. The new conditions are subject to a 15-day public consultation period, but an alliance of other media organisations has already indicated it is ready to take legal action to block the arrangement. News Corp has yet to agree a takeover price with BSkyB after its initial 700p-a-share bid, which valued the business at 12.3 billion, was rejected for being too low. - independent.co.ukwww.independent.co.ukThis Sky News plan is good not just for Rupert Murdoch - Steve Hewlett - Comment is free - guardian.co.uk
Rupert Murdoch's News Corp plans to buy the 61 of BSkyB it doesnt already own. For a start there are the widespread if hotly disputed concerns about the increased concentration of media ownership and undue proprietorial influence extending across from News International's newspapers to Sky News were they all to come under 100 common ownership. Then there is the much less discussed question of what would have become of Sky News had it been separated completely as some schemes would have had it from the rest of BSkyB. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukBenjamin Cohen on Technology - Whitewash ? Hunt had to accept Murdoch Sky deal and Murdoch s not th
They also fail to realise that the revolution in digital journalism has diminished the power Murdoch once had. Jeremy Hunt had to make a decision on a very specific remit, would News Corporation gain too great a share of the supply and consumption of news in the UK if it owned all of Sky The issue was therefore solely relating to Sky News and no other knock on impact of the acquisition. - blogs.channel4.comblogs.channel4.comSky News is Rupert Murdoch's greatest triumph in Britain - Media - guardian.co.uk
Sky News is 'Rupert Murdoch best contribution to the British media scene'. This is why I believe it is wrong and damaging that it has been dragged into the fraught settlement over media plurality and concentration, as News Corporation negotiates terms for a full takeover of BSkyB. The structural solution outlined today, which will see it hived off into a separate company with News Corp holding a 39.1 stake, may suit the lawyers and negotiators. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukU-turn by Hunt will raise further concerns about transparency - The Labour Party
Labour promises rigorous scrutiny of plan for new Sky News company and expresses continued concern about transparency of the decision-making process. Four weeks ago, he was minded to refer the deal to the Competition Commission. During the consultation process we will engage with all parties to scrutinise the details of the proposal to turn Sky News into a listed company. - labour.org.ukwww.labour.org.ukBSkyB head Jeremy Darroch welcomes Sky News spinoff plan - Media - guardian.co.uk
The company will be independently funded for 10 years with News Corp to hold a stake of 39.1 with the remainder held by investors in BSkyB. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. To find out more information about driving traffic to your content or to place this widget on your site, visit outbrain.com. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.uk
Rupert Murdoch and the BSkyB takeover: how powerful will it make him? - Media - guardian.co.uk
- guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukThe Courier - Highland Perthshire radio listeners asked to support Freeview BBC radio campaign
- www.thecourier.co.uk
BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - Archive on 4, Murdoch at 80
The other that he is the champion of the free market that opened up British media from the stifling grip of unions. To mark the 80th birthday of the world's most controversial media baron, Steve Hewlett will attempt to get the inside story of the man behind the headlines, by talking to some of his harshest rivals, as well as his closest collaborators. In 1931, Murdoch was born to a wealthy media family in Melbourne, Australia. - bbc.co.ukwww.bbc.co.ukOpponents of News Corp takeover of BSkyB consider judicial review - Media - guardian.co.uk
It is a deal too far, it is a deal that should not be done. The deal if done will lead to irrevocable consequences. It is understood that the alliance of media groups, which includes Guardian Media Group, publisher of the Guardian, is taking legal advice to consider options including a judicial review. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukRupert Murdoch's BSkyB win: the damage is to the coalition - Michael White - Politics - guardian.co.uk
Before we get too horrified over the spectacle of Rupert Murdoch getting his wicked way with the fair maiden BSkyB, it is important to get things in perspective and remember that he will be 80 next week. The real damage is to David Cameron, Vince remember him Cable and the coalition. I have nothing personal against the old ruffian, though he has contributed greatly to the coarsening of public life both in Britain through his tabloids and in the United States, notably via Fox News. - guardian.co.ukwww.guardian.co.ukRadio Today.. with RCS: Radio groups join TV plan
- radiotoday.co.ukThursday 03 March 2011, AM
News Corp-BSkyB merger talks to resume
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