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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Decision on Fox's Sky takeover due later | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Culture Secretary Karen Bradley is to announce later whether 21st Century Fox will be allowed to complete its takeover of Sky. | |
| Ms Bradley asked regulator Ofcom to decide if the deal was in the public interest, especially around media plurality and broadcasting standards. | Ms Bradley asked regulator Ofcom to decide if the deal was in the public interest, especially around media plurality and broadcasting standards. |
| Fox owns 39% of Sky, but wants to buy the rest, and assume total control of the broadcaster. | Fox owns 39% of Sky, but wants to buy the rest, and assume total control of the broadcaster. |
| The deal has been cleared by European Commission competition authorities. | The deal has been cleared by European Commission competition authorities. |
| This a quick guide to the issues involved: | This a quick guide to the issues involved: |
| Why is the deal controversial? | Why is the deal controversial? |
| Rupert Murdoch will control both 21st Century Fox and Sky while also owning The Times and The Sun newspapers. | Rupert Murdoch will control both 21st Century Fox and Sky while also owning The Times and The Sun newspapers. |
| Opponents say this will give him too much power in the UK media. | Opponents say this will give him too much power in the UK media. |
| Fox has also been hit by sexual harassment scandals at its flagship Fox News channel in the US. Some of the victims have given evidence to Ofcom. | Fox has also been hit by sexual harassment scandals at its flagship Fox News channel in the US. Some of the victims have given evidence to Ofcom. |
| Why is Mr Murdoch keen on the takeover? | Why is Mr Murdoch keen on the takeover? |
| Mr Murdoch is willing to spend £11.7bn on the deal - an indication of how much he wants it to happen. | |
| Currently the two companies are separate, but if Mr Murdoch is successful, 21st Century Fox would gain access to Sky's 22 million customers in Europe. | Currently the two companies are separate, but if Mr Murdoch is successful, 21st Century Fox would gain access to Sky's 22 million customers in Europe. |
| Fox argues that money it invests will benefit the UK's creative industries. | Fox argues that money it invests will benefit the UK's creative industries. |
| If the deal is successful, does this mean Sky News will become a UK version of Fox News? | If the deal is successful, does this mean Sky News will become a UK version of Fox News? |
| In short, no. | In short, no. |
| Fox News is widely seen as being a conservative network with contributors such as former Republican Presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin. | Fox News is widely seen as being a conservative network with contributors such as former Republican Presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin. |
| It is also supportive of President Trump. | It is also supportive of President Trump. |
| The UK has rules that ensure broadcasters must pay attention to due impartiality so Sky would be prevented from taking a similar route to Fox. | |
| Hasn't this deal been tried before? | Hasn't this deal been tried before? |
| Fox first tried to buy Sky in 2011 but the deal fell apart after revelations about the hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone by the Murdoch-owned News of the World. | |
| Then, as now, there was opposition from Labour and the Liberal Democrats as well as other media groups. | Then, as now, there was opposition from Labour and the Liberal Democrats as well as other media groups. |
| After the 2011 debacle, Mr Murdoch split the broadcasting and film empire - Fox - away from his newspaper interests - News Corp. | After the 2011 debacle, Mr Murdoch split the broadcasting and film empire - Fox - away from his newspaper interests - News Corp. |
| What happens now? | What happens now? |
| Ms Bradley will have received the report from Ofcom on the broadcasting standards and plurality implications and will announce whether she will refer the deal to the Competition and Markets Authority. |