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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Murdoch attack on 'dominant' BBC | Murdoch attack on 'dominant' BBC |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| News Corporation's James Murdoch has said that a "dominant" BBC threatens independent journalism in the UK. | News Corporation's James Murdoch has said that a "dominant" BBC threatens independent journalism in the UK. |
| The chairman of the media giant in Europe, which owns the Times and Sun, also blamed the UK government for regulating the media "with relish". | The chairman of the media giant in Europe, which owns the Times and Sun, also blamed the UK government for regulating the media "with relish". |
| "The expansion of state-sponsored journalism is a threat to the plurality and independence of news provision," Mr Murdoch said. | "The expansion of state-sponsored journalism is a threat to the plurality and independence of news provision," Mr Murdoch said. |
| He was giving the MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival. | He was giving the MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival. |
| Mr Murdoch said that organisations like the BBC, funded by the licence fee, as well as Channel 4 and Ofcom made it harder for other broadcasters to survive. | Mr Murdoch said that organisations like the BBC, funded by the licence fee, as well as Channel 4 and Ofcom made it harder for other broadcasters to survive. |
| 'Strong competitor' | |
| "The BBC is dominant," Mr Murdoch said. "Other organisations might rise and fall but the BBC's income is guaranteed and growing." | "The BBC is dominant," Mr Murdoch said. "Other organisations might rise and fall but the BBC's income is guaranteed and growing." |
| The BBC has a very strong competitor in Sky, and not one to be ignored Sir Michael Lyons, BBC Trust | The BBC has a very strong competitor in Sky, and not one to be ignored Sir Michael Lyons, BBC Trust |
| News Corporation, which owns Sky television, lost $3.4bn (£2bn) in the year to the end of June, which his father, News Corporation boss Rupert Murdoch, said had been "the most difficult in recent history". | News Corporation, which owns Sky television, lost $3.4bn (£2bn) in the year to the end of June, which his father, News Corporation boss Rupert Murdoch, said had been "the most difficult in recent history". |
| Other media organisations are also struggling as advertising revenues have dropped during the downturn. | Other media organisations are also struggling as advertising revenues have dropped during the downturn. |
| Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, told BBC's World Tonight that Mr Murdoch had underplayed the importance of Sky as a competitor. | Sir Michael Lyons, chairman of the BBC Trust, told BBC's World Tonight that Mr Murdoch had underplayed the importance of Sky as a competitor. |
| "Sky continues to grow and get stronger and stronger all the time so this is not quite a set of minnows and a great big BBC," Sir Michael said. | "Sky continues to grow and get stronger and stronger all the time so this is not quite a set of minnows and a great big BBC," Sir Michael said. |
| "The BBC has a very strong competitor in Sky, and not one to be ignored." | "The BBC has a very strong competitor in Sky, and not one to be ignored." |
| Free news | Free news |
| Mr Murdoch said free news on the web provided by the BBC made it "incredibly difficult" for private news organisations to ask people to pay for their news. | Mr Murdoch said free news on the web provided by the BBC made it "incredibly difficult" for private news organisations to ask people to pay for their news. |
| "It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it," he said. | "It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it," he said. |
| News Corporation has said it will start charging online customers for news content across all its websites. | News Corporation has said it will start charging online customers for news content across all its websites. |
| It owns the Times, the Sunday Times and Sun newspapers and pay TV provider BSkyB in the UK and the New York Post and Wall Street Journal in the US. | It owns the Times, the Sunday Times and Sun newspapers and pay TV provider BSkyB in the UK and the New York Post and Wall Street Journal in the US. |
| Rupert Murdoch addressed the same festival 20 years ago, and criticised the UK's media policy then as well. | Rupert Murdoch addressed the same festival 20 years ago, and criticised the UK's media policy then as well. |