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Could News Corp lose its Fox TV licences?

Murdoch's US interests are coming under greater scrutiny.

New Statesman
Fox News Chairman & CEO Roger Ailes. Photograph: Getty Images.

Since the Murdochs returned to the front pages, Labour has taken every opportunity to focus attention on Ofcom's investigation into whether  News Corporation is a "fit and proper" owner of the broadcasting licence held by BSkyB. In her numerous interviews on Jeremy Hunt last week, Harriet Harman persistently returned to this subject. Today, on The World At One, Ed Miliband urged Ofcom to "add urgency" to its investigation (the regulator replied that it would not be "rushed into a knee-jerk reaction"). The resultant impression is that Labour is determined for News Corp to lose its lucrative 39.1 per cent stake in BSKyB, a £6.6bn company.

Yesterday's MPs' report, which leads today's editions of the New York Times and the Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal, means that News Corp's US broadcasting interests have also come under scrutiny for the first time since the scandal broke. A political watchdog, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, has written to federal regulators calling on them to revoke the company's 27 Fox broadcast licences. The letter states:

The House of Commons report makes clear that both Rupert and James Murdoch were complicit in New Corp.’s illegal activities.  If the Murdochs don’t meet the British standards of character test, it is hard to see how they can meet the American standard.

Under Federal Communications Commission regulations, only people with "good character who serve the public interest" can run broadcast frequencies.

Some will dismiss the letter as a fringe protest by an anti-Murdoch group but it's worth remembering that most on the right said much the same about the Guardian's investigation into phone-hacking. If Ofcom concludes that News Corp is not a "fit and proper" shareholder of BSkyB it is no longer unthinkable that the company's US interests could come under threat.

4 comments

ddsa's picture

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perry mason's picture

@p j wall - give it a rest you fool. it is 'FOX News' and it has nothing to do with this article. they are talking about FOX's broadcast tv licenses I.E. FOX5 in New York etc. (why does there always have to be one deranged nut going on about FNC no matter what the topic?)

anyway, nothing will happen. thankfully the U.S. has a little thing called freedom of the press etc and unlike the uk, the politician over there are not total scum and understand people are allowed choice and differing views.

p j wall's picture

It would be a sad loss if we ever lost a quality, fair and balanced, top quality news channel, with respected journalists working for it!!, but, we`re only talking about Fixed News!, that`s the complete opposite of any of those qualities mentioned!!, mind you, Kay Burley and Sadam Boulton would be well at home on Fixed Noise?, because, they also spew out Biased, unprofessional views, with no objectivity, whatsoever!!.

mbrecker's picture

They could and they should. The problem is that the FCC (the US Ofcom) has been totally deregulated and has no real enforcement power. If under enourmous political pressure, they'll act. However, while the regulations say license holders must be of "good character", the FCC also says the Fairness Doctrine is obsolete. If you don't use one of the Seven Dirty Words on commercial TV (cable, satellite and online are excluded), you can do whatever you like. To the audience: if you don't like it, turn it off. Nobody's forcing you to watch or listen.

The reason Murdoch hasn't lost his licenses up until now is because the politicians are afraid of his money and power.

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